Welcome to the Man Vs. Debt Community!

My name is Baker.  Well, actually it’s Adam Baker, but I have lazy friends.  Most just prefer Baker.

Think of Man Vs. Debt as a journey.

This particular journey features a primary cast of three:

• Baker (we’ve already met)
• Courtney (thrill-seeking wife)
• Milligan (toddler with a newly found attitude problem).

Our little journey is constantly evolving, but seems to consistently center around:

• Selling our excess ‘crap’.  And minimizing our ‘stuff’.
• Paying off our debt. 100% of it.
• Start doing what we love now. Not waiting another 40 years.

For us, the first two tend to empower the third.  In early 2009, we began sharing this journey online.

Since then, we’ve paid off our consumer debt (student loans are next), sold nearly all of our possessions, and set off to travel indefinitely overseas.  In a short amount of time, we’ve hopped from Indiana to Australia to New Zealand and soon over to Thailand.

You could say our current journey is drifting somewhere between personal finance, lifestyle design, and travel.  It’s been a struggle at times, but the growth we’ve experienced has blown us away.

As it turns out, we aren’t alone in our desire to explore and grow. In sharing our ups and downs, a community of like-minded people has emerged.

We call this journey and its supportive community… Man Vs. Debt.

Ways To Join Us!

• Stay up-to-date with free updates through either an RSS reader or delivered by e-mail.

• E-mail me – Baker @ ManVsDebt . com – and introduce yourself.  I respond to each one of my e-mails personally.  I would love to hear from you!

• Join the MvD Militia! – A private e-mail list where I pass along free giveaways, promotions, and information about future projects.  The feedback I get from enlisted supporters is invaluable to me.

• Follow me on Twitter – @ManVsDebt - I’m obsessed with fairly active on Twitter these days.  I use it to share fascinating links and deepen my connection with other bloggers and readers.

• Become a Facebook Fan – Don’t forget to add me as a personal friend, too!

• Leave your comments on your favorite posts. Our vibrant comments sections is something I’m most proud of.  If you enjoy sharing, help everyone grow by leaving your own experience.

More About My Personal Story…

We were on the typical American life path.  Courtney and I had only been married a year, but had managed to collect two car loans, several credit cards, a line of credit at the jewelry store, a loan from the parents, and enough student loans to take down an elephant.  At our peak, we were able to amass over $80,000 in non-mortgage debt, through a mesmerizing variety of avenues.

Did I mention we had financed (no-money-down) an 8-unit apartment building?  Those numbers don’t even account for that.

Life has a couple ways of rapidly changing your perspective.  For us, it was the birth of our daughter, Milligan, that did the trick.  Although we had been trying to clean up our finances, bringing her home from the hospital took it to a whole new level.  In the spring of 2008, we finally made the connection between achieving true freedom and living a debt-free life.

We decided we weren’t ready or willing to continue along our current path.  We wanted freedom, not only for ourselves, but for Milligan.  We made the decision right then and there to take back control over our life.  We would aggressively clean up our debt, sell everything we owned, and spend a couple years living in Australia.  It was a daunting task, but one that was exciting enough to keep us passionate!

Over the next year we struggled to adopt frugality, budgeting, and life without constant credit.  We kept our heads down, stayed committed to our plan, and continued to up the intensity.  We sold our small business, our rental property, and everything that didn’t fit into our two backpacks.  We drastically slashed our lifestyle, while studying and testing every financial technique we came across.

So far it’s been worth it! We’ve had our share of set-backs and stumbles, but I’m proud to be able to say that we were able to completely eliminate our non-student loan debt and save over $17,000 before embarking on our adventure overseas!

Our war is far from over, though. We’ve shifted our focus onto student loans (just over $50,000), while juggling the process of getting jobs and visas in a foreign country.  With the insight and accountability of the Man Vs. Debt community, I’m confident we’ll be able to stay the course!  I hope you’ll come along for the ride!

Getting Started – (What To Read First)

Coming soon!

In the mean time, be sure to check out the Essential Reading and Topics section in the right sidebar!

Advertising Policy

The content on Man Vs. Debt is free from paid advertising banners and text links.

I endorse a very select group of people, products, and services that I either use on a daily basis or that have radically changed my life.

Please do not contact me with the intent of advertising or being endorsed. If you are interested in giving away useful and relevant products, services, or premium accounts to the MvD Militia, feel free to e-mail me.  This is an example of a good way to establish a relationship with me. 

Disclaimer

Please keep in mind that I am in no way, shape, or form a financial professional.  I’m simply a passionate guy who has some experience, both positive and negative, in dealing with debt and personal finance.  It’s impossible for me to know all the facts regarding your personal situation.  Therefore, it would be ineffective to apply any advice or information on this site blindly.  Well-intentioned financial professionals are in every community and you should consult one on any major financial decision.