Paying Off $14K in Debt & Finding Financial Clarity w/ Journeyer Lori-Sara Gauthier

This week on the Journey to Launch podcast, I’m joined by Lori-Sara Gauthier, a public health worker based in Toronto who is in the thick of transforming her finances and her mindset. Lori-Sara recently paid off $14,000 in consumer debt, is working on eliminating her student loans, and is intentionally charting a path toward financial freedom. Lori-Sara opens up about her spending habits, emotional triggers behind money decisions, and the moment she realized something had to change. Through self-awareness, therapy, and learning about the FIRE movement, she’s rewriting her money story and embracing the power of small, consistent actions. In this episode, we discuss: How Lori-Sara fell into and climbed out of $14K of credit card debt The emotional connection between childhood scarcity and adult overspending What she’s doing now: building an emergency fund, tackling student loans, and investing for the future Why she threw a party to celebrate being debt-free, and how running helped her stay on track Her evolving thoughts on FI, public service pensions, and leaving room for future flexibility Other Links Mentioned in episode:  Your Money or Your Life by Vicki Robin Clever Girl Finance by Bola Sokunbi You Need a Budget by Jesse Mecham Apply to Share Your Journeyer Story here. Join the Journey to Launch Book Club to dive deeper into financial freedom with guided discussions and resources here!  Get your copy of my book: Your Journey To Financial Freedom! Join The Weekly Newsletter List to get updates, deals & more! Leave Your Journey To Financial Freedom a review! Get The Budget Bootcamp Check out my personal website here. Leave me a voicemail– Leave me a question on the Journey To Launch voicemail and have it answered on the podcast! YNAB –  Start managing your money and budgeting so that you can reach your financial dreams. Sign up for a free 34 days trial of YNAB, my go-to budgeting app by using my referral link. What stage of the financial journey are you on? Are you working on financial stability or work flexibility? Find out with this free assessment and get a curated list of the 10 next best episodes for you to listen to depending on your stage. Check it out here! Connect with me: Instagram: @Journeytolaunch Twitter: @JourneyToLaunch Facebook: @Journey To Launch Join the Private Facebook Group Join the Waitlist for My FI Course Get The Free Jumpstart Guide