Local couple Rachel and Jeremy Downs recently completed the feat of paying off $52,000 of debt.

The couple amassed the debt the way many families do.

“Vehicles, credit cards… normal things,” said Rachel.

When their Church, Elkdale Baptist, began showing Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University, the Downs decided to give the program a shot.

“We knew we needed to get our act together, financially,” said Rachel. “But we didn’t really know what we were getting into.”

Rachel works as an occupational therapist and Jeremy a heavy equipment operator.

Despite their hard work, their debt didn’t seem to be going anywhere before they began the program.

“I wanted the freedom to slow down a little bit and be a mom,” she said. “I felt like I couldn’t do that with all of that debt.”

After spending an hour and a half with the program each week for nine weeks, the Downs began to chip away at their debt. Eleven months later they had it paid off, four months ahead of their set goal of December 2019.

Rachel described the program as very easy to comprehend.

“The program uses eight ‘baby steps,’” she said.

The program was so simple, the Downs children, Hunter (7) and Rebecca (5), became involved as well.

“They gathered up all of their old toys when we were selling some things we didn’t need anymore,” said Rachel. “Instead of asking for a toy at Walmart they’d ask, ‘Is that in the budget?’”

Rachel described paying off their family’s $52,000 of debt as a tremendous weight lifted.

While the goal of the program was to pay off their debt, Rachel said the biggest asset was improving her marriage.

“Our communication is so much better,” she said. “We were communicating before, but our debt was always the elephant in the room. Once we began to sit down and talk about things and plan them out we’re so much happier.”

Rachel hopes her family’s story inspires others to pay off their debts as well.

“We’re just normal people,” said Rachel. “If we can do it, anyone can do it.”