being debt free is great, of course, but honestly i haven't been that worried about paying off my school loans since my interest rates are so low. instead i use the extra money to put in savings, investments, etc.
i have used money to help pay off my car loan early though (no car payments soon
)
my main strategy which works best for me is to use my credit card to pay for everything. then at the end of the month i just pay it off. i can track my spending so much better and keep it under control. i also just limit my spending.