How Joshua St. John is Tackling Debt and Finding Balance After Divorce

“I’ve learned you can’t control everything, but you can control how you respond—and that’s where your power is.”

Who Is Joshua?

Joshua St. John is a Texas-based insurance pro, barbecue connoisseur, and self-proclaimed pastrami perfectionist. With two decades of experience in the auto and home insurance world—and a background in IT and customer service—he’s always been someone who bridges the gap between technical know-how and human connection.

But his real passion? Meat. Smoked meat. From brisket to sous vide to a month-long pastrami process, Joshua brings patience and precision to everything he does—including his finances.

What’s Joshua’s “Why”?

For Joshua, financial management has always been about creating stability and freedom. After getting married, he adopted the Dave Ramsey method, ultimately paying off all debt by 2021.

Then, life threw him a curveball. In 2023, after 18 years of marriage, he went through a divorce—bringing a new set of financial challenges. Suddenly, he was managing two mortgages, unexpected expenses like an AC replacement on tough terms, and the emotional load of starting over.

“My goal now is to clean up the remaining debt and get back to a place where I feel comfortable again,” he shared.

Joshua’s Big Wins

Even in the face of major change, Joshua has stayed committed to smart strategies. He’s using 0% interest credit cards and balance transfers to keep interest payments down while working to cut a 10-year loan term to 5 years. He’s also exploring better rates through credit unions.

“Every little decision matters,” he said. “Even if it doesn’t feel big at the time.”

It’s that mindset—focused on progress over perfection—that’s kept him moving forward.

How Did He Find Debbie?

Joshua discovered Debbie about a month ago, likely through an Instagram ad. As a SoFi customer, he signed up when it was the only compatible institution at the time.

What stood out most? The combination of education, actionable suggestions, and extra tools to make navigating debt a little easier.

“I liked that it wasn’t just a tracker,” he explained. “It felt like a resource I could lean on.”

Takeaways

Joshua’s advice for others facing financial setbacks? Focus on what you can control—and give yourself grace.

“You can’t always predict what life will throw at you,” he said. “But you can make thoughtful decisions, one at a time.”

And in between balancing mortgages, credit cards, and big plans, Joshua still makes time to fire up the smoker—proof that resilience and a little joy can go hand in hand.