The good and bad in the #debtfreecommunity (Happy Birthday)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Debtfreecommunity! We need to talk.
This video includes a short history of the online debt free community, the most amazing things about it and some things we need to watch out for, like STAT.

#debtfreecommunity #wecandobetter #debtfreejourney
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☕ coffee

[BudgetGirl]

Share this video if you've ever felt personally victimized by a wannabee member of the debtfreecommunity. :-)

[Plaidfuzz]

I have followed you for quite a while and honestly you are one of the few people in this space I still follow. Your transparency and positive attitude have been SO inspiring! I’m learning to just unfollow people who don’t inspire me.

[TaleRavenTarot]

Great points. My biggest pet peeve with the debt free community is how so many people act like Dave Ramsey is the only one out there, or the only way to be debt-free. No hate to Dave, but it doesn't work for everyone. And I've had people criticize me for not doing something the "right" way when it's just that it was different from what Dave would do. I am also a single woman with a low income, and your videos have kept me going. I'm on track to be totally debt-free by 2020 and I'm excited to be gazelle-intense this year!

[WendyValencia]

Sarah, as you well know, it was you who inspired me to start a channel. I started watching you around 3 years ago, , several months before Mauricio and I started on our journey. We have paid off over $188K in 33 months (still have $120Kish to go. :( Since we are more relaxed about our journey (same commitment, but we know ourselves and know that if we try and go full "beans and rice" our journey will come to a quick and screeching halt) we get a horrific amount of hate. I cannot tell you how many people judge us for our choices. But really, unless they are planning on sending me money every month (which I GLADLY welcome), their opinions on my finances are just their opinions. And you know what they say about opinions... LOL.  That being said, the amazing people in this community (as you emphasized) FAR outweigh the bad. There are so many people who I actually do listen to their opinions because I know that they have my best interest at heart. So I, like you, love the DFC for what they are...amazing people from diverse backgrounds who all bring something interesting to the table. Thanks for being one of the first! You are an amazing and beautiful person

[rosiemc]

I think I told you this before but I found your channel about a year and a half ago and BINGE watched all of them from the beginning. You were my inspiration. I had heard of Dave Ramsey but you were the one to "show me" how to do it and believe that I could do it too. I've successfully kept a zero based budget now for a year and in that year I have stopped using my credit cards, paid for a work/Disney trip, paid my debt down by $5, 500 AND CASH FLOWED MY WEDDING!! I owe it to your videos and Kelly's Freedom in a Budget's excel budget!!!! Thank you!

[aromaofhope]

I got into the frugal living movement back in the 1990s and have lived very simply and mostly debt free since then. I'm not a Dave Ramsey fan. I know his methods are good, but I'm not fond of "tough love." I veer from the debt free community in that I find my finances work better if I come at them from a place of gratitude and generosity than if I try to keep track of every cent. But everyone has to do what is right for them. Love your channel, BG!!

[TheRealLydiaSenn]

There are so many people. I think it’s great- Debt Free is the new normal. But I hate the condemnation because you do things differently.

[juliefox]

Preach, girl!!! I know I’ve said it before but you were INSTRUMENTAL in our Debt Free Journey! I will never forget when you gave me a shout out and virtual Higih-Five on your channel when I wrote you that we paid off our debt. I love your enthusiasm, sense of humor, and real-ness. I’ve been following the DBC for a good 4-5 years, so since the beginning when there were just a few of you. Keep doin’ your thang, lady, and keep up that gorgeous smile of yours!

[DebtFreeMillennials]

I LOVE that you started your channel way back when (kinda wish I would have done that when I started my debt free journey in 2012). Everyone's story is completely unique, so no judgyness here (using your word 😝) The way you paid off debt is different than the way I paid off debt and that's almost certainly different than how someone else is paying off their debt. There's no right or wrong! We're here to lift us all up financially. Cheers, girlfriend, thanks for calling this out!

[DebtFreeDee]

This is SO inspiring BG! When I started last year, I binged on you and DollarDude especially! And bawled my eyes out watching your DFS live lol! You are a Pioneer and I'm so appreciative for you! So many others share this sentiment. Thank you Sarah!!

[FREETOFAMILY]

PREACH!!! It is personal finance for a reason:-) I can't STAND comparison and condemnation! UGH...so unproductive! Great job BG! xoxo ~Kim

[Roadtodebtfree]

I discovered Dave Ramsey thru you. Probably a couple of months after you posted your first video. I feel like I’ve know you for years.
It all started when I went to a technical school and finished with $20k in debt I paid it off roughly in 2 years because I wanted to go back to school to get a bachelor’s. I found you half way while I was paying the debt. I then was able to cash flow five years of school because I never wanted to be in debt again. Then I finished school and I HAD to get a new car 😔. This was earlier this year and now I am paying the car off and I only have four months left before I am debt free again. Then we are going at the mortgage to pay it off in a year after the car is paid off.
All this to say, thank for being in the debt free community you have inspired me to do all of this. Even though I didn’t make the best decisions but I have learned from them.

[anitaroberts]

Good one, Sarah!
I found the DFC via your channel in early 2015 and you introduced me to the Baby Steps. You inspired me to keep going when it felt like I would never finish BS2. Now I'm starting BS3 and I couldn't be more happy, relieved, proud, or thankful. Your channel is a gift that truly helped me change my life. It took me 4 years to pay off >$65k, and debt free feels so great! Looking forward to the next leg of the journey. Wishing you and everyone in the DFC a happy and healthy holiday season, and a prosperous new year.

[bankingonmoney]

Hello budget girl good to see your chugging along. Man we started the Dave Ramsey plan about alittle over 3 years prior to discovering your start on youtube. You have come a very long way providing a very positive vibe. We are very proud of you. We took a total of 4.75 years to pay all debt including the house. I have to admit you have started the youtube budget trend. There were no others online at the time sharing budgets and experiences. Through the years getting out of debt and now building wealth we still get resistance. As they say what doesn't kill yah makes you stronger. We know and see the positive affects of the plan and stay on track. As they say you live like no one else so you can live like no one else.... who knew many stresses go away with no debt ;). Keep up the good work!

[whatwouldpicarddomakeitso]

You are unbelievably inspiring, I'm so glad you went on YouTube to show people the way, I want for humans to be happy healthy and inspired to be their best to themselves and others, but life gets in the way sometimes and things drag people down and I've seen debt crush people and I'm so thankful your helping so many others.

[clarissahallowell]

I had to take a bit of a break from the debt free community because of me comparing myself with what others are doing. I had to take a break and decide what my goals are, and how I want to spend my money and what makes me happy 😃. Personal Finance is personal and I ❤️ that so many in this community are reminding us of that. I have been following the debtfree community for a 3 years now. ❤️❤️❤️

[celiagorleski]

Thanks for your encouragement. We are 65 and on our debt free Journey. It would be so easy to criticize us and tell us we should have started this journey much sooner but we have been on this journey for 12 years already due to a financial crisis. I am proud of how we have done. We have gone from owing $140, 000 on credit cards down to less than $13, 000 and should have it paid off by end of next year if not sooner using the snowball method. We own our debt. We haven't tried any ways to get out of it and would never consider bankruptcy and we do own our house and half of another one with my brother-in-law and our cars are paid for. We are also raising 7 and 9 year old grandsons. For 3 months in a row I have paid off a credit card each month and things are definitely looking brighter. We are fortunate enough to live on pensions rather than Social Security but there are some things in life that you cannot plan for. So far I have not been harangued by anyone and have received a lot of encouragement. But I will not hold my tongue or my text if someone comes after me criticizing our efforts because they have not walked in our shoes. You are definitely an inspiration. I do wish I had gotten on board the Dave Ramsey train a little sooner. I know nothing about it until I started reading it on YouTube. All of a sudden, we had a path to follow.

[TruFinancials]

Been following Dave since 2008 or so. Found a love for the YouTube community because of how caring everyone here has been back in 2017.

[lesliew]

Wow, I appreciate your video so much! Thank you! We took FPU in 2017, but quickly got off track when summer hit. We're back on track again and I have just been finding debt free you tube channels the past 2 weeks. I was so excited when I searched for debt free community and your name popped up! I had not seen any of your videos yet, but was screaming and crying with you during your debt free scream! Yours was the first I have ever heard and it just made me so freaking happy for you! Congratulations! I am looking forward to getting out of debt as well!

[amberdesign]

Yes! BG telling the truth, as always. And someone called you out for having Rory!!!? Nuh uh, people need to get a grip lol. I'm actually back in BS2 for a myriad of reasons (and a lot has to do with stupid financial decisions), but the skills I learned when getting out of BS2 the first time AND the tips and support I got from watching people like you, Sarah, will make it so much easier to get back to BS3. Not worried about what other people think about my personal finance decisions. They are, after all, PERSONAL. :)