David Bach helps Sally and Dan Eggleston.

One year ago, Sally and Dan Eggleston, two elementary school teachers from South Bend, Indiana, had a lot to learn about saving money. Together, they made $92,000 a year, but with three children and out-of-control spending habits, they managed to wrack up massive debt.

When financial expert David Bach, author of The Automatic Millionaire, stepped in, the Egglestons were $115,000 in debt and days away from filing for bankruptcy.

During the first phase of the Debt Diet, Sally said the burden of being in debt was affecting her relationships with her husband, kids, and even her students at school. David set out to ease Sally's stress by pinpointing the family's Latte Factor®, tackling their credit card debt and reestablishing their savings.
David Bach, Sally, Dan and Oprah

In just 12 months, the Egglestons paid off $26,000 in debt! From day one, David says Sally and Dan were determined to follow the Debt Diet principles.

"They were rock stars," David says. "These guys were not working as a team before we got to them, and the moment we came in ... they basically had an instant 'will do' attitude."

The first money-saving technique David taught the Egglestons was how to lower interest rates and waive credit card fees with one phone call. When they began, Sally and Dan had 12 credit cards, which were all were maxed out. By calling and writing letters to credit card companies, the Egglestons got reduced interest rates for 11 out of 12 cards, which saved them $15,000 in interest payments.

Then, the Egglestons went to work! Sally signed on to teach summer school, and Dan raised the rates at his lawn care business. The hard work paid off—they grew their income by $19,000.

Smart financial decisions also helped them raise their credit score by 100 points. Thanks to a good score, they qualified for a standard 30-year mortgage, which will save them $400 a month.
Dan and Sally Eggleston

Sally says that this time last year, she was in a hopeless state...but not anymore. Now that her family has a financial plan, she knows they can continue to save.

What would the Egglestons say to other families facing financial ruin? "Number one, you have to recognize your debt," Dan says. "Once you accept it, then you put a plan together and you have to stick to it. It doesn't happen overnight."

The Debt Diet has improved both their bank account and their home life. Sally says her family has grown closer and learned how to communicate about money. Even the Eggleston children are involved in the family's finances. They help track which credit cards are paid off on the family's DOLP™ board. "They're always looking at it like, 'Which one are we on now and which one are we paying off next?'" Sally says. "It's in our house. It's part of us and our family."