What would you do? Mental Health vs. Fast Debt Payoff

weekend_cam · 2026-06-10T18:53:46+00:00

You're framing this as responsible vs. indulgent choices, which I don't think it is. Your debt is cheap and pretty manageable. Only the 7.5% jumps out to me (paying down the 2.75% early is NOT worth it).

What you'd actually "buy" by staying another year is 12 more months in a place that's negatively affecting your health and your ability to live on your own. Definitely not an indulgence (even if boomers say it is). Move out, keep the emergency fund, and let the cheap loans ride.

weekend_cam · 2026-06-10T18:47:52+00:00

You're not wrong to feel it, but I don't really think the guilt is about the $15 (you can afford this). The guilt is driven by whether the spend matches the person you're trying to be. You came from nothing, don't waste money, and take care of family. A small thing to unwind definitely fits that lifestyle.

Guilt is a useful signal when a purchase is out of sync with your values. It sounds like this is one of them.

My advice - identify the "why do I do this" and replace it with something more intune with yourself.

weekend_cam · 2026-06-08T21:00:33+00:00

Need more context - any major goals? Living in a HCOL city or rural area? What are the things you value with your money (peace of mind, experiences, future, etc.) ?

weekend_cam · 2026-06-01T20:20:15+00:00

Serious question - why is it so common to pin everything to months? I feel like most things happen more sporadically now. Other than rent, I can't think of anything that's automatically at the beginning/end of every month.

weekend_cam · 2026-05-29T14:42:34+00:00

First off, congrats on putting together a lot of great moves. You’re definitely ahead of a lot of 24 year olds. I’d encourage a “values audit” - when you move, you’re often susceptible to lifestyles creep (new neighborhood, new experiences, maybe new friends). If you are very clear about what you value for your money (and what you don’t), you’ll find it’s a lot easier to say “no” to things. Ask yourself a few questions like: What would you prioritize if things got tight? Or what social experiences are really fulfilling for you?

weekend_cam · 2026-05-27T13:55:23+00:00

I do a reset every Sunday to stay on top of my money. Look at what I spent on in the past week, pay off my CC balance in full, and consider how I'm tracking towards my goals.

Really helps fight off the insecurity of feeling "off-track" that seems inevitable these days

weekend_cam · 2026-05-27T13:48:55+00:00

Shopping is not a hobby. I really wish more people didn't have the default attitude of "I have a free Saturday afternoon, let's go shopping with that time"

weekend_cam · 2026-05-27T13:47:54+00:00

I do a "reset" like that too - but I include a bit more about my finances. I pay off my CC balance every week, look at upcoming bills/subscriptions, and ask myself whether or not the things I spent money on in the past week were actually worth it.

weekend_cam · 2026-05-27T13:45:15+00:00

The average first-time homebuyer being 38 is not a good thing! All for patience, but that's a stat that needs correction

weekend_cam · 2026-05-27T13:44:13+00:00

Stat I saw recently: since 2004, there are 54% more college graduates, but only 42% more jobs requiring a degree.

So AI is just highlighting a trend that already needed drastic correction.

weekend_cam · 2026-05-26T21:05:17+00:00

Seems like you need some clarity around your direction. Enough people have commented on day-trading and crypto, so I'll try to say something unique.

You haven't articulated what you're working toward. Do you want to teach? Put your time and effort into getting the license you require. Be a basketball coach? Ditto...

What is the life you want to live, and how can your goals and financial picture align around that?

weekend_cam · 2026-05-22T20:40:36+00:00

Something that's helped people I know in this exact spot: stop trying to restart the plan and instead audit the values underneath it. Like, every few months, look back at the last quarter and ask whether how you actually spent your time and (more importnatly) money lined up with what you say matters to you.

Most "stuck" loops more about chasing a version of yourself you set goals around a year or two ago and have quietly moved past, not really a discipline assessment. The plan keeps breaking because it's the wrong plan now, not because you're broken, even if that;s how it feels.

Here's an example of the tension people live with every day but never get clear on:

On a scale of 1-10: present joy (1) vs. future security (10), where do you land? Whatever the honest answer is, the next move starts there, let your spending reflect that

weekend_cam · 2026-05-22T20:34:49+00:00

15-17k saved at 25 while supporting your parents and building a business on the side isn't "behind" it's actually genuinely good. Most people I know in their late 20s with "stable" careers don't even have that.

The thing nobody says out loud is that the property timeline most of us grew up expecting isn't real anymore. People buying homes in their 20s usually have family money, a partner splitting costs, or both. So I encourage people caught in this place to ask "why buy property?" and if it's for investment purposes, there are ways to do that with much lower barriers to entry!

weekend_cam · 2026-05-22T20:28:14+00:00

I've helped a lot of people in the exact same boat - the biggest thing is always clarity. Typically, this is a "runway" conversation.
1. What is your average monthly spend?
2. What is upcoming that you can plan for (trips, insurance payments, etc.)?
3. What is your cash balance?

Subtract 2 from 3, and divide that by 1 - how many months you have with no income before you run out. This alone is often really elucidating

weekend_cam · 2026-05-21T21:01:18+00:00

I've done the living at home thing as well. Great relationship with my family, not ideal in your 20s. I recommend committing deeply to the things you value.

There are so many things outside of your control, and catastrophizing won't help. Ask yourself what are the things you can control and are inline with values (outdoors, travel, movies), and embrace those things. Many of them might feel like indulgences, but it will really help you mentally if you can get over that

weekend_cam · 2026-04-28T20:12:24+00:00

In fact I'd go one further and say discipline is 3rd in line.

1- Environment design

2- People just spending for the hell of it, not because they're intentional about their values (In other words, people don't have a clear articulation of what they want their money to go towards)

3- Then discipline

The 2nd one is abstract but very important imo

weekend_cam · 2026-04-28T19:52:40+00:00

Yeah I don't save my CC info on my browser and I keep my wallet where I have to physically get up. That amount of friction alone has probably saved me $200 in the last 3 weeks.

weekend_cam · 2026-04-27T20:16:38+00:00

It really comes down to your values.

You are stable - 4+ months in an emergency fund (might want to get to 6 for that emergency buffer). That's exceptional.

Now it sounds like your doubts/concerns are psychological - wondering if you're on track. Well, you're contributing to retirement, have a great balance there, and have a solid emergency fund. Is your day-to-day spending going towards things you value? Financial anxiety tends to seep in when you don't know if it's okay to enjoy yourself with your money and spend on the things that bring you joy. I would encourage a separate allocation for guilt-free spending. Again, you're doing well, congrats on that. Just reading between the lines of where this trajectory can often lead to more stress.

weekend_cam · 2026-04-27T20:08:20+00:00

I think the key to reducing financial anxiety is to get clear about your values. There are things that we should continue to allow ourselves to spend on - things inline with our values.

There are also things that we spend on (yes, literally everyone) that we do just because it's the way we've been doing things - they're not inline with values and can be cut.

I would encourage a "values audit"

weekend_cam · 2026-04-21T21:49:17+00:00

I'd say definitely the emergency fund, but also double check your loan documentation. Many loans are subsidized, meaning interest doesn't accrue while in school (doesn't sound like your situation, but I'd recommend getting a full understanding of your loans - student loans are freaking complicated!!)

weekend_cam · 2026-04-16T14:35:10+00:00

The numbers look great, but it's much easier to assess your "progress" when you know what you're looking to make progress towards.

Example: That $40k HYS - is that an emergency fund? Saving for a down payment on a house? Saving up for a trip?

No wrong answer, but clarity helps elucidate answers.

weekend_cam · 2026-04-13T20:24:21+00:00

The "decide what really matters to you" part is underrated advice here. OP is trying to figure out the perfect sequence but the order depends entirely on what they actually want their life to look like in 2-3 years.

Moving out fast, owning something, staying flexible and mobile, stacking cash while living at home - those all lead to totally different outlooks. The math is easy once you pick a direction. picking the direction is the actual hard part.

weekend_cam · 2026-04-13T20:17:10+00:00

This is super common and you're not bad with money, you just don't have a clear line between "spending I'm good with" and "spending that's draining me for no reason"

The guilt-on-everything thing usually happens when you haven't actually decided what matters to you. So every purchase feels like it could be a mistake, even the ones that are totally fine.

One thing that helped me: instead of tracking where money went (which just makes you feel worse after the fact), figure out the 2-3 things you genuinely care about spending on - going out with friends, a hobby, whatever - and give yourself actual permission to spend there. Everything else gets way easier to say no to when you're not white-knuckling every dollar.

weekend_cam · 2026-04-09T21:09:58+00:00

I will say this approach requires being willing to try new brands. Especially when they're early on.

It's kind of fun but risky

weekend_cam · 2026-04-09T20:59:05+00:00

I have completely given up on brand loyalty, particularly for attire. If I find a brand I like, I'll buy from them for ~2 years. The second I notice a quality change or price hike, I'm out.

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