Summary: Have you ever been in debt? Do you know how you got into that debt?<br> <br> Some people aren't exactly sure where all their money went. One day they wake up and they have a ton of credit card debt with some stuff to show for it. Other people, like Marcus, know precisely how they got into that debt. A 72 hour spending spree later and BOOM! $30k into debt, just like that.<br> <br> He chronicled his 7 year debt free journey first on his blog (and podcast) and then turned all the lessons he learned along the way into a book, Debt Free or Die Trying. Marcus has a ton of wisdom to share with us on this episode so we are super psyched we got him on the show!<br> <br> You'll love his story and learn valuable lessons along the way!<br> <br> We also chat about...<br> <br> Americans and their confidence levels<br> the hierarchy of email domains<br> Gwen’s secret identity<br> J’s obsession with her neighbors<br> Natural spenders vs. Natural Savers<br> Favorite conspiracy theories<br> <br> He was an absolute delight to speak with! Enjoy this chat with Marcus, and please subscribe to us in iTunes if you enjoyed it!<br> <br> Show notes and links from today's episode<br> <br> Marcus' AWESOME BOOK: Debt Free or Die Trying<br> Marcus on Twitter (only 1 T!)<br> Marcus' debt-free video<br> Nerdwallet Paychecks and Balances Retirement advice <br> <br> Key takeaways from our chat with Marcus Garrett<br> 1- Generations are made up<br> On a base level, everything in the world is made up. The world is obsessed with categorizing people, so we've created this system to organize people.<br> <br> The Silent Generation.<br> The Greatest Generation.<br> The Baby Boomers.<br> Gen X<br> Millennials.<br> <br> Is it a solely American trait or is it universal around the world? Can anyone comment on who the heck Xennials are?!?<br> 2 - $29k in debt in 72 hours<br> Marcus paid off almost $30k in debt over a period of 7 years. But what is unique to his story of how he got into that debt.<br> <br> It only took him 72 hours! He got a credit consolidation loan but (spoilers!) he didn't consolidate his debt. Instead, he balled out with his then girlfriend. Drinks, new TV.... the ways to spend this money were endless.<br> 3 - Friends and money are the first to show up…<br> ….and the quickest to leave.<br> <br> People love to help come up with ways to spend your money. Marcus came into some cash and his friends were super ready to help him spend it, but they weren’t there when he tried to pay it off. Your true friends are the ones that will be there no matter what your bank account balances.<br> <br> Find people that are supportive of your endeavors. A solid support system will help you when you are having trouble helping yourself.<br> 4 - Reading books is a fantastic way to learn<br> Learning shouldn’t stop after school. Continuous learning is a great way to grow as a person through your entire lifetime.<br> <br> There's a saying: "The best way to hide information is to put it in a book." We as a culture don't celebrate learning or reading but it can literally change your world!<br> <br> You don't know what you don't know until you don't know it. Minimize what you don't know and your life will vastly improve!<br> <br> P.S.: They've got an awesome new FREE 15 Minute Money Plan Tool. Check it out, it looks pretty cool
