Paying off debt means knowing what you owe, developing a budget and sticking to it. Debt-free people keep track of their bills, how much they earn, how much they save and how much they invest. They speak to experts and have a tracking system in place, whether it's an Excel file or another program. Demers went to a financial planner when he started a new job in 2008. "I went to a financial planner to get my house in order and set up a debt repayment plan, as well as placing a portion of my paycheque to an RRSP."