BiggerPockets Money25 Apr 2025

We Paid Off $500K in Debt: Now We’re on Track to Retire (Early) in Our 50s

Fear that early retirement is out of the question because you have too much debt? It’s not game over. Whether you’re debt-free or still chipping away at your student loans, today’s guests are proof that FIRE is never too far out of reach—even if you’ve got half a million dollars in debt!

Welcome back to the BiggerPockets Money podcast! Amirra and Mazi Condelee’s first date was an all-timer. While many consider personal finance a taboo topic, they cut right to the money talk—specifically, debt. And it was a good thing they did because they’ve racked up a combined $500,000 in student debt. Most would assume this spells doom for financial independence, but Amirra and Mazi knew they could pay it off by increasing their income, cutting costs, and staying disciplined.

In just five years, they’ve snowballed out of student loan debt and toward their long-term goal—retiring in their 50s. Now that this power couple is nearly debt-free, they’re focused on saving for retirement. Tune in to learn what they still need to do to reach their (high) FIRE number, why they refuse to downsize their dreams, and how they plan to spend their retirement!

In This Episode We Cover

How Amirra and Mazi crushed $500,000 in student loan debt in just five years

Best practices for paying off debt and fast-tracking financial independence

How to determine whether your FIRE number is too high (or low!)

The money conversations you and your partner NEED to have

How to “travel hack” your way to FREE vacations (without spending more)

And So Much More!

Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/money-634

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