4 Financial Dreams and How We’re Accomplishing Them

Hi guys! Let me introduce myself: My name is JC. My wife Brianna and I are a lot like a majority of young couples. We have thousands of dollars in credit card, car loan, and student loan debt.

We are recently married and that means that we are now unified, not just in spirit and body, but in all things - including our debt! Not only do we have debt, but we also have the added challenge of my moving to Canada and not being allowed to work until I have certain papers in my hand. This having only one income has made things tight.

This can seem depressing to some, but we knew that God brought us together and that His will and His promises will win out. He says in Proverbs 22:7b that “…the borrower is the slave of the lender.” This is a core verse for us.

We have no desire to put our lives under the control of the lender anymore. The money that God has given us to be stewards of is not MasterCard, or Visa, or Sallie Mae . . . . No, this money is to be used to glorify God and to help others.

Our Dreams

That said, let me introduce you to our dreams:

1. Giving a vehicle to someone in need.

Both Brianna and I have had dreams of walking up to someone who has an obvious need for transportation and at God’s prompting, give them the keys to a vehicle.

2. Random gifts of cash.

We want to be open to the Holy Spirit and be able to give generously in whatever amount we think He is leading us in. (We are doing this now and will continue to do it). This includes big or small gifts.

It says in 2 Corinthians 9:8, “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.”

We want to be living a blessed life so that there can be no limits to what God can use us for financially; a financial abundance for every good work. We want to be ready, so that if He says “Give $10” or “Give $100” or “Give $500” and on up, we can do it.

3. Buy a house with a very large down payment (if not 100% down).

This will be a place for us to raise kids, have Bible Studies, and generally be a gathering place for others to be blessed at. We often spend time together talking about our dream home and what our ideas are for it. It really gives us a sense of purpose and drive.

4. Be free to go whenever and wherever God wants us and to be able to do whatever He wants us to.

We want to be free of the pressure and bondage of debt so that when God says it’s time to step out into our ministry in a really big way, there is nothing financial holding us back. If we have no debt and lots of savings in the bank, we are virtually able to do anything and go anywhere.

Those are just a few of our dreams that motivate us and give us momentum. Now you may ask how practical they are, especially in our situation.

We know that we are in a season right now and that God’s grace and love pulls us through. There are some action steps that we have been led into.

Our Action Steps

1. Pray!

There is immense value in praying about your finances. Pray for wisdom in how you steward your money. It only makes sense to handle your money as God would want you to. Also pray for His provision. We have been leaning on God throughout this whole process and we are constantly seeing His provision come through.

2. Make a budget!

We are making a budget every month off of the previous month’s income. This allows a buffer, and an exact amount to break into categories.

3. Beginning Dave’s Baby Steps!

We have started Dave Ramsey’s 7 Baby Steps and are still working on the $1000 Emergency Fund.

This will allow us to deal with small emergencies (like a car radiator exploding or small things like that). We’ve sold pretty much everything we can, so now it’s just getting fed from the little amounts we have extra each month.

4. Debt snowball time!

The debt snowball will start once I’m able to work. We are going to put the majority of my income into bashing the smallest account and on downwards.

5. Continue to tithe.

The most important thing that we are doing on this journey is to continue to give God the tithe. Every month, that 10% is the first check we write. After all, this is all for Him!

There you have it! A few of the dreams and the actions that are making the Reagan house tick!

My challenge to you is to dream big, set goals, and get intense!

What about you? Do you have dreams that are stopped by having payments? What could you do if you weren’t paying $300 or more a month to the car or that credit card? Meet us in the comments!