In this issue of The Payoff Challenge:
Community Debt Payoff Snapshot
Submit your debt payoff totals for this week!
Weekly Action: Delete three shopping apps from your phone
Money News: Grocery store trying to cut prices!
My Home Payoff Update
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Happy Memorial Day!
Freedom truly is a debt we will never pay off. Here’s to all those who gave their lives so we can enjoy so many benefits.
Let’s get into the payoff snapshot from last week.
Community Debt Payoff Snapshot
Congrats to the everyone who paid off some debt this week! Let’s put this into a fun comparison.
We paid off a total of $600 last week! That’s enough to be a solid start on a prepper stash of food just in case the world falls apart. Who knew coming up with weekly comparisons would get so weird so fast?
$300 was the average paid off, which is almost the amount we spent on an annual family pass to the zoo a couple years ago. So fun with kids. Pretty wildly fun.
$300 is also the equivalent of 81 gallons of chocolate milk. So rich. So creamy.
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
Delete Three Shopping Apps
If you’re a free-spirit shopaholic, this suggestion is for you.
Action: This week, delete 3 shopping apps from your phone (Amazon, Target, Lululemon, etc.)
Whaaaaaaaaaat?
Do it for your payoff! The point is increasing the friction of shopping. The fewer shopping apps on your phone to unconsciously open and peruse, the less chance you’ll drop some coin on something you don’t need.
Do it now!
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
Kroger is cutting grocery prices
Good news for those with Kroger grocery stores in their region! While many grocery chains like Walmart and others are raising prices due to fuel costs etc, Kroger is actively trying to cut prices with innovative business decisions.
Your take-away: You have options for shopping groceries. Don’t stick to a store just because you’re used to it.
Seriously, Kroger is making an effort to reduce prices. Plus, there’s many other retailers who provide food at a great value (no pun intended) like Aldi or Trader Joe’s. 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.
388 days left
Mortgage Balance on January 1st, 2026: $70,000
Current Mortgage Balance: $62,010.90 (▼$200 since last week)
Balance paid off since start of challenge: $7989.10
Source: Paycheck, savings, interest, Etsy poster sales, selling scrap metal, bicycle, TV cabinet
*This includes monthly principal payments as well as additional payments.
Current Mortgage Balance
Just another normal week of putting $200 down on our mortgage. Chip chip chipping away at it.
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
