I first met Tom & Katie at a birthday party.

They had just pulled into town and came over to my house for a birthday party of a girl they didn’t even know (don’t worry, they did have a connection – they weren’t totally birthday party crashers). I was just putting away some leftover chili and offered them some – to which they gladly received. One of the first things I learned about this couple is how resourceful they are. They didn’t feel weird accepting a bowl of chili from a stranger at 10pm – it was free!

Before you get the impression these two are hobos, let me stop you. Tom & Katie both moved to North Dakota from Wisconsin with college degrees, Katie had just completed her masters at USC. Tom supported them both as she went through her online program and they had been living about as simply as one can (on a $9/hour income) before moving to the oil patch.

Within the first week they had both acquired good jobs – Tom got a job with an oil company and Katie got a job in her field working for the county. And they made a simple and profound decision: they would never use Tom’s paycheck for anything other than debt. Here’s a couple who literally just quintupled their income and had no intention of living a more extravagant life.

Initial Debt: $100,000 (2 undergrad degrees, a masters degree, and a car to be purchased later)

Time Frame: November 2013-May 2016

It was amazing to watch how Tom & Katie chose to live in this season. In our group of friends they might have had the highest combined income – but you’d never guess by how they lived their lives. They were generous with others, but rarely spent money on themselves. The furniture in their house was simple and I don’t think they hardly ever went out to eat. When I asked them what changes they made to their expenditures, they said the only thing that changed was their giving went up with their income.

I asked them what was most challenging about their 2.5-year season of paying off debt and they said first and foremost their work schedules only allowed them 2 off days a month together. Tom worked every other weekend and usually his off days were during the week while Katie was at work. They had to be intentional about building into their relationship in the time that they had.

The other thing they said was challenging was living simply in a land of extravagance. I think they make a great point about the “Williston” method of paying off debt. It’s easy to think they were only able to pay off debt because the oil boom gave them two good jobs. But after living in the oil patch for 4 years I have a longer list of people who acquired more debt in Williston than paid it off. This journey takes intense focus and motivation and Tom & Katie walked that journey well. They were surrounded by people buying houses and boats and fancy dinners out but they continued to live simply – and I think that’s why they are so far ahead of the curve.

Another thing I love about their story is that they left Williston with much more than a positive bank balance. Katie took a job that was probably above her skill level at the time and she worked to earn it. She studied hard outside of work to pass certification exams (which her company paid for) and she has more certifications and qualifications than probably any 20-something in the country. When she would get sent to work conferences she’d be the youngest person there by 20 years – nobody in their 20s was doing what she was doing. And when she and Tom were done paying off their loans they were able to move back to Wisconsin with thick resumes and the freedom to drop their income.

Tom & Katie’s story is important because it preaches a strategic advantage for married couples (if that’s you). It’s an old trick, but a simple and effective strategy is to start your marriage living off of one income. Odds are that you’re probably still both working in some capacity and if you can set a lifestyle that a single income can afford this provides you two major advantages:

1. You can use spouse #2’s income to strictly pay off debt or save money. This could easily be upwards of $25,000/year.
2. When and if you have kids, one of you can stay home with them without the sticker shock of losing your second income.

To me this is such a simple but profound strategy – one that served Tom & Katie well. (SERIOUSLY THEY PAID OFF $100,000 in 2.5 years!)

The mistake most people make when their income goes up is that their lifestyle goes right up with it.

And in fact, people’s lifestyles often increase at a faster rate – leading to unnecessary credit card debt and stress.

I remember a story my friend Greta told me about her dad, a successful businessman in Minneapolis. He came home from work and told them that his company had acquired a few more companies and would be expanding. As a young child she quickly asked, “does this mean we can buy more stuff?” I think she got grounded. That was the furthest thing from his mind.

People who strive to keep their lifestyles simple in the midst of increasing income are the ones who come out on top. They have money saved when an emergency arises – and their retirement fund keeps getting bigger and bigger. Tom & Katie aren’t even 30 and they are both debt-free and have 3 degrees (and Tom is working on the 4th). If they want to buy a house or have kids they are set up to do so without living paycheck to paycheck. In fact right now they’re saving up to buy a house in full. Wow! Did I mention they’re not even 30?

At the end of my conversation with them I asked what advice they have for those seeking to get out of debt. Here’s what they said:

1. Make a plan, specifically a budget, and stick to it.
2. Be prepared to make sacrifices.
3. Seek accountability. Having people encourage us and pray for us was huge!
4. Set goals and don’t be afraid to reward yourself (within your budget) when you achieve those goals.
5. The freedom to go wherever God calls you to, and not be hindered by your debt, is worth it.

I spent Thanksgiving of 2015 in North Dakota with Tom and Katie before moving to Taiwan. As a joke I invited them to our house in 2016 for Thanksgiving (we live in Asia now). And guess what? They came! (Further proving my motto: “It doesn’t hurt to ask”) They had just finished paying off their debt and bought two roundtrip tickets to Taiwan with cash. We had an absolute blast exploring the island with them and celebrating their great accomplishment. Travis and I are so thankful to have them as friends and they have taught us so much about living simply but fully. Here’s a few pictures from their victory lap: