She didn’t want to shrink her lifestyle — so she paid off $150K in debt, fast / 74
There’s a version of debt advice that most of us have heard at some point: make your minimum payments, invest the rest, and stay consistent. It sounds responsible, and for some people, it works really well.
But what if you follow that advice and still feel stuck?
That’s exactly where physician assistant and financial educator Arden Missal found herself after graduating with $150,000 in student loan debt. On paper, she was doing everything right — a strong income, a clear repayment plan, a “normal” financial path. But when she actually paused and looked at what that plan meant for her life, it didn’t feel as solid as it sounded.
This episode is about that moment — when something technically makes sense, but doesn’t feel aligned — and what can happen when you decide to question it.
Episode highlights
[00:00] Why the “make minimum payments” advice didn’t sit right with Arden — and what it revealed
[06:30] What paying off $150K in 16 months looked like behind the scenes
[12:00] How becoming debt-free reshaped her relationship with money
[16:00] The “boiling frog” effect and how debt becomes your normal
[22:00] What money avoidance really is — and how it shows up
[27:00] How shame and limiting beliefs keep people stuck
[34:00] Arden’s favorite exercise for uncovering your money story
[41:00] Why your thoughts drive your financial outcomes
[47:00] Rethinking budgeting as a tool for direction, not restriction
[53:00] What to do if financial freedom feels out of reach
When the “responsible” plan doesn’t actually feel right
Arden started where a lot of people do — by following the advice she saw everywhere. Minimum payments, long timeline, trust the math. But when she ran her own numbers, she realized she’d be earning a high income while still sitting in a negative net worth for years.
At the same time, her lifestyle would likely grow. Better apartment, more spending, more visible signs of success — all while carrying debt in the background. That disconnect was hard to ignore. It wasn’t that the plan was wrong, but it didn’t match how she wanted her life to feel.
That realization shifted the question from “What should I do?” to “What do I actually want my life to feel like?”
Arden knew she didn’t want a miserly lifestyle. Her solution? Pay off the debt as quickly as she could so she didn’t have to live frugally for the rest of her life.
Behind the scenes of paying off $150K in 16 months
Arden’s approach to debt payoff wasn’t subtle. She worked multiple jobs, picked up overtime shifts, and filled in any gaps with as much work as possible. There was a season where her days started at 5 a.m. and ended around midnight, and she was working six days of the week.
And while most of us hear that and think, “that’s a fast track to burnout,” Arden didn’t see it that way.
She had mapped out exactly how long it would take to become debt-free, depending on how much she worked and how much she spent. That meant every extra shift had a purpose. It wasn’t just “more work,” it was less time in debt.
Arden wasn’t signing up for a decade of sacrifice — she was compressing it into a defined season. And because she could see the finish line, the intensity felt worth it.
How debt becomes normal
One of the most powerful ideas from this conversation is how easy it is for debt to become your baseline.
You take on student loans, then maybe a car payment, and over time, those monthly obligations just feel like part of life. When everyone around you is doing the same thing, there’s nothing that really pushes you to question it.
Arden describes this as the “boiling frog” effect — when something changes slowly enough, you don’t notice how significant it’s become. Debt works like that. It blends into your lifestyle, and before you know it, you’ve built your life around it.
That’s why so many people don’t challenge it. Not because they’re careless, but because it feels normal.
And often, it takes a moment of zooming out — like actually running the numbers — to realize how much it’s shaping your choices.
Money avoidance, shame, and what’s really underneath
Avoidance is often about anxiety. If something feels overwhelming, your brain looks for the fastest way to feel better — and ignoring it works in the short term.
When it comes to money, this can look like:
not checking your bank account
avoiding your total debt number
putting off conversations about money
even spending to distract yourself
The tricky part is that while avoidance reduces stress in the moment, it keeps the bigger problem in place. And with money, there’s no neutral — things are either improving, or they’re getting worse.
Shame often layers on top of that. It’s the feeling that you should be doing better, or that everyone else has it figured out. But Arden reframes this in a helpful way: shame isn’t the problem, it’s the signal.
What actually keeps people stuck is when that shame turns into a belief like, “there’s nothing I can do about this.”
That’s the piece that needs to shift. ☝️
Look to your money story to identify limiting beliefs
If you’re not sure what beliefs are driving your decisions, Arden suggests starting with a simple exercise: Write out your money story.
Set a timer for five minutes and answer the question, “Why do my finances look the way they do?”
No editing, no overthinking — just write.
When you read it back, you’ll likely notice patterns in how you explain your situation. Some of those explanations will be factual, but others will be assumptions or beliefs you’ve been carrying for a long time.
Things like:
“I’m just bad with money.”
“I’ll always be behind.”
“This is just how life works.”
Once you can see those clearly, you can start to question them. Not all at once, but gradually — with curiosity instead of judgment.
Budgeting, but in a way that actually supports you
Toward the end of the episode, Arden talks about budgeting in a way that feels a lot less restrictive than the usual approach.
Instead of treating it like a report card you check at the end of the month, she frames it as a tool you use before you make decisions. More like a GPS than a scoreboard.
A good budget helps you:
understand where you are
decide where you want to go
make choices that align with that direction
Arden offers another helpful reframe: there’s more than one kind of deprivation. When you don’t stick to a plan, you’re not avoiding tradeoffs — you’re just choosing a different one.
Spending freely now might mean less flexibility later. Being more intentional now might create more freedom later. Either way, you’re choosing. A supportive budget just helps you make that choice on purpose.
When financial freedom feels out of reach
If you’re reading this and thinking, “This sounds great, but it’s not realistic for me,” that’s a really normal reaction.
But instead of stopping there, Arden suggests asking one simple question: Why do I believe that?
Because the answer is usually deeper than just numbers. It’s about the story you’re telling yourself about what’s possible, what you’re capable of, and what kind of life is available to you.
Arden’s journey didn’t start with working more or cutting expenses. It started with believing that a different outcome was possible — and then aligning her actions with that belief.
That shift might feel small, but it’s where real progress and growth begin.
TL;DR
The “default” debt advice doesn’t work for everyone — and it’s okay to question it.
A clear, short-term plan can make an intense payoff strategy feel more manageable.
Money avoidance is often a response to anxiety, not a lack of discipline.
Shame becomes limiting when it’s paired with the belief that nothing can change.
Your mindset shapes your actions — and your actions shape your outcomes.
Connect with Arden:
Grab Arden’s free debt tracker: https://shesfinanciallyfree.com/starter-kit
This content is for educational purposes only and is not personalized financial, tax, or legal advice.
