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
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