To showcase how our Minters are achieving their financial goals, we reached out to everyday Mint users, just like you, to share their stories. Whether it’s reaching an emergency fund goal, or making progress in paying off student loans, we’re inspired by the dedication you’ve shown in working toward your goals and dreams.

One of those Minters is Kimberly, who shared with us how she’s using Mint to stay on track in paying off her student loans. Check out her #EmpowerMint story:

I joined Mint about a year and a half ago, shortly after graduating from nursing school. Up until starting my first nursing job, I had only worked part-time jobs, never followed a budget, and barely had any form of savings. Because nursing was my second degree, I accumulated a significant amount of student loans ($118,973.64 to be exact). Without a significant understanding of my finances, I always assumed that once I began working full-time, the loans would be easy to pay back.

I never really understood the gravity of being in debt until I actually had to think about repayment. When I finally calculated my full loan amount and started making a game plan for repayment, I was completely overwhelmed. I researched different personal finance tools and found Mint through a recommendation from a YouTube video, and decided to give it a try.

Among other personal finance applications, I found Mint to be the most user-friendly, and above all, it’s free! Seeing my negative net balance on Mint was an eye-opener. I felt so deep in a black hole of debt and desperately wanted to get out. How could I possibly build wealth and achieve all my life milestones when I’m starting so deep in the negatives? Mint offered me the organization and planning tools that I needed to get started, beginning with a timeline for my loan repayment. Through the Budget feature, I allocated my funds accordingly. After using Mint for a few months, the Trends feature allowed me to take note of where my money was currently going and identify areas where I could reduce spending. 

One of my favorite features of Mint that helps keep me on track with my financial goals is seeing my weekly and monthly spending insights. I use these features along with the information on the Trends page to reflect on my spending. It’s hard to stick to a budget 100%, so seeing how I did every month helps me to understand what spending areas I need to adjust or be more mindful about. Prior to using Mint, I allowed many “small” transactions to take place that weren’t accounted for in my budget. I am definitely more conscious of the impact of these small transactions now and put a lot of consideration before buying something because I know I’ll be reflecting on it at the end of the month.

A year and a half later, I’m still on my debt-free journey, but I feel really accomplished and refreshed knowing I’m on the right track. As of today, I’ve paid off about $30,000 in student loans. Mint has made it both easy and enjoyable to navigate my finances and work toward paying off my student loans.

The post Real Minter Story: Kimberly appeared first on MintLife Blog.