How Two ODs ARE CRUSHING Their Student Loan Debt: An Interview with Drs. Zac & Joelle Holland

<p>Hello, and welcome to this episode of 20/20 Money! My guests on today’s show are Drs. Zac and Joelle Holland. Joelle and Zac have been listeners of the show for some time and Joelle reached out to me to ask if I’d be interested in interviewing them about how they have both been laser focused on paying off their student loans. For me, it was an easy decision as creating a student loan repayment strategy is one of the most common challenges and discussion points for newer grads.</p> <p>There’s so much amazing information and empowerment that’s shared in this episode. We start off on a bit of a tangent as Joelle and Zac talk about the decision they made when they had their first child to hire an au pair in their home and why that’s worked out so well for them compared to the traditional route of daycare that most families go with. They talk about how they found their au pair and their experience in using <a href= "https://www.aupaircare.com/">AuPairCare</a> for placement, the process they went through, and specific examples of why it’s worked well for their dual-demanding professional schedules.</p> <p>We then dive into the details on their plan and how they’ve built a plan to pay off the collective total of $673,000 in student loan debt they started out with after graduating optometry school. We talk about how they plan their income, why using a budget has actually given them more control and a greater sense of calm, how they changed their mindset to get comfortable with paying such a high amount month after month, the habit hacks they’re using to stay motivated and focused, and how their retirement savings strategy plays into their debt repayment goals. We wrap up the conversation with a couple of very real answers to the question that I ask every guest. If you’re an OD that has debt (regardless of whether it’s student loan debt or other practice debt) and you’re wondering how or if you can get crazy focused on paying it off, this is an episode you won’t want to miss. I’m so very grateful to both Zac and Joelle