{"id":5485,"date":"2025-12-12T22:10:35","date_gmt":"2025-12-12T22:10:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/?p=5485"},"modified":"2026-08-28T21:07:27","modified_gmt":"2026-08-28T21:07:27","slug":"the-surprising-personal-benefits-of-tackling-debt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/the-surprising-personal-benefits-of-tackling-debt\/","title":{"rendered":"The Surprising Personal Benefits of Tackling Debt"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you\u2019ve ever felt your shoulders tighten just thinking about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.accrediteddebtrelief.com\/blog\/6-reasons-youre-stuck-in-debt\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">bills<\/a>, you\u2019re not alone. Money touches almost everything \u2014 our sleep, our appetite, our relationships, even how hopeful we feel about the future.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But many people don\u2019t talk about the opportunity cost of debt \u2014 that is to say, that when you put your energy towards paying back debt, you have less to spend on the things that actually matter to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That truth is hard, but it\u2019s helpful: To start making your goals a reality, the first thing you need to do is to free up your finances from the leak of high-interest debts. Let\u2019s see how starting with your debt can impact your wellbeing, emotionally, physically and \u2014 of course \u2014 financially.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Why Debt Stress Deeply Affects Your Life<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Debt doesn\u2019t just live in your credit card accounts \u2014 it lives in your brain, rent-free.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When you\u2019re juggling unpredictable bills, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.accrediteddebtrelief.com\/blog\/what-happens-when-you-make-minimum-payments\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">minimum payments<\/a> or rising interest, your brain can stay in \u201calert mode.\u201d That constant stress can show up as trouble sleeping, upset stomach, mood swings, difficulty focusing or just plain-and-simple depression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What\u2019s the best fix for all the things that ail you when you\u2019re in debt? Getting out, of course. But as anyone who\u2019s ever battled against spiraling interest could tell you, the first step is to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.accrediteddebtrelief.com\/blog\/debt-payoff-worksheet-diy-get-out-of-debt-formula\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">make a plan<\/a>. Once you know there is a path forward, your body can begin to relax.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Early Wins from Making a Debt Plan<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>You\u2019ll start sleeping better.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With fewer open questions, your mind can actually rest \u2014 and not fixate on when you think your next payment is due.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Your body feels more normal again.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Stress eating, skipped meals or chaotic food habits often settle as your nervous system calms. You may find it easier (and more enticing) to plan meals to cook at home, now that you have a structured approach to your debt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>You can think more clearly.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When you\u2019re not constantly bracing for the next bill, you suddenly have more mental space \u2014 for work, for family and for yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Your mood lifts.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Even small steps on your debt plan can create a sense of progress and control. That emotional shift can ripple through your whole day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How Tackling Debt Opens the Door to Bigger Life Goals<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once your stress levels lower, something powerful happens: your long-term goals <a href=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/how-to-stop-financial-avoidance-without-spiraling\/\">start feeling possible<\/a> again. And when you start making progress on your debt, other opportunities open themselves up, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>You\u2019ll have more money available for goals that matter.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As high-interest payments shrink, you may finally be able to save for things like a down payment, upcoming move or travel. If you\u2019re working with a reputable debt consolidation company, you\u2019ll start saving as soon as you sign up \u2014 so use that extra money every month wisely.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Your emotional bandwidth expands.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/money-and-your-future-self\/\">Debt stress<\/a> can be as much a burden as it is a distraction. When focusing on getting debt-free \u2014 and you\u2019re feeling less fear and stress about your finances \u2014 you might find yourself in a position to see relationships with other people and yourself more clearly.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>More confidence in your own abilities.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Seeing momentum with debt proves you <em>can<\/em> tackle big challenges. That confidence often carries over to health, career and family goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Debt doesn\u2019t just hold your finances back \u2014 it can hold your entire life in place. So when the weight starts to lift, your world opens up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Feeling Better Helps You Stay on Track<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Momentum is a powerful thing. And when your financial wellbeing improves, it becomes easier to continue making good choices. You might be less tempted to splurge on an impulse purchase, waste money eating out and have a better sense of what your money \u2014 and time \u2014 is worth.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Early on in your debt-free journey, you might notice wins like more energy, a sense of peace and a hopeful outlook for the future. And that\u2019s a part of the beauty of dealing with debt: It\u2019s one part of your life that can make a profound impact on all others.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Don\u2019t Wait to Get Help<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you\u2019re tackling your debt right now, you\u2019re probably already experiencing quiet victories happening along the way. Goals are becoming possible again is an amazing feeling!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But you don\u2019t have to wait until every dollar is paid off to feel better. Relief can start with the very first step.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And if you\u2019re ready for a clearer, more supportive path out of debt \u2014 one that helps you feel better emotionally <em>and<\/em> financially \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/free-evaluation\/\">Beyond Finance can help<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Learn how you could start a new path to a better financial future today by chatting with our experts \u2014 and see how you could save 40% or more on eligible monthly payments.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you\u2019ve ever felt your shoulders tighten just thinking about bills, you\u2019re not alone. Money touches almost everything \u2014 our sleep, our appetite, our relationships, even how hopeful we feel about the future.&nbsp; But many people don\u2019t talk about the opportunity cost of debt \u2014 that is to say, that&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":5487,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kadence_starter_templates_imported_post":false,"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[187,168],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5485","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-credit-and-debt","category-managing-financial-stress-trauma"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The Surprising Personal Benefits of Tackling Debt - Beyond Finance<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Getting free from debt is a good goal \u2014 but did you know that taking that first step might change your life in other positive ways, too?\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/the-surprising-personal-benefits-of-tackling-debt\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Surprising Personal Benefits of Tackling Debt - Beyond Finance\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Getting free from debt is a good goal \u2014 but did you know that taking that first step might change your life in other positive ways, too?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/the-surprising-personal-benefits-of-tackling-debt\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Beyond Finance\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-12-12T22:10:35+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-28T21:07:27+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/bf-blog.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1079\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Molly Simon\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Molly Simon\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.beyondfinance.com\\\/blog\\\/the-surprising-personal-benefits-of-tackling-debt\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.beyondfinance.com\\\/blog\\\/the-surprising-personal-benefits-of-tackling-debt\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Molly Simon\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.beyondfinance.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/01615dfac7d3d17126273e867d95fb30\"},\"headline\":\"The Surprising Personal Benefits of Tackling Debt\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-12-12T22:10:35+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-08-28T21:07:27+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.beyondfinance.com\\\/blog\\\/the-surprising-personal-benefits-of-tackling-debt\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":815,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.beyondfinance.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.beyondfinance.com\\\/blog\\\/the-surprising-personal-benefits-of-tackling-debt\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.beyondfinance.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/12\\\/bf-blog.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Credit &amp; Debt\",\"Managing Financial Stress &amp; Trauma\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.beyondfinance.com\\\/blog\\\/the-surprising-personal-benefits-of-tackling-debt\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.beyondfinance.com\\\/blog\\\/the-surprising-personal-benefits-of-tackling-debt\\\/\",\"name\":\"The Surprising Personal Benefits of Tackling Debt - Beyond Finance\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.beyondfinance.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.beyondfinance.com\\\/blog\\\/the-surprising-personal-benefits-of-tackling-debt\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.beyondfinance.com\\\/blog\\\/the-surprising-personal-benefits-of-tackling-debt\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.beyondfinance.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/12\\\/bf-blog.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-12-12T22:10:35+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-08-28T21:07:27+00:00\",\"description\":\"Getting free from debt is a good goal \u2014 but did you know that taking that first step might change your life in other positive ways, too?\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.beyondfinance.com\\\/blog\\\/the-surprising-personal-benefits-of-tackling-debt\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.beyondfinance.com\\\/blog\\\/the-surprising-personal-benefits-of-tackling-debt\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.beyondfinance.com\\\/blog\\\/the-surprising-personal-benefits-of-tackling-debt\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.beyondfinance.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/12\\\/bf-blog.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.beyondfinance.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/12\\\/bf-blog.jpg\",\"width\":1920,\"height\":1079,\"caption\":\"Older couple chatting poolside\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.beyondfinance.com\\\/blog\\\/the-surprising-personal-benefits-of-tackling-debt\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.beyondfinance.com\\\/blog\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"The Surprising Personal Benefits of Tackling Debt\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.beyondfinance.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.beyondfinance.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"Beyond Finance\",\"description\":\"Moving Beyond Debt\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.beyondfinance.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.beyondfinance.com\\\/blog\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.beyondfinance.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Beyond Finance Blog\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.beyondfinance.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.beyondfinance.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.beyondfinance.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2021\\\/07\\\/logo-a5030ff7f0cc0e8b6e87107311dd1205.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.beyondfinance.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2021\\\/07\\\/logo-a5030ff7f0cc0e8b6e87107311dd1205.png\",\"width\":105,\"height\":27,\"caption\":\"Beyond Finance Blog\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.beyondfinance.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.beyondfinance.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/01615dfac7d3d17126273e867d95fb30\",\"name\":\"Molly Simon\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/ed1bfb10a9a3d1dbcaaeb7ac6e8f681d30b2d3e20989632a6e19da44d26acdcf?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/ed1bfb10a9a3d1dbcaaeb7ac6e8f681d30b2d3e20989632a6e19da44d26acdcf?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/ed1bfb10a9a3d1dbcaaeb7ac6e8f681d30b2d3e20989632a6e19da44d26acdcf?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Molly Simon\"},\"description\":\"Molly Simon, IAPDA-Certified, AFCPE-trained Consumer Debt Editor Financial Wellness Writer, Beyond Finance Molly Simon is a financial wellness writer and IAPDA-Certified Consumer Debt Editor at Beyond Finance with nearly a decade of experience covering the emotional and behavioral dimensions of financial health. She writes at the intersection of mental health and financial wellness \u2014 exploring how financial stress shapes everyday life and what it takes to build lasting financial habits. Her work has been featured in AOL, Newsweek, and MSN.\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.beyondfinance.com\\\/blog\\\/author\\\/msimon\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The Surprising Personal Benefits of Tackling Debt - Beyond Finance","description":"Getting free from debt is a good goal \u2014 but did you know that taking that first step might change your life in other positive ways, too?","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/the-surprising-personal-benefits-of-tackling-debt\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The Surprising Personal Benefits of Tackling Debt - Beyond Finance","og_description":"Getting free from debt is a good goal \u2014 but did you know that taking that first step might change your life in other positive ways, too?","og_url":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/the-surprising-personal-benefits-of-tackling-debt\/","og_site_name":"Beyond Finance","article_published_time":"2025-12-12T22:10:35+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-08-28T21:07:27+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1920,"height":1079,"url":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/bf-blog.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Molly Simon","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Molly Simon","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/the-surprising-personal-benefits-of-tackling-debt\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/the-surprising-personal-benefits-of-tackling-debt\/"},"author":{"name":"Molly Simon","@id":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/01615dfac7d3d17126273e867d95fb30"},"headline":"The Surprising Personal Benefits of Tackling Debt","datePublished":"2025-12-12T22:10:35+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-28T21:07:27+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/the-surprising-personal-benefits-of-tackling-debt\/"},"wordCount":815,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/the-surprising-personal-benefits-of-tackling-debt\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/bf-blog.jpg","articleSection":["Credit &amp; Debt","Managing Financial Stress &amp; Trauma"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/the-surprising-personal-benefits-of-tackling-debt\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/the-surprising-personal-benefits-of-tackling-debt\/","name":"The Surprising Personal Benefits of Tackling Debt - Beyond Finance","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/the-surprising-personal-benefits-of-tackling-debt\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/the-surprising-personal-benefits-of-tackling-debt\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/bf-blog.jpg","datePublished":"2025-12-12T22:10:35+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-28T21:07:27+00:00","description":"Getting free from debt is a good goal \u2014 but did you know that taking that first step might change your life in other positive ways, too?","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/the-surprising-personal-benefits-of-tackling-debt\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/the-surprising-personal-benefits-of-tackling-debt\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/the-surprising-personal-benefits-of-tackling-debt\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/bf-blog.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/bf-blog.jpg","width":1920,"height":1079,"caption":"Older couple chatting poolside"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/the-surprising-personal-benefits-of-tackling-debt\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"The Surprising Personal Benefits of Tackling Debt"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/","name":"Beyond Finance","description":"Moving Beyond Debt","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Beyond Finance Blog","url":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/logo-a5030ff7f0cc0e8b6e87107311dd1205.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/logo-a5030ff7f0cc0e8b6e87107311dd1205.png","width":105,"height":27,"caption":"Beyond Finance Blog"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/01615dfac7d3d17126273e867d95fb30","name":"Molly Simon","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ed1bfb10a9a3d1dbcaaeb7ac6e8f681d30b2d3e20989632a6e19da44d26acdcf?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ed1bfb10a9a3d1dbcaaeb7ac6e8f681d30b2d3e20989632a6e19da44d26acdcf?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ed1bfb10a9a3d1dbcaaeb7ac6e8f681d30b2d3e20989632a6e19da44d26acdcf?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Molly Simon"},"description":"Molly Simon, IAPDA-Certified, AFCPE-trained Consumer Debt Editor Financial Wellness Writer, Beyond Finance Molly Simon is a financial wellness writer and IAPDA-Certified Consumer Debt Editor at Beyond Finance with nearly a decade of experience covering the emotional and behavioral dimensions of financial health. She writes at the intersection of mental health and financial wellness \u2014 exploring how financial stress shapes everyday life and what it takes to build lasting financial habits. Her work has been featured in AOL, Newsweek, and MSN.","url":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/author\/msimon\/"}]}},"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":187,"label":"Credit &amp; Debt"},{"value":168,"label":"Managing Financial Stress &amp; Trauma"}]},"featured_image_src_large":["https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/bf-blog-1024x575.jpg",1024,575,true],"author_info":{"display_name":"Molly Simon","author_link":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/author\/msimon\/"},"comment_info":0,"category_info":[{"term_id":187,"name":"Credit &amp; Debt","slug":"credit-and-debt","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":187,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":53,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":187,"category_count":53,"category_description":"","cat_name":"Credit &amp; Debt","category_nicename":"credit-and-debt","category_parent":0},{"term_id":168,"name":"Managing Financial Stress &amp; Trauma","slug":"managing-financial-stress-trauma","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":168,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":25,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":168,"category_count":25,"category_description":"","cat_name":"Managing Financial Stress &amp; Trauma","category_nicename":"managing-financial-stress-trauma","category_parent":0}],"tag_info":false,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/bf-blog.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5485","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5485"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5485\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6758,"href":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5485\/revisions\/6758"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5487"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5485"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5485"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5485"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}