'I was in so much debt, I cried every day. Here's how I got myself debt free.'

Talking about money isn’t natural for most of us. There are many reasons for that but two of the most common are that we don’t have a language for it or we’re ashamed because we’re not at the stage that we think we should be at.

We might not think talking about money is that big a deal, but if it means we’re not learning about financial strategies or if it means we have friends who are struggling to keep up financially but are unwilling to say anything, it can be crippling.

This was the case for Erika who found talking about money with her friends to be incredibly difficult. 

"Instead, I read books and articles and downloaded Apps that I never used," Erika says.

She failed over and over again to change her money habits.

Watch: 5 money lessons your parents told you, that you should probably forget... Post continues below.

It got to the point where Erika was in tears almost daily about her financial situation.

Then, in October 2019, while researching online for a seminar or training that might help her, Erika discovered the 8 week My Financial Adulting Course.

First up, Erika tried a 30 day financial detox. That meant not buying anything new for 30 days.

Sounds easy right? The truth is, Erika (like the thousands of women who have completed a financial detox) found it to be incredibly hard. 

As she moved through the course and the detox she started learning about different types of debt and becoming conscious of the dollars she was wasting. 

Listen to Melissa Browne on Mamamia's money podcast, What the Finance. Post continues below.

"I canceled two subscriptions, automated two payments, one of them a small personal loan (which I now understand is a not so terrible debt) and my credit card repayments which I’ve been historically super loose about and now understand is a really bad debt," Erika explains. 

"I’ve a big event coming up on December 5 and instead of going crazy with shopping, I've decided to rent a dress from the GlamCorner for $79. It's small progress but I'm really seeing things with different eyes."

Six months later, Erika celebrated being 'totally debt-free'. 

"I have learned to invest in shares, I have done a total 180 in my relationship with money," Erika says.

"I educated myself to work towards a life I'm excited about, where I understand my finances."

If you think you might need a financial expert to educate, inspire and empower you to understand and make positive financial changes to your finances, take a look at the My Financial Adulting Plan to see if it’s right for you. 

But be quick, doors close on Tuesday 27 April.

Feature Image: Getty.