Imagine earning six figures…but being broke. Earning over $100,000…but facing the same amount in credit card debt.

This is where the story of Brian Brandow begins. When trying to book a family vacation back in 2010, Brian says he hit a wall. All of his five credit cards were maxed out and he had no available cash. At the time he was making a great salary of $120,000 as an IT manager – more than enough to afford a vacation – and he quickly realized he and his wife needed to make a change. They were living far beyond their means, and had accumulated a whopping $109,000 in debt.

So Brian and his wife set out to take control of their finances and their journey to financial freedom began. Brian educated himself on personal finance, his wife went back to work to bring in extra income, and they were able to clear the debt in just over 50 months or 4 years. Without having to worry about paying off debt, they now are able to contribute to an emergency fund, retirement savings and college funds for their three kids.

Today, Brian’s goal is to help others in similar situations through his blog Debt Discipline, and personal coaching sessions, where he teaches budgeting and getting on the right financial track.

Three key takeaways:

• The immediate and long-term adjustments that helped him and his family erase over $100,000 in debt.
• Why he believes he made financial mistakes over and over again…why earning six figures was never enough to cover their family’s costs.
• Navigating unemployment…Brian was laid off this year. How is he managing?

If you would like to learn more about Brian Brandow, visit his website www.debtdiscipline.com or follow him on Twitter @DebtDiscipline.

One of my favorite quotes from our interview: “I have a plan for my money and I’m helping others do the same.” – Click to Tweet