6 genius tips from a couple who paid off $330,000 of debt in 5 years

Katie Warren, INSIDER

TaiMcNeely almost didn’t marry her now-husband Talaat after discovering he had debt: he owed more than $30,000 from credit cards and vehicles.

Talaat wasn’t alone in his financial struggles. The average American household carries $5,700 in credit card debt alone, and those who take out student loans have more than $37,000 to pay back on average.

After initially struggling to learn how to handle their money as a couple, the McNeelys were able to pay off that $30,000 in their first year as a married couple. This journey inspired them to start His & Her Money to help other couples manage their money as a team.

After getting rid of that debt, however, the McNeelys had a goal in mind that would bring them back too square one: buying a house.

By being super organized, turning their hobbies into side hustles, and using 13 bank accounts, the McNeelys bought their Illinois home in June 2013 and made their final payment five years later in June 2018 — that’s 25 years ahead of schedule.

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