I'm 41 and plan to retire at 65. My first step was paying off over $55,000 in credit card debt — here's how I did it.

Michelle Gudiño Prestamo.

Courtesy of Michelle Gudiño Prestamo Michelle Gudiño Prestamo, an HR manager, paid off her debt with the help of a company resource.

She aims to retire at 65 and pursue her dream of starting a coffee shop, and this was the first step.

After clearing her debt and upping her 401(k) contributions, she's now focused on saving money.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Michelle Gudiño Prestamo, a 41-year-old human resources manager at a major footwear company in Mississippi.

The following has been edited for length and clarity.

I'm the distribution center human resources manager at a major footwear company.

I started at the company in 2019.

Before this job, I worked at a staffing and recruiting firm where I supported footwear and retail brands.

I don't want to work until I'm 80 years old.

I'd like to retire around 65 and open a coffee shop because I have such a passion for it.

Here's my plan to make that happen.

I was born in Venezuela I came to the United States in 2009 on a cultural exchange program as an au pair .

I lived with an American family in Germantown, Tennessee, for almost two years.