*“Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”” ‭‭Mark‬ ‭10:15‬*

I am the father of 2 daughters and one of the joys of parenting is occasionally having these “ah ha” moments when I realize how God designed our relationship with Him as I interact with my kids.

A couple of years ago, I got to experience one of these moments.

From a young age, we had tried to instill the value of work in our kids by giving them a ‘wage’ for their household chores and then teaching them how to handle the money by giving, saving and spending. This means that both kids usually have some money in their ‘account’ with the Bank of Mom and Dad and they’re able to spend that money when we go out.

On this occasion, I was on a father-daughter date with my youngest. The weather was hot and we were discussing something good that had happened in her life. I don’t recall exactly what the event was (but it wasn’t particularly significant). At that moment, I wanted to have a bit of fun with her and so made a dramatic announcement “Let’s celebrate - ice cream for everyone!”

She loves ice cream and so her face immediately lit up - but the follow-up surprised me.

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/tB7EHgs9hXHSNJvfmIhTLUZSQCGPABUBwlnzHxJqENY15ESazfqix2vSg94qiohkUVKRhOiJXWStPxIS4xLRwpKhAd9VL6VshVkPo3ovScyQ6OOfE7kHlEmUyV2Eo2zbnd9baE7QdnpvcYo-Sw)

She asked me “Daddy, can we use my money?”

I proceeded to give her a pep talk, assuring her I had enough money to buy ice cream, explained the concept of opportunity cost and how she could save the money for something more important - like college.

She acknowledged everything I said but simply said “I know – but can we use my money?”

It took me a while to understand that she just wanted to be a bigger part of this celebration. She innately understood the joy of giving and simply wanted to participate to the fullest by giving – even though she knew I didn’t need it. Later her face beamed when the family enjoyed their ice cream because she was, in her way, part of making it happen.

At Hoboken Grace we talk about the different facets of giving – one of which is partnering with God on His mission. We also try hard to emphasize giving isn’t because we want something from you - it’s because we want something for you! Some of the most positive experiences of my faith journey have been during the act of giving and I don’t want you to miss out!

As part of God’s beautifully designed economy and church it is true that, mechanically, money flows from those that give into the church budget, which then gets used to accomplish the mission of helping people find their way back to God.

The danger of that is it is tempting to start thinking that God needs our money. Untempered, it could even feed a spirit of pride that Jesus often warned us against. But if we step back and really think about it - it’s, at best, foolish. God is the creator of the universe, the economy and owns it all already. As Dave Ramsey says “if God really needs your money, He’ll take it and there’ll be a greasy spot where you were sitting.”

Instead, I hope you will think about giving to the mission like a child that understands the joy that comes from giving. And I hope you will experience that joy as we see God honored and lives changed - knowing that you had the privilege to participate fully!


Why We Give - Dad, Can We Use My Money?

## Introduction

We are officially three weeks past Tax Day 2022. Over 63 million Americans are expected to receive a refund from the IRS this year. The average refund is $3,226, which is an 11.5% percent increase from 2021.

A refund from the IRS indicates that you have overpaid in taxes the prior year. And while a refund is better than an end of year tax bill and you might like the feeling of getting a big check from the IRS, it means that you have essentially lent money to the government at a 0% interest rate. If you are carrying debt that carries a balance, you could have been using that money to get out of debt and saving yourself significant amounts of interest. If you are already debt free, you could have been investing that money instead!

Taking the time to check your withholdings after each tax season is important for two reasons. First, it protects you against having too little tax withheld and facing an unexpected tax bill and underpayment penalty. Second, it gives you the opportunity to adjust your tax withheld up front, resulting in a bigger monthly paycheck.

***So, this month, we want to give you the tools to make these adjustments and be better prepared for next year's tax season!***

## How to Calculate your Tax Withholdings

The IRS provides a Tax Withholding Estimator to estimate the federal income tax you want your employer to withhold from your paycheck. You can access the calculator here: <https://www.irs.gov/individuals/tax-withholding-estimator>

![](/images/irs%20tax%20calculator%20screenshot.png)

### ***How Does It Work?***

The tool will project the total amount of taxes being withheld now and compare it to an estimate of your tax obligation for the year in order to determine if you are having too much or too little withheld. The tool will then help you adjust your withholding accordingly.

#### What Will You Need

*   Paystubs for all jobs (spouse too)

*   Other income info (side jobs, self-employment, investments, etc.)

*   Most recent tax return

The tool will ask for your filing status, your income & withholding, and any adjustments, deductions, or tax credits you claimed or intend to claim in 2022. After you have entered your information, the Estimator will provide your results for the year ahead to determine how to complete Form W-4 so you don't have too much or too little federal income tax withheld. The entire process can be completed in under 15 minutes!

### How to Adjust Your Withholdings

If the Tax Withholding Estimator determines that you are withholding too much or too little, you need to make adjustments to your W-4 form. The link to the 2022 Form W-4 is available here: <https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw4.pdf> . However, we recommend that you contact your employer to see if they use an automated system to submit Form W-4. Submit the revised form to your employer, and be sure to check your next paycheck to ensure that the changes have been applied.

### State Income Tax Calculator

Although there isn’t an official calculator for state income taxes, there are several available on the Internet that will, based on your circumstances, estimate how much you should withhold each pay period. You can use a similar process as above to adjust your state allowances to ensure you’re withholding the right amount. Note that NJ does not allow many deductions, including charitable contributions!

Here is an example of a calculator we found on the Internet: https://investomatica.com/income-tax-calculator/united-states/new-jersey

## What to Do with Your New Monthly Income

If you identified that you were withholding too much in 2021 and adjusted your withholdings accordingly, you have increased your monthly tax home pay. So, what should you do with that additional income? Follow the Baby Steps! <https://www.ramseysolutions.com/dave-ramsey-7-baby-steps>

Baby Step 1: Save $1,000 for your starter emergency fund.

Baby Step 2: Pay off all debt (except the house) using the debt snowball.

Baby Step 3: Save 3–6 months of expenses in a fully funded emergency fund.

Baby Step 4: Invest 15% of your household income in retirement.

Baby Step 5: Save for your children’s college fund.

Baby Step 6: Pay off your home early.

Baby Step 7: Use your increasing wealth for radical generosity!


## Need More Help?

If you are looking for more guidance with a specific situation, we are here to help. Schedule a FinHealth Checkup here: <https://www.getfinhealthy.com/checkup/>


Boost Your Paycheck in 15min!

## Try Something Different

18 months ago, both my wife and I were looking for new cell phones and plans. I think we were pretty typical cell phone users - she was on a 2yr device payment plan for a phone she had bought in-store and we were on a family plan.

Had we continued on that path, buying the latest phones with the basic unlimited plan we would have ended up paying about $180/month for 2 lines and 2 new phones (paid over 2yrs) - a total cost of $4,320 for 2 people for 2 years.

However, instead, we made some tweaks to our approach and have been able to save about 50% and pay ~$2,200 over 2yrs instead!

Here are some tips and tweaks that we decided to make to help save more than $1,000/yr! *Disclaimer: this is not an exhaustive review/discussion of the topic covered below; merely my own personal experience!*

\*\*![](https://preview--getfinhealthy2-1d5a8.stackbit.dev/images/pexels-pixabay-163069.jpg)

## 1 - You might not need the best new phone!

The iPhone debuted 15 years ago in 2007 and has, since then, gone through more than a dozen upgrade cycles. As is typical with technology devices as they mature, newer generations of phones aren’t always worth the premium - so pay attention to what is better and assess whether you’re willing to pay the extra for that.

And if you decide you’re willing to live with 1 or 2 generations old technology, you could save hundreds of dollars. Here are some examples, at the time of writing:

*   iPhone 13 (the latest): $799

*   iPhone 12 (slower CPU, same screen): $600 for a ‘mint’ condition used model

*   iPhone SE3 (same CPU as iPhone 13, worse camera, smaller screen): $429

*   iPhone 11 (slower CPU, worse camera, no 5G): $400 for a ‘mint’ condition used model

## 2 - A lightly used phone can be just as good

As hinted in the previous tip, you can save money by purchasing a lightly used phone. My friends and I have consistently purchased lightly used devices on eBay.com as well as Swappa.com and had positive experiences each time.

If you choose this option, especially with Apple devices, we suggest paying strong attention to the battery health (ensuring it’s over 95%) as well as the pictures of the actual device you’re purchasing so that you’re aware of any nicks & scratches before you buy.

## 3 - Look at how much data you actually need

Spend some time to dig into how much data you’re really using. If you’re like me and spend most of your time at home or in the office where there is wifi access, you may find that you don’t need unlimited data plans. I have discovered that I only ever use 3-5GB/month.

If, after research, you discover that your teenagers are the biggest data users - good for you! You will have a fantastic parenting opportunity - because managing a data cap is a great opportunity to teach and give them a way to learn to budget and how to live within their means!

## 4 - Use an MVNO / Switch to prepaid

Cellular coverage and quality has dramatically improved over the last 15yrs, especially in places like the NY metro area. In more rural areas, you may well need to be with a specific carrier that has coverage, but for the majority of us that live and spend the majority of the time here in Hoboken, my experience has been that the carriers do not differ all that much.

Traditional cell phone providers in the US now consist of Verizon, AT\&T and T-Mobile (which merged with Sprint in 2020).

MVNO stands for “Mobile Virtual Network Operator” and are providers that rent the use of the traditional carriers’ infrastructure to provide cell phone service. This is analogous to living in Hoboken and choosing to purchase electricity from a provider different to PSEG.

Examples of MVNO include Cricket, Boost, Metro by T-Mobile (formerly MetroPCS), Straight Talk, Mint etc..

It is often possible to make significant savings by switching to an MVNO. For the last 18 months, I have personally used a combination of Red Pocket and Mint Mobile and have been generally happy with their services. 

My old plan: Verizon (not including monthly payment for device): $60/month

Tried: Red Pocket 22GB plan (using T-Mobile network): $40/month

Tried: Mint Mobile 10GB plan (using T-Mobile network): $20/month (prepaid 12months in advance)

If you don’t wish to make such a drastic change, you can often find savings by switching to the prepaid plans on your existing carrier. For example, a close family friend switched to an AT\&T Prepaid Plan that includes 8GB/month for $300/yr; instead of paying $60+/month for an unlimited plan.

#### Some caveats / further notes on MVNOs:

International roaming does not typically work with MVNOs (I have been lucky when I’ve traveled abroad that my friends have had roaming!) When my wife, who had also switched to an MVNO, went to London for a week for work and needed cell coverage, she simply purchased a prepaid SIM when she landed and was online for a week for only $20.

MVNOs do not typically have friendly device unlock policies - even if you pay sticker price for a phone upfront! Unless there is a very compelling deal, I would suggest buying an unlocked phone from the manufacturer (Apple/Google/Samsung etc) rather than an MVNO.

Many cable providers have gone into the MVNO business, promising discounts on bundling TV/Cable/Internet/Home Phone. I looked at the Optimum deal and was tempted but in the end, even after the discount, it wasn’t as good a deal as the one I found (Mint) and signing on with them would have meant committing to the cable company and hindering my ability to negotiate my Internet bill (which will be a future GetFinHealthy challenge)!

## 5 - Do the math on trade-in offers

Phones, after a couple of years, tend not to be worth very much. For example, I discovered that Apple valued our 2yr old phone at $20; which had cost $700 when bought new.

Carrier trade-in offers can sometimes make a good deal during promotion season or when you’re willing to switch providers. Check the fine print and make sure that your old device qualifies for a good trade-in and make sure you actually want to buy the phone that’s on offer - as I mentioned before, don’t pay extra for a model that you don’t need just because it’s got an extra discount because you’d still pay more than you wanted!

Also trade-in offers tend to only come from the traditional cellular providers - so factor in the premium you would be paying when you do the math. After crunching the numbers, I almost always found that buying an unlocked device and using an MVNO was cheaper - however, if you want to stick with a traditional carrier and want the latest phone, the trade-in option might be great!

## 6 - Employer discounts

If you work for a large corporation you may well be eligible for a discount. My wife’s former employer gave us a 15% discount on the line rental for our previous provider (Verizon). It wasn’t a large enough discount for us to stay, but had we stayed there was no reason not to take advantage of it!

## 7 - Talk to GetFinHealthy

If you want help with your specific situation or want to discuss your ideas on making this blog better - contact us!





7 Ways to Save $2000 on Cell Phone Bills

Welcome to GetFinHealthy

Let's do this!

New Financial Peace University (FPU) classes launch soon! Every course is designed to provide support no matter what your current income or financial health is. FPU will empower you to take control of an area of life that has a big impact on your day-to-day and long-term goals.

So, register today and let’s engage money from a new perspective to find financial freedom. Classes are offered in-person and online with different time options to fit your schedule.

We sat down with Vinny Hu, Director of Financial Health & Stewardship, to learn more about what to expect from the classes.

### What is FPU and what makes it different from other finance classes?

Financial Peace University is a 9-week class that goes through finances from a very practical and Biblical perspective. The class is unique in that it has up-to-date financial information but really focuses on the habits, behaviors and relationships that are often missing from other classes.

For example, we go through budgeting and introduce accountability as a single person, as well as how to discuss money without having a fight with your spouse! We also cover other essential topics such as debt management, insurance (what to buy and what not to), investments and estate planning.

### Who should take it?

We have found the class to be useful for everybody – from those that are struggling as well as millionaires! It is not uncommon for us to see
many households have a “turnaround” (debt payment and savings) of thousands of dollars just within the 9 weeks of the class!

### How much does it cost?

There is a $60 cost to the class that goes directly to the company that creates and maintains all of the materials. That said, we don’t want finances to prevent people from taking it, and so if cost is a barrier please do reach out to vinny@hobokengrace.com to discuss how we
can help.

### When does it start and how do I sign up?

We have 4 offerings this January at different times of the week with both online as well as in-person options available. The first class starts on Monday 1/24 so sign up soon!


Taking The Stress Out of Money

When I first heard about FPU, I was immediately intrigued – a Biblical way to manage my money? Sign me up. I wasn’t in debt and I’d always considered myself responsible with money, I just never really had a plan. My budget was whatever felt convenient at the time and I was haphazardly saving for this elusive thing called retirement — a far away place and time that everyone told me I needed to prepare for, without telling me how. So when I took FPU, I was ecstatic to find out that it was a proven, step-by-step plan for budgeting and wealth building.

I’ve since taken FPU four times — and not because this program is difficult to understand or hard to follow. Actually, it’s quite the opposite. FPU is built on baby steps, with each step representing a milestone in your financial journey. As I move through the steps, I find something new to focus on, something that’s more relevant to my life now.

I also keep taking FPU because it gives me the freedom to say yes to God. There have been many times I’ve felt the nudge to do something bold but couldn’t because of money. We often feel nudges — to move, to give, to quit a job, to downsize, to upgrade, to take that trip, to start that company. I now live a life free to follow the path God intended for me and can say yes to Him every time.

Thirdly, I keep taking FPU because I don’t deserve it. Let me clarify: I don’t deserve a new pair of shoes just because I’m upset I lost a big client. I don’t deserve to drive a Porsche because I work so hard during the week. I don’t deserve to buy a house because I’m tired of apartment living. I don’t deserve anything I haven’t earned! I’ve learned this, and yet I still find myself walking down the shoe aisle. Like everything else that is Christ-like, living financially free is not the norm. People will convince you that you deserve to feel good, regardless of the consequences. Taking FPU provides a community of people who are living against the grain alongside you. It’s a place to share your struggles and the triggers that make you want to spend, spend, spend. FPU keeps me accountable, and reminds me why it’s so important that I tell my money what to do, not the other way around.

If you’ve taken FPU in the past, chances are you’ve already put what you learned into practice. But taking the class a second — or third or 
fourth — time enables you to go even further, building upon step after step. The first time I took FPU I learned how to budget. The second time I figured out what an emergency fund should be. The third time I completed my emergency fund, and now I am learning how to invest for retirement. It’s a concept that is no longer elusive to me at all, and something you should absolutely prepare for. Let FPU show you how…


Why I Took FPU Four Times (When I Wasn’t Even in Debt!)

When I first started exploring Hoboken Grace’s website, the “Next Steps” page was surprising. Amid Bible studies, premarital classes and
upcoming retreat information was a section on Financial Health. There was a nine-week course that teaches God’s way of managing your
personal money matters and I discovered that the team was available to anyone in the church for quick financial advice – even
in the face of a foreclosure or bankruptcy crisis.

I thought churches want your money. They tell you to tithe – giving the church a percentage of your income. They offer local emergency
shelter and food to those in need, and funds to the latest mission projects. But emergency financial advice to church members who are in
crisis? That level of commitment requires training, patience and love – and a willingness to walk the journey alongside advice that’s given. I’d never heard of such a thing at a church.

Financial planning seems like a cold and boring subject that makes you scrimp to put money away for a rainy day. Keeps you from buying the
car you really want. Tells you to have a modest stay-cation instead of putting those Bahamas airplane tickets on your credit card. But I began
to feel an odd warmth around the idea of taking the class and signed up for the Sunday afternoon class.

Each session involved a video of a conference presentation by the author of the program. A dynamic speaker, he told about how he and his wife became bankrupt early in their marriage, and fought their way back from debt by reading the Bible and looking at God’s instructions on how to manage your money.

There was a question and answer session, then a breakout into small groups with a discussion leader. We moved into another room, sat around a table facing each other, and the tone of the discussion changed. It began to feel more like a Bible study or prayer group. We were asked a few questions about our personal reactions to the lesson, and how we felt we could improve our finances by applying the spiritual guidelines presented. Everyone seemed a little sheepish to be there.

But slowly, the discussion opened up. The conversation became more authentic and people told their stories, revealing a great deal about
their personal lives. They talked about what they valued, how they saw themselves, what role money had played in their relationships, how their parents had handled finances, how they were tripped up by purchases they couldn’t afford and how they wanted to change. It seemed this course might really get through to some of the deeper issues around finances, relationships and a spiritual desire to change.

I still don’t have all of the concepts working in my life, but I’m making more steps to get better at it, and doing it in a church gives it a deeper impact. Trading shopping tips and encouraging others to stay on their budgets, while not passing judgment on individual financial choices, can be another aspect of a supportive spiritual community.

After working with the information I learned last year, I’ve changed some of my patterns with money, but intend to sit in on a few of the classes again. Hopefully, this will get me back in the mindset of thinking about money as part of my church experience and open up some new financial discussions with others at Hoboken Grace.


Financial Advice.. At Church?

*One of the most crucial pieces of advice we learned from FinHealth is paying for large purchases in cash, instead of on credit. Karen and Devin decided to do just that when it came to paying for their upcoming wedding. They wrote about the experience, and how they made it happen, below.*

Before we started planning our wedding, we wanted to take time to enjoy our engagement without letting the pressure get to us. Very quickly, though, we started getting questions from friends: Are you going to have an engagement party? Did you pick a date? What kind of venue are you looking for? What is your budget?

“Did you know that most people in our area spend $60K+ on a wedding”? One friend asked. Hearing that was pretty daunting, but we also decided early on that despite being overwhelmed by all those questions we did not want to let that dictate our decisions.

One of the first things we did was ground ourselves on our purpose. Our wedding is about the commitment we are making and a celebration of the love we have for each other with the people who have come alongside us throughout our lives. We want to create a space where we can celebrate that in a beautiful way. But we also want to be wise with how we start our lives together – weddings are big investments, and it can be easy to let the emotions around the day put you in a bad place financially.

We decided to create a plan and cash flow budget. We wanted to pay for our wedding fully in cash. This was great because it allowed us to
see what we could afford to spend for the wedding and also helped us break down buckets for specific categories such as the venue, attire,
music/photography, etc. Having this plan allowed us to tackle tasks one step at a time before going to the next one. This gave us amazing
clarity when it came to working on our plan. If something was not the next item on the plan, we were not focusing on it or talking too much
about it. This system also helped us delegate some of the items we knew we wouldn’t be good at, such as creating graphics and the invitation suite. Karen’s sister, Cristina, has done an excellent job on that! And as we take each step, the momentum has helped us stay focused.

One of our biggest celebrations so far was finding a venue. When we first started looking for venues, we were overwhelmed and stressed by the prices we were seeing. We searched at least 50 places online and visited six locations in person. There were many times where we got
discouraged and thought we would have to go over our budget to get what we wanted. But with patience, diligence and some out-of-the-box thinking, we were able to find a beautiful place within our budget. With each venue visit we learned a little more about our preferences and started to learn how to ask the right questions. After touring a venue that was top of our list, we sat down with the event manager and found out there were no summer Friday dates in 2019. This was disappointing for sure. But after some discussion and waiting, Karen asked a simple question that would end up saving us over $4,000: “Do you host weddings on Thursdays?” The venue made us an offer and, after some more questions, we had a deal and it was within our budget for the venue!


Planning a Wedding the FinHealthy Way

Recently during a budgeting class, we had moved into smaller discussion groups and I found myself sitting next to a bubbly young woman who tried to defend her personal budget choices.

She was planning a trip with some friends to the Comic-Con International event in San Diego. This involved a plane ticket, hotel reservations and a fabulous new costume that transformed her into her favorite animated character. She’d already attended the local New York Comic Con event — at a much lower cost. But the international event in San Diego was bigger and better, and she was determined to be there.

She told this story rather nervously, and a little defensively. Finally, she admitted that as a professional accountant, she should know better than to have such a frivolous expense in her life. When she finally stopped chattering about her obsession, she looked to me as the person sitting next to her, and with her eyes, begged me to tell my story and take the spotlight off her.

I paused for a moment and looked at her kindly. “It seems as if you are trying to make your choice to attend Comic-Con sound ridiculous,” I 
told her. “But what you don’t know is that you are sitting next to someone who spent all day yesterday, outdoors, enjoying the fabulous September weather, in a costume at the Renaissance Faire. And I don’t think that you nor I are ridiculous at all.”

The local Renaissance Faire in Tuxedo, New York, is just a daylong event, and a lot closer than San Diego, but that’s not the point. For over a decade, I’ve attended about three times each summer, in a variety of costumes – laced-up leather, in an authentic Oktoberfest outfit I purchased in Germany, or gypsy garb made up of various corsets, layered skirts, a mysterious shawl and jangling jewelry.

Why do I go? Because I love it. Because I love the world the Faire creates and the music that goes with it. Because I’ve made friends with 
some of the delightful artists and musicians who work the circuit, and introduced many of my friends to the Faire. Because I enjoy conversations with so many of the other patrons. Because it’s such a refreshing, earthy break from the fast-paced technological world we live in. Mostly, it’s because at the end of a day, I feel more myself at the Renaissance Faire than I do at any other time. And for that reason, and some others that I can’t explain, it will never drop out of my budget.

“Many people see a budget as something restrictive, something that binds them up and takes away all their choices and freedom,” Dave Ramsey writes in *The Complete Guide to Money.* “That’s a totally wrong view of a cash flow plan. Having a budget doesn’t mean you can’t order a pizza when you want one. It just means you have to have a plan for your money. If you like pizza that much, then put a “Pizza” line on your budget. It’s *your money*. I don’t care what you do with it; I just want you to do it on purpose!”

So yes, there is a “Renaissance Faire Line” in my budget. And I hope our costumed accountant now has a “Comic-Con” line in her budget as 
well. I will continue to go to the Faire and enjoy the music and free stage shows, soak up the atmosphere, chat with the other patrons in full festival apparel, limit my purchases to well considered souvenirs, grateful that this is part of what defines my summer season with a 
daylong event that I can drive to and back without paying for a hotel room. Seems like a bargain to me. Huzzah!


Is Comic-Con A Waste?

When Dan and Rebecca started talking about paying off their debt, they expected it would take at least five years. Instead, they paid off everything — nearly $110,000 — in three years.

“It was totally God, in different ways,” said Rebecca.

Those “different ways” start with the fact that Dan and Rebecca were looking at houses when they enrolled in Financial Peace University. They were a few years into their marriage, and buying a house seemed like the next natural step — “The American dream,” said Dan.

But as they committed to following the FPU program for nine weeks, they started rethinking that decision.

“One thing — the big thing — that we're taught is that you avoid debt,” said Rebecca. “And when we were at that point, we had student loans, we had some credit cards … we just had debt, and it was not good. And if we had gone down that road, we would have been in debt the rest of our lives.”

The class forced the couple to ask themselves whether buying a house was more of a need or a want. They started thinking about long-term goals, says Rebecca, and talking about what they actually wanted.

“That’s where we set that goal for ourselves \[of getting out of debt],” she said.

So they made a budget and committed to going all in, being mindful of every penny to make it happen.

But in the midst of that, God placed it on their hearts to open their home to Chloe, a student they’d met on a mission trip to North Korea who needed a host family in the NYC area. Having someone live with them for 10 months — and providing a bed, meals and everything else she’d need — was definitely not in their budget.

“I was really freaking out,” said Rebecca. “And this is where Dan was like, we need to give God a chance to show up.”

Throughout those 10 months, friends and family stepped up time and again. People donated furniture for Chloe’s room, and money for a new bed. The parents of a friend started sending checks to help with other expenses. Month after month, Dan, Rebecca and Chloe had everything they needed. And somehow, the budget always worked out.

“It was insane,” Rebecca said. “Down to the penny.”

![](https://hobokengrace.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/HGFPUShoot-2018-MSM\_9692.jpg)



“There was a literal penny,” Dan added. “We were paying at our laundromat in change. That week, we had all our other expenses paid off and we forgot we had to pick up our laundry. It was the final expense to keep our budget in line, and literally, we had a penny in our pocket to finish paying everything.”

When they’d made the decision to host Chloe, Dan and Rebecca accepted that their goal of getting out of debt would likely be postponed. But around the same time Chloe’s stay ended, they realized they could be debt-free if they put all of their savings toward what was left. And with that, they paid off their last student loan — the last of the nearly $110,000 they’d spent three years paying off.

“We had nothing, but we were free and we were so happy,” Rebecca said. “We were so happy.”

A few years later, that feeling of freedom hasn’t worn off. Earlier this year, Dan and Rebecca each started side businesses involving two of their passions — music and photography. Being debt-free has allowed them to invest money into both businesses, to get them off the ground. And several weeks ago, Dan took a job at a startup, an exciting opportunity that might have seemed too risky a few years ago.

What’s more, they’re rebuilding their savings and have a long-term vision for giving. They say they’re building a foundation that will eventually allow them to “give like crazy.”

“I would say the biggest thing right now is … having doors that are open to us that we can talk about what it looks like to give, in different ways, that weren’t open to us before,” said Dan.

For those just starting their FinHealth journey, the couple recommends committing fully — following a budget, identifying weak spending habits, paying in cash. Another thing that proved crucial, they say, is learning to discern a need from a want — even if that means realizing your two-bedroom apartment is perfectly fine in the midst of a house hunt.

“We can’t recommend the program enough,” said Dan. “It’s going to stretch you in ways you haven’t been stretched before.”


Blog

Why We Give - Dad, Can We Use My Money?

Boost Your Paycheck in 15min!

Welcome to GetFinHealthy

Financial Advice.. At Church?

Why We Give - Dad, Can We Use My Money?

Boost Your Paycheck in 15min!

7 Ways to Save $2000 on Cell Phone Bills

Welcome to GetFinHealthy

Taking The Stress Out of Money

Why I Took FPU Four Times (When I Wasn’t Even in Debt!)

Financial Advice.. At Church?

Planning a Wedding the FinHealthy Way

Is Comic-Con A Waste?

Finding Financial Freedom