Episode 433: Paying Off $14K in Debt & Finding Financial Clarity w/ Journeyer Lori-Sara Gauthier

Jul 2, 2025

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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