In this issue of The Payoff Challenge:
Total March 2026 Payoff Numbers
Community Debt Payoff Snapshot
Submit your debt payoff totals for this week!
Weekly Action: Focus on One Part of Your Finances (NEW VIDEO)
Money News: Larger average tax refunds this year
My Home Payoff Update
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March 2026 Payoff Total
In March, we paid off almost $10k of debt! Bravo!
Community Debt Payoff Snapshot
Congrats to the everyone who paid off some debt this week! We crossed $30k in the challenge this week! That’s wild. Let’s put this into a fun comparison.
We paid off a total of $3559 last week, 10x the prior week! That’s like paying for a used car with no loan, all in one week. It might not be ideal, but having a high-mileage used car may be what it takes to pay off debt more quickly. Side note, my car just crossed 285k miles so I’m walking the walk. Or driving the drive, rather.
$889 was the average paid off, which is half the average American rent payment.
$889 is also the equivalent of 241 gallons of chocolate milk. Almost a gallon for every year of America’s 250th anniversary. Yo, that’s crazy.
Numbers only move if people act—which brings us to this week’s check-in!
Weekly Check In!
How Much Did You Pay Off This Week?
⏱ Takes under 60 seconds. Any amount. Any debt.
This isn’t about how big the number is—it’s about progress. If you haven’t made a payment yet, consider this your nudge to go make one right now. Missed a week? Just submit the total since your last entry.
Submissions will be included in future week’s Snapshots!
Caleb’s Actionable Strategy
Focus on One Part of Your Finances
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, focus on one part of your finances and your whole money management problems will be simplified.
Action: This week, shift all your financial focus on paying off your debt (after having $1000 saved)
Listen, one of the reasons you can’t stay motivated in your debt payoff is because it’s easy to get distracted by everything people say about money. “Use this credit card, invest this much, buy this, etc” There’s so much to distract you from the goal: debt freedom.
Of course, I don’t want you to be paying off your debt until you have a $1000 buffer between you and disaster! Get that starter emergency fund first.
I’m convinced that focus plus tracking expenses will get you motivated to stay on the debt-payoff journey. I lay it all out in my video this week where I give my advice for exactly how to stay focused and stick to a budget.
Here’s the video if you haven’t seen it yet:
Member Spotlight
I Want To Celebrate Your Wins!
But I can’t do that if you don’t tell me about it. So fill out this short form about the debt you’ve paid off and your current wins!
Any amount of debt payoff is worth celebrating here in the member spotlight.
Personal Financial News
Average Tax Refund Is Higher This Year
Good news on the tax refund front, it is looking like average refunds are higher this year due to tax changes! In this article from the Bipartisan Policy Center, they break down why. Either way, you know what I’m going to say.
Your take-away: Take this higher refund and pay down your debt with it even faster.
And then go change your tax withholdings so you receive that money in your paycheck every month. That’ll help you knock out your debt earlier! Read more here.
Caleb’s Challenge Update
Progress We Made Towards Our Payoff
Goal: Pay off our remaining mortgage ($70k) by our 10-year anniversary on June 17, 2027.
437 days left
Mortgage Balance on January 1st, 2026: $70,000
Current Mortgage Balance: $65,083.15 (▼$172.21 since last week)
Balance paid off since start of challenge: $4916.84
Source: Paycheck, savings, interest, Etsy poster sales, scrap metal
*This includes monthly principal payments as well as additional payments.
Current Mortgage Balance
This week I did some spring clean up and got rid of an old freezer plus a bunch of scrap metal. I brought in $72.21! That plus $100 from savings is going towards the mortgage this week.
Refer a friend and receive my quick-start guide for saving money TODAY on your existing expenses.
That’s it for this week! I already can’t wait for next couple week’s editions as we start getting numbers to include. If you have any feedback, respond to this email or drop me a line at [email protected].
Till next week!
Caleb
