If it’s one thing that we truly love to see, it’s the power that comes with financial freedom after paying off credit card debts!

According to Good Morning America, Cinneah El-Amin is finally free from the constrictions that accompany debt after coming to a realization that it was time for a change.

“The worst that I got was I woke up one day with over $10,000 in credit card debt that was due in full,” said the 27-year-old.  From there she buckled down and took a head-first approach to managing and alleviating herself from the credit card debts she owed to various companies.

When it came to attacking her debt, El-Amin knew that she had to take a more serious approach to where she was spending her money. 

Through the use of zero-based budgeting, she was able to achieve all of her financial goals. 

With the zero-based budgeting method, any income amount that is earned is given a “job” so that when the person subtracts the money that’s going out from their respective income, they are able to reach a balance of zero.

“I’m giving every dollar that I make in my 9-to-5 job a job in itself,” El-Amin explained. “So when I get paid, my money is going to flow into different accounts, and anything that is leftover in my checking account, I’m going to make sure I budget out to zero.”

Paying Off Credit Card Debts on a Budget — Easier Than You Think!

Another method that she used included destination budgeting which placed her funds into specific accounts in order to help her work toward knocking out multiple goals.

Lastly, El-Amin managed to increase her income by taking on various side hustles while working toward a position with higher pay.

“This method of budgeting is when any income amount earned is given a “job” so that when you subtract the money that’s going out from your income, you would get a balance of zero,” read the report. 

Additionally, she took on a few side hustles to better align herself with the debt-free life that she desired and even began her journey toward a higher-paying job.

“I am a staunch advocate for more women to job hop, to get the money they deserve and to stop playing small when it comes to our careers and the next step in our careers.”

Financial Freedom

The journey to financial freedom often seems far-fetched and like one has to work tirelessly to achieve their goals, however El-Amin wants more women to know that it is indeed attainable.

“Financial freedom is a game-changer for women, especially women of color and Black women, because we come from legacies of women being financially disempowered,” she expressed. “I grew up in a wonderful amazing family, but I also saw women that looked like me work to the point of exhaustion.”

Now, El-Amin is not only debt free, but she has managed to grow her net worth to $100,000.