Couple share lifestyle changes that paid off £328,000 debt while looking after 3 kids

A couple have explained how they paid off more than half of their £458,000 debt using lifestyle changes – despite having three children to look after.

US-based mum-of-three Shannon and her partner sold furniture and completely overhauled their food spending on their mission to financial freedom.

Sharing her tips on TikTok page makingfrugalfun, the couple, who both work as podiatrists, explained how they managed to reduce their debt from £458,000 to £130,000 - paying off £328,000 as a result.

On their website, Shannon said: "We meal plan to keep our grocery budget under £72 each week, and we always wait for a killer sale before purchasing fun things like clothing or electronics."

The couple, who say they raked up their debt from student loans, have also tried other budgeting techniques such as Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University.

Thrifty mum Shannon says she downloaded a money chart to help keep track of her spending - and admits she keeps it on her fridge as a daily reminder of her progress

In another video Shannon shares the five changes her and her family did to begin their debt-free journey.

The first drastic change the couple made was by downsizing their rental house from 3000-square foot to 1000-square foot, saving the family a total of £849 a month.

The family also sold their 'new' cars and bought old cars with cash with zero car payments, which saved them £563 a month.

Shannon says she downloads free budgeting print outs to help her stick to budget (makingfrugalfun/Tiktok)

They put their weekly spending money in an envelope to stop overspending on their bank cards (makingfrugalfun/Tiktok)

Shannon also claims that banning takeaways and meals out and putting a budget in place for their weekly shop saved them around £578 monthly.

In sharing her seven month plan, Shannon added that she went part-time to save on childcare costs which saved the family £1,535 a month.

The family also use cash envelopes to organise their money and stick to a budget.

Podiatrist and mum-of-three Shannon changed her working hours to part time to save on childcare costs (makingfrugalfun/Tiktok)

The family have a wall chart on their fridge to help keep their focus (makingfrugalfun/Tiktok)

Using that budget, Shannon counts how many weeks are in each month and sets aside £72 a week for food which she buys based online based on a set meal plan.

Shannon also said that eating leftovers has made a huge impact on her budget.

She said: "Don't get me wrong we definitely make the space work but the kitchen is definitely my biggest struggle point."

Now significantly debt free, the couple are saving for a new home.