Graduate Exclusive! Libby C. Builds Savings, Buys a New Car, and Treats Her Daughter
We interviewed Libby to hear how she and her husband eliminated nearly $40,000 of credit card debt just in time to welcome their daughter into the world — and how their journey with Beyond Finance gave them peace of mind in a tough year.
- Debt Amount: $38,739
- Started: December 2023
- Graduated: March 2025
Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
I live in Davenport, Florida — just outside of Orlando. My husband works in HR and I’m in marketing and communications. I recently got laid off but honestly it was kind of a blessing in disguise — it wasn’t the right fit. I’m working on finding the right fit now!
We have a 2-and-a-half-year-old daughter, and she’s the light of our lives. A lot of our free time goes to her — and we love taking her to the Disney parks.
I also go to dance classes — ballet and jazz mostly — and I like to run when I can. But most days, if I get to sit in bed and watch an episode of my favorite show, that’s a win!
How did you find yourself in debt?
It was honestly just life. We moved and we put our moving expenses and our first apartment on credit cards. Then over the years it was just one thing after another. A wedding in Japan … a leak in our apartment forced us into a hotel — just life stuff.
Eventually it got to a point where one card had a minimum payment of like $700 or $800 a month. We were freaking out. We had four different cards, and I remember thinking, “How are we going to pay all these?”
It felt like we had a plan. Like someone had handed me a roadmap. That was the most exciting part — I wasn’t alone anymore, and we weren’t just reacting — we were finally being proactive.
It felt really overwhelming and demoralizing. Like we were paying the minimums every month, but nothing was getting better. It just felt like this impossible mountain we couldn’t get over.
How was your experience with Beyond Finance?
When I scheduled the call with Beyond, I was really nervous. There are a lot of programs out there, and I didn’t want to fall for something shady. But the woman I talked to sat with me for an hour — which was huge. She explained the program, answered every question, and walked me through the process. That helped so much. She really earned my trust!
I felt hopeful. Nervous, still, but really hopeful. It felt like we had a plan. Like someone had handed me a roadmap. That was the most exciting part — I wasn’t alone anymore, and we weren’t just reacting — we were finally being proactive.
We were able to lower our payments by at least $300 a month — maybe more.* Just being able to say “Here’s our one payment to the program” and move on was such a huge mental relief.
And seeing that little progress wheel in the Beyond app and watching it fill in — it was real. That gave us so much motivation to keep going.
How was graduating, and what’s happened since?
It felt amazing. Like balloons and confetti-level amazing! Seeing that final email — “You’ve graduated from the program” — was such a huge moment for us.
My husband’s car broke down and before, we would’ve panicked. But now we were able to finance a new one with a good rate — and we wouldn’t have been able to do that before!
We’ve also been able to pay for our daughter’s toddler basketball and soccer program. It’s just a 30-minute thing once a week through the YMCA, but she loves it. Little things like that — that’s the kind of stuff we couldn’t do before.
We have savings now. Before Beyond, we didn’t even have an emergency fund. Now we have something to fall back on, and that’s huge. I’m job hunting, but we’re okay because of the savings we built while we were in the program. I’m excited to start working again and keep building our savings.
We’re planning to go visit my mom for Christmas. We couldn’t afford that before. That alone means everything.
We’re so much more intentional now when it comes to financial habits. When we first got married, we just kind of combined our accounts and didn’t think much about it. But when we were expecting our daughter, we were like, “We have to figure out our money.” Now, we budget together. We’re not perfect, but we’ve learned a lot.
I’m not constantly worried about bills anymore. I know exactly what we owe and when it’s due. I can plan. I can breathe. And most importantly — we have options now. That’s what freedom feels like.
*Clients typically save around $480 per month on their debt payments. Savings are calculated by subtracting their program payment from self reported payments or tradelines.
Real client compensated for a real story.