So would you actually advise me to take 13 grand out of my savings like right now

and just pay off my car so that we don't have that anymore? Yep, I would do it

tonight. Okay.

Welcome to how to, I'm Charles Dewey. This week we're looking at something that we use every day, but which weirdly most people don't like to talk about

money. The truth is most of us have debts, whether it's student loans or car

payments, mortgages or credit card bills, and because of the pandemic, it's safe to say that

a lot of people's wallets are a little bit lighter this year.

But creating a budget that's realistic and actually sticking to it, that can be a real challenge, particularly for

our listener this week. My name is Irena and I'm an editor and freelance writer

based in Florida. I am also a new mom. I had a baby on March 30th during the

pandemic. Oh my gosh congratulations. Thank you.

Irena and her husband met nearly five years ago and they both came into the

relationship already carrying debt.

He had moved to Florida a few years before in another marriage and he had some debt coming out of the

move still and coming out of that marriage. I had

a little bit of debt because I had actually gone through rehab and gotten sober

just before we met and my husband actually has about a hundred K and student debt that he brought

into our relationship.

So you know we both kind of struggled with that and you know now in the pandemic you know my hours were reduced plus we had a baby and

we're also looking into moving to another state so there's just like a lot of things

up in the air.

Sometimes for Irena and her husband,

...