WE’RE DEBT FREE! In July of 2021, we made the trip to Ramsey Solutions headquarters to do our debt free scream live on The Ramsey Show. If you haven’t already seen our video, here it is:

Our final student loan payment was made on March 22, 2021, and soon after, I sent in our request to do a debt free scream at Ramsey HQ. It took a few months until the Ramsey team reached out to us, and when they did, we were able to pick the date and hour of the show we wanted to appear on. We ended up choosing the final (3rd) hour of the show so that we would have plenty of time to get ready and get there. With an unpredictable toddler, we didn’t want to take any chances, either!

We arrived at Ramsey Solutions headquarters about an hour before we were scheduled to appear, so we had plenty of time to prepare ourselves. We were greeted by the friendly staff who helped us get ready for our segment. The show was already in session, and Dave was on air with Dr. John Deloney. There were lots of people watching in the lobby, and during the commercial breaks, they would come out to greet everyone, take pictures, and sign books. There is a bookstore inside, as well as the Baker Street Coffee Shop where you can get free drinks and treats!

There was another couple there doing their debt free scream, and we had the chance to watch them before it was our turn. It was a great sight to see, and I remember throughout our journey, whenever times got really tough, watching the show and seeing others do their debt free screams gave me renewed hope and motivation. I have to admit, after we were officially invited to the show, I was a bit hesitant. I told Zac that maybe we should just call in to do our debt free scream, but he reminded me how hard we worked and how much we sacrificed the past few years and how important it was for people to really see us and hear our story.

Did you know that The Ramsey Show reaches over 18 million listeners each week? We didn’t realize there were THAT many people that would be hearing and seeing us. Of course, that made us even MORE nervous before going on air, but the Ramsey team told us not to worry, to just share our story, and let Dave guide us, and that’s what we did. Even though we came prepared with notes, it was still so nerve-racking being in front of a camera for millions to see. During our segment, Dave & Dr. Deloney were great and made us feel at ease.

When it was finally time for us to do our scream, it was a truly momentous occasion for us. It was an achievement that, for so long, we thought would be impossible to accomplish. Our hope is that when Bella is older, she will realize how hard we worked to build a better future for us all.

At the end of our segment, we were greeted by Dave & Dr. Deloney. It was great to finally meet them in person. They were both so nice and we had the chance to chat with them a bit before they had to get back to the show. We were given some books and gifts from the team to celebrate our debt free scream. I also got to sign the wall along with many others who came before us to do their debt free screams. Perhaps the next time we’re in town, we’ll come back to find it.

Looking back on our journey, it was a very emotional experience. We went through so much in the four years leading up to this moment. Now that we are parents ourselves, it made us really appreciate all the struggles our parents went through when we were growing up. To all you parents out there doing your best to provide for your families: we see you and we are with you. If there is anything this experience has taught us, it is to NEVER GIVE UP.

There is still a lot of work to be done, especially now that we have Bella, who has a lot of growing up to do! We are not completely debt free yet, as we still have a mortgage to pay off, so this is definitely our next big goal. What are your financial goals? Let us know in the comments below!