Five ways to solve debt personally and in business. Don’t believe me? Just try it.
I didn’t figure this out because I was some financial genius. I figured it out because I failed over and over again. I lost money. I made dumb decisions. I got screwed by my own laziness, distractions, and bad habits. For years, I was reactive instead of intentional. But eventually, I stopped trying to out-earn my mistakes and started fixing the way I thought. I didn’t get out of the hole by making millions. I got out by taking less, spending less, and saving more. That’s it. No magic. Just discipline.
Being debt-free is a flex, not showing off how many cool things the bank has bought for you.
Don’t Lease – Don’t Finance
Start with a cheap, beat-up car. Something that runs, even if it doesn’t look like much. Pay for it outright, and then treat it like a lease. Each month, set aside a fixed amount just like you would if you were making car payments. When that car dies, take your “payments” and buy a slightly better one, again in cash. Rinse and repeat. Over time, the quality of the car goes up, and your debt stays at zero. It’s not glamorous at first, but by the time your friends are still paying off their loans or stuck in another lease, you’ll be driving something reliable that you fully own.
Don’t Rent – Buy
Getting a mortgage sounds like a huge step, but it’s a lot more possible when you stop chasing the dream house. Start small. Buy a fixer-upper in a decent area. Do the work yourself, little by little. Every upgrade you make adds value. After a few years, sell it and move into something slightly better. Do this three, maybe five times. It’s not about flipping homes…it’s about building equity on purpose. After a decade or so, downsize, or move to a more affordable town. At that point, your mortgage is either gone or laughably small. That’s how you win.
Say Goodbye to Fake Money
Credit cards, lines of credit, and those “buy now, pay later” schemes, they’re designed to make you feel like you have money. But it’s not your money. It’s a borrowed illusion. And it’s the fastest way to get trapped. Want to build real credit? Don’t. Build real cash. Keep it somewhere safe. Use a reloadable credit card or debit when you need to make online or large purchases. You’ll never miss a payment if there’s nothing to pay. You’ll never wake up wondering where your paycheque went.
Eat Everything in the Fridge and Cupboards
This one surprised me. Food is one of the biggest money leaks in a household, especially with kids or guests constantly around. But the problem isn’t always how much we eat—it’s how fast we restock. We go grocery shopping because we’re bored of what we have, not because we’ve run out. We order takeout because it’s easier than figuring out how to cook that half-bag of rice and three eggs. So I made a new rule: don’t buy more food until we’ve eaten everything. The pantry, the freezer, the fridge…use it up. It forced us to get creative, and we saved way more than we expected.
Stop Thinking You Deserve More
This one’s hard. We all want new, shiny, and now. But that mindset is expensive. We convince ourselves we’ve earned it, even if we haven’t saved for it. We think we deserve more than what we currently have, so we spend money we don’t really own to chase a feeling that doesn’t last. But there’s a kind of pride that comes from growing your own food, cooking with what you’ve got, and saying no when your budget says no. It’s not a punishment; this is for your benefit. Cancel subscriptions. Share streaming accounts. Wait for things. Use the money you have instead of gambling on what’s coming. That’s real freedom.
We spend our lives looking for shortcuts, apps to track our spending, credit cards with points, loans with better rates. But the answer isn’t in the banks or the tools. It’s in the decisions. Don’t lease. Don’t finance. Don’t rent. Use real cash. Eat the food you already bought. And stop chasing what you think you deserve. That mindset shift will change your life. It did for me.
NOW FOR THE BUSINESS SIDE OF THINGS
GARAGE OFFICE – 2010 (Left) Garage Office 2012 (Middle), Basement Office (2013)
No Loans, No Leases, No Delusions
The temptation to “accelerate” with borrowed money is strong. But there’s a freedom in going slow and owning everything. No payments. No creditors. No sleepless nights wondering if a late invoice will derail everything. Want to expand? Save first. Want to hire? Build a cushion. Want to invest in gear? Take it out of profit, not projections. When the world around you gets loud, promising shortcuts, remember: every borrowed dollar comes with a leash. You didn’t start your business to be owned by someone else.
First Faduchi Group Office – 2012
Save Your Tax Money Like It’s Not Yours—Because It Isn’t
Every dollar that comes in isn’t yours to spend. Taxes will come calling. The fastest way to panic is to spend your full deposits like it’s profit, only to realise come tax season that you’re short. So open a separate account…no debit card, no quick transfers. Every time money comes in, pull out your tax percentage and stash it. Don’t touch it. Don’t look at it. When the government shows up, you’ll be ready—and more importantly, you’ll be calm.
Faduchi Group Office – 2014
Use What You Have Until It Dies
That printer, that camera, that coffee maker in the breakroom, it doesn’t need to be upgraded unless it’s actually broken. Too many business owners rush to upgrade gear, thinking the newest tools will finally make them feel legitimate. Truth is, most of your clients don’t care. They care about the work, the result, the value. If your current setup works, squeeze every ounce out of it. Then, when it truly dies, replace it with something you’ve wanted. Fancy gear doesn’t close deals…discipline and follow-through do.
Valiant Creative Agency Office – 2016
Don’t Hire Until It Hurts
One of the quickest ways to bleed cash is hiring too early. It feels good to say you have a “team,” but every new person adds complexity and cost. Instead, automate, systemise, and streamline everything first. Only bring someone on when the pain of not hiring is affecting delivery, not when you hope to grow into needing them. And when you do hire, start lean—contract, freelance, part-time; until the role proves it can generate more than it costs. People are your biggest investment. Treat it that way.
Valiant Creative Agency Office – 2018
Negotiate Everything
You’d be shocked what you can get a deal on if you just ask. Vendors, software, rent, equipment. Barter when you can. Offer to pay upfront for a discount. Ask for startup rates or local business pricing. Be scrappy. Business isn’t about flexing…it’s about longevity. People don’t know your actual ebita, but if they did…they would be jealous from how frugal you are, and how much money you have in the bank.
Valiant Creative Agency Office – 2020
Once again, Stop Thinking You Deserve More
You’ll be tempted to reward yourself the second things start working…a better car, a bigger office, a bonus trip. Don’t. That first stretch of profit isn’t a pat on the back. It’s seed money. Put it back into the business. Build your buffer. Invest in systems. Save for tax season. Upgrade something that directly improves delivery. Celebrate when you’ve created sustainability—not just when you’ve had a good month.
Valiant Creative Agency Office – 2021
Like the office photos above, I started small and free, and over time…got “bigger and better” right? Nah, I ended up swimming in debt in the best and biggest office I had. Bigger and better isn’t always better. I scaled down, moved into a shed, restarted and now? I’m back on track.
It ain’t always pretty, but if I can do it…you can too.
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