How to 'Occupy' until Jesus Returns

In this New Year’s UPGRADE, I want to encourage us to keep on keeping on for the Kingdom of God. Hopefully, you will find some motivation to think through what is valuable to pursue in the coming year.

One of the words the Lord gave me when I recently found out I was out of remission with Multiple Myeloma was the word “OCCUPY.”

That word is in a parable Jesus told, found in Luke 19:11-26. The phrase is in verse 13 in the King James Version where it says, "occupy till I come."

The phrase is translated in different ways in other versions of the Bible:

• “Do business till I come” (NKVJ)
• “Put this money to work until I come back” (NIV)
• “Invest this for me while I am gone” (NLT)
• “Operate with this until I return” (MSG)

Obviously, Jesus used the concept of financial stewardship in this parable. But I want to expand that to something beyond finances as we think about the New Year.

But first, let me summarize the points in the parable:

1. Jesus had just finished talking to Zacchaeus, a tax collector—so the people were already thinking about money.

2. Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem for His last Passover before his crucifixion.

He told the parable because many people thought the kingdom of God was going to appear at that time.

3. In the parable—spoken to a large crowd—a man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king. 

4. Before he left, the master called 10 of his servants and loaned a mina to each of them. One mina was about the equivalent of three months’ wages.

The master told them to put that money to work until he returned. They were to “occupy” or do their business in a wise way.

5. The master—now a king—returned, and he sent for his servants to find out what they had “gained” with the money. One said he earned 10 more minas. Another said he earned five.

They were both diligent, trustworthy, and faithful.

And Jesus praised them both—rewarding them by giving them charge over 10 cities and five cities, respectively.

6. Then another servant came with his mina, hidden away in a cloth. Perhaps he was afraid of losing it. But he accused the master of “hardness."

So the king responded in hardness, calling him a “wicked servant.”

The man could have at least banked the money so it would collect interest. His mina was taken away and given to the good steward who had gained the ten minas.

7. Finally, the king responded to those who “hated him” after he left—those who rebelled against his authority. He had them executed (vv. 14, 27). (Remember that someday Jesus will defeat all His enemies.)

* Please see my note at the end about how this parable differs from the parable found in Matthew 25.

How to ‘Occupy’ Better in 2022

God used this parable to speak to me about making better "investments," and I don't mean just with money.

Many people choose a word for the new year, and I could have chosen any of the five words the Lord gave me regarding moving forward with my illness: Trust, Occupy, Discern, Rest, or Praise.

But I chose "Occupy" for my main word. Here is how the Lord is speaking to me about occupying, or UPGRADING my Stewardship, in the days to come. Maybe He will speak to you too.

(1) GODWARDNESS

"Godwardness" is my word for everything that upgrades my focus on my Father God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.

It involves everything from scripture reading and memorization to meditation, prayer, worship, singing to God and about Him—so many areas.

I asked myself recently, “Are you content with your adventure with God? Where could you make that journey more fulfilling—and better yet, more God-honoring?”

Then I asked the Lord about that and got better answers than I came up with initially!

Maybe those are questions you can ask as well . . . and then act for change.

(2) FINANCES

Financial wisdom for investment is certainly one way to increase our stewardship. There are many ways to manage our finances biblically.

When I am more careful with my money, when I don’t buy unnecessary things, and when I curb my “wants,” I have more resources to support my church, send to missionaries, or share with others in their time of need.

Think about your finances as you enter this new year. Consider “investment” rather than spending, and see if your priorities change.

(2) TIME

I can also increase my stewardship of the use of my TIME.

For example, instead of plopping down to watch good television shows so much—which goes beyond eliminating programs that pollute the mind or spirit—I can use that time wisely, investing every opportunity for the Kingdom, especially in these evil days.

Certainly, I can read more of my Bible or helpful Christian books, but there are other activities I can do that are better investments of my time.

I’ll be honest here.

I’ve complained that I don’t have time to write that book I’ve wanted to write for so long. Given, I’ve been very ill. But if I can lie down to watch a movie, or spend an hour on Facebook on my phone, why can't I lie down and take notes for my book, or research for it online, etc.

Instead of “frittering away” free time (time beyond our responsibilities), how might we invest it wisely this year?

(3) RELATIONSHIPS

Our relationship with God is our primary relationship, but our human relationships are well worth investing in too.

Certainly our family relationships—those in our immediate home are a priority. But also, we can invest in other family members, friendships, co-workers, etc. (Ephesians 6:2; James 1:27a; Proverbs 17:17; 1 Thessalonians 5:11; Ephesians 6:5-9).

It’s easy, when our lives feel stressed, to turn inward; but if that continues for a while, it’s not healthy.

We need other people, especially our brothers and sisters in the body of Christ. And, in fact, the family of God was designed by God to help us in our times of stress.

So let's think about the relationships in our lives. How can we upgrade those relationships in positive, creative ways this year?

(4) OUTPUT

This area of stewardship is threefold:

• the investment of the SPIRITUAL GIFTS God has given us,
• development of new SKILLS, and
• better use of the TALENTS we've developed over time.

Our spiritual gifts were meant to be developed for God’s glory, not simply acknowledged.

Once we know our spiritual gifts—serving, encouraging, giving, leading, showing mercy, etc.—we should consider practical ways to use them under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Our skills and talents are things we have developed in our careers, as hobbies, or simply out of necessity. They are some of the things that make us unique in the family of God, and perhaps we need to be more creative in using them to build the body of Christ or minister to others.

For example, I have a friend, Kim, who founded a group called Kingdom Quilters in Southern California. The ladies make quilts and other things that they then take to orphanages and other sites of need in Guatemala and Mexico.

Is there something in your heart or hands that you could invest for the good of others and the glory of God?

(5) WITNESS

I also want to better invest in time to witness to others about God's gift of salvation in Jesus Christ. I don’t want to be disobedient to Christ’s command to share the gospel with people everywhere—whether as part of mission outreaches around the world—by going or giving so others can go—or by walking next door to share with my neighbor.

I know this is hard for some people. It’s never easy for me. But when I think in terms of obedience, or when I think about the Lord’s return, it’s more motivating, right?

What Are We Waiting For?

Just as the servants in the parable were rewarded with 10 cities and 5 cities, the Bible says God’s children will be rewarded with crowns. They will receive rewards according to their faithfulness and usefulness on earth.

We shouldn't want to be careless in any area of stewardship.

What are we waiting for?

The truth is, Jesus is coming back. We refer to His coming as “imminent”—it could happen any time (Matthew 24:36). Maybe in our lifetimes. Maybe in our children’s or grandchildren’s lifetimes.

But certainly, we need to be looking for His coming—anticipating it and living righteously in light of it (2 Timothy 4:8b). We need to be more aware of how we are using our time.

The Lord’s return is a great motivation to get busy serving Him (1 Corinthians 15:58).

The apostles understood that Jesus’ imminent return meant they should busy themselves with His work, because any day might be their last on earth.

The Bible doesn’t give Christians a “hold the fort” mentality—just waiting around until God calls us home. Instead, John said we should work while we can, because there’s coming a day when our working opportunities on earth will be over (John 9:4).

• I DON'T want to be indifferent, slothful, or careless.
• I DO want to be industrious, useful, creative, and God-honoring in everything I do!

I want to faithfully and creatively “occupy” until Jesus returns—or until He calls me home. I hope that's your desire too.

Which area of stewardship could use an upgrade in your life in 2022?

Dawn Wilson, founder and President of Heart Choices Today, is a speaker and author, and the creator the blog, Upgrade with Dawn. She is a contracted researcher/reviewer for women's teacher and revivalist, Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth at Revive Our Hearts, and is a regular columnist at Crosswalk.com. She and her husband Bob live in sunny Southern California, and Dawn has traveled with Him in Pacesetter Global Outreach. They have two grown, married sons, three granddaughters and a rascally maltipoo, Roscoe.

* (Note: The parable in Luke 19 is not the same parable found in Matthew 25:14-30, which was to His disciples on the Mount of Olives. The “talents” are different than the minas. The return of the master and the responses of the servants are different in the Matthew account.)

Graphic adapted, courtesy of Stux and TruthSeeker08, both at Pixabay.

Honoring Heroes at Home

Ellie Kay is known as America's Family Financial Expert, but she's also the founder and CEO of Heroes at Home and an alumnus of the Military Family Advisory Network. She is an Air Force spouse, mother of seven—including three in the military—and the author of 15 books. In this July 4th UPGRADE, with a special emphasis on the military, Ellie shares financial tips for the military that are helpful for everyone!

"I looked out at the audience of 1300 young Airmen who had gathered at Sheppard Air Force Base to watch Heroes at Home Financial Education event." Ellie said.

"They were tired, hungry and had been told that: 1) they would skip dinner at the 1800 hour, and 2) they were going to sit in on a mandatory 2-hour financial brief.

"To say they were not a happy audience would be a gross understatement."

I (Dawn) got to know Ellie Kay because of her emphasis on financial freedom, but soon found out her strong passion for the military—which is why I wanted her to write something for July 4th. In this article, she combines two of her passions: financial freedom with helping our military Heroes at Home.

Ellie continues . . .

During our live Twitter contest, they were to tweet the best financial tips from the show and a winner got the prize.

Instead, they tweeted photos of hamburgers, tacos, and fried chicken.

One of our resourceful team members had a conversation with the powers that be and we got the chow halls to stay open past the normal time, so they could eat. When our emcee made the dinner announcement, it got the biggest applause thus far in our show!

But by the time we finished with our high-energy, quickly-paced show, they were smiling, happy and getting into the tips we shared. We are dedicated to helping military families and all Americans, find financial freedom. 

We celebrate Independence Day and the less than 1% of our nation’s population who serve in our military, to protect the rights and freedoms of the other 99% of us. 

But we can all support our military members by saying, “Thank you for your service,” and letting them know we appreciate their work on our behalf.

If you want to go above for those who have gone beyond, then you could also:

• send care packages during deployments,
• offer to do free yard work for the family left at home,
• or give a military family gifts cards for the movies, restaurants or other forms of entertainment.

One more way to thank our military is to help them with financial readiness.

Here are some tips that apply to everyone.  

1. Credit Scores

Military members can lose their security clearance if they get into trouble with credit, so their jobs depend on having a decent credit score and what that represents about their debt.

No matter what your financial picture is, it’s critical for every person to improve their own FICO (Fair Isaac Credit Scores). These scores determine not only the APR you pay on a home or car loan, but they also impact auto insurance premiums, whether you’ll get the promotion or the job (many employers check FICOS), whether you pay a security deposit for utilities, and much more.

You can go to Credit.com  or Experian.com to check your score and they’ll even give you specific ways to improve each area of your credit score.

You can improve your FICO in three easy steps:

• Pay early. Set up automatic payments online so you will never be late.
• Pay More. Add $5 to $10 more than the minimum balance that is due; this indicates you are paying down debt.
• Pay Proportionally. Also known as credit utilization, make sure that you don’t have more than 30% of the available credit charged on any one card at any time. For example, a card with a $5000 limit should never have more than $1500 charged.

2. Cut Existing Costs. 

It only takes 15 minutes to save hundreds of dollars. Once you save money in one area, then use those funds to pay down consumer debt or to build up a savings account.

• Auto Insurance. Once a year, compare policies by getting a variety of quotes. Take the cheaper price back to your existing provider and tell them you will switch companies unless they can match the price. Be sure to check out quotes from USAA.com since you are military and qualify to be a member.
• RetailMeNot. Download the RetailMeNot app or bookmark it on your computer. This is a code site that offers 400,000 coupon codes at any given time. Just enter the store’s name and you’ll see all the codes to get the better prices. Use this on entertainment, travel, electronics, or any kind of online shopping or in the mall.
• CouponMom.com. I was one of the original extreme couponers, and I saved 161k while raising my kids by using coupons. If you go to this site, she’s done all the work for you and will tell you what is on sale in your neighborhood, what codes are available, what coupons are out for the item and which stores double coupon. I calculated that over the course of twenty years, I saved our family over 160K!

3. Free Credit Counseling

With a slow economy comes an influx of those who want to "help" prepare you for the worse by consolidating your debt. However, most “for profit” debt-counseling companies charge a hefty fee for their services, which is usually tacked onto your debt load.

Instead, go to the National Consumer Credit Counseling Service found at www.nfcc.org and use their FREE services.

4. Budget Baby

If you don't have a budget as part of your lifestyle, then yesterday was the day to start.

Set one up with a budgeting app such as mint, Wally or Every Dollar.

The problem for a lot of families is not having a budget, it’s sticking to a budget.

Set up a “budget date” once a month with your spouse to revisit how the plan is working. This kind of regular accountability works as well in finances as it does in Weight Watchers. When you know there will be someone asking you why you bought that purple mohair sweater for $198, you’re less likely to give into the impulse to go off budget.

EVERYONE: During this time of the year, be sure to thank those Heroes at Heroes at Home—and if you know a Vietnam Vet, then say “welcome home” because most of them have never heard those words from a grateful American.

For more information on where Ellie Kay’s Heroes at Home is visiting next, explore their website at HeroesAtHome.org.

Ellie Kay is the best-selling author of fifteen books including Lean Body, Fat Wallet, and Heroes at Home. She is a Toastmaster Accredited Speaker as well as a popular international speaker and media veteran who has given over1,200 media interviews including appearances on ABC, CNBC, CNN and Fox News. As a popular columnist, she writes for six national magazines and has been a Subject Matter Expert for the Wall Street Journal, New York Times and Washington Post. Currently, Ellie provides financial education to military members through her “Heroes at Home Financial Event” sponsored for USAA. Ellie is married to LTC Bob Kay and they have seven children.

Graphic adapted, Flags of the Military, Wikipedia.

Financial First Aid for the New Year

Ellie Kay is one of the people I trust to always give wise financial counsel, and in this Financial UPGRADE, her "financial first aid" kit is a good place for everyone to begin if they want to prepare for a financially healthy future.

"If you want to set your family up for success in 2019, then you may want to create a financial first aid kit," Ellie says. "It’s a lot easier than you may think."

I (Dawn) know what Ellie says is true. My own financial advisor has wisely helped set up this "kit" for us, and it really eases my mind.

Ellie continues . . .

When our youngest son, Joshua, was born, we started saying, "If he had been our first, he would have been our last." That boy had more energy and could get into more scrapes than all our other children combined.

When he was 18 months old, he stripped down to his diaper, took a plastic sword, and chased his four older siblings around the house—thus earning the nickname, "Conan, the Baby Barbarian." By that age, he had also jumped off the top bunkbed (three stitches) and "flown" off our travel trailer (four stitches).

Joshua was the reason we purchased a serious first aid kit.

Just as every family needs a good first aid kit for those unexpected accidents, they also need a financial first aid kit, or practical ways to help safeguard their financial future.

1. An Emergency Savings Account

This account is not an investment account—it doesn’t include IRAs, retirement accounts or CDs. Its purpose is not growth, but safety.

These are funds that are accessed in the event of spouse unemployment, emergency home repairs, or unexpected auto repair bills.

The best way to build this account is to establish a family budget using an app such as mint, pocketguard or YNAB (meaning, You Need A Budget). I recommend automatically transferring funds from a paycheck or checking account into a savings account every week.

A good guideline is to save three months of living expenses for dual income households or six months for a single income family.

2. Life Insurance

This is an easy ingredient in your financial kit. You will need enough money so that your dependents could invest the money and live modestly on the proceeds.

Use a QUOTE COMPARISON site—it will not sell your info, it is confidential—instead of a LEAD GENERATION site (they will sell your info). You can try insurify, Policy Genius, or Nerdwallet.

3. A Will

Here’s another easy one—as easy as making an appointment with the JAG  (Judge Advocate) if you are military or your HR department to see if your company offers free legal service for wills.

The main section of this critical document will assign a guardian for your children.

In many states, the surviving spouse may only get one-third to one-half of the assets that were in your sole name. Your children get the rest and if they are minors, a court administrator could handle their money until they become adults.

Make sure the beneficiary designations on any 401(k) plans, IRAs, life insurance and bank accounts are also up to date. 

To find a free service for a will, just type “pro bono will” followed by your state’s name into an online search engine to see about programs that you might tap.

4. A Retirement Account

If your company offers a 401k, then you could be leaving money on the table by not taking advantage of the matching part of that vital retirement tool.

Set up an automatic withdrawal to fund this account or start a Roth IRA or Traditional IRA so that you can get started on tomorrow’s retirement today. As little as $50 a month will get you started and the earlier you begin this account the more you can take advantage of the miracle of compound interest.

A good place to being with as little as $500 in an investment account is with Emperor, who specializes in helping beginner investors. Be prepared to give your social security number and bank information on the secure site and enjoy the adventure of investing!

5. A Good Credit Rating

The best way to rebuild good FICO, or credit score, is found in three steps: 

• Pay more than your minimum payment (even if it’s only $5/month more).
• Pay a day early rather than a day late (set up automatic transfers from your checking account to your credit card company for minimum payments.)
• Pay attention to utilization and never let your available credit fall to less than 30% of the total credit available (for example, $2,000 on a $6,000 credit line.) 

Each year, get a free copy of your credit report by going to Annual Credit Report, or go into the base’s Family Support Center where they can also run a free copy of your report and check your score.

Do you have all these tools in a financial first aid kit? If not, get started soon to build the kit. Guard your financial health!

Ellie Kay is a best selling author of 15 books and a popular co-host of the Plutus Award finalist podcast that she hosts with her millennial daughter called The Money Millhouse. She is the mother of seven and a veteran speaker of 2,000 events. She’s the founder of Heroes at Home, a non-profit providing free financial education to military members. 

Graphic adapted, original courtesy of Gigabeto at Pixabay.

Setting Up a Successful College Transition

An accomplished speaker and writer, Ellie Kay is best known for her financial wisdom and work with Heroes at Home, but in this Financial UPGRADE, she branches out to a topic that’s especially important this time of year for many: high schoolers’ transition to college.

Ellie says, “I believe that every student can be successful in college by following the Do’s and Don’ts of a smooth college transition.”

My (Dawn’s) first granddaughter is entering college this fall, so that’s on my mind a lot these days.

Ellie hits on some points I’ve never considered, both for parents and their college-bound students.

Ellie continues . . .

How can you prepare for a smooth move to college that sets you up for success?

When my daughter was four years old, she came home from a friend’s house sobbing uncontrollably. While comforting her, she blurted out, “I don’t want to go to college!”

Apparently, her friend had an older sister going to college and my daughter couldn’t imagine leaving us. I reassured her that college was a long way away and by the time she left, she was ready.

When parents are preparing their kids for college, I think they may have flashbacks of them as four year olds. It can be hard to send them away.

As a mom of seven, I’ve found there’s some “homework” you can do in the summer to make college transitions more successful.

1. PRIORITIZE key relationships.

DON’T fill up free time with friends at the expense of family. 

• Friends come and go but family is forever.
• Only a small percentage of your friends from high school will still be your BFFs throughout college.
• Less than 2% of boyfriend/girlfriend relationships will last until college graduation.

DO tell your mama (and papa) that you love them.

• Mend fences and build bridges with family members.
• Expect there to be some pre-separation anxiety on both sides—parents and kids—so give each other lots of grace.
• Students, please understand that this is hard on your parents, especially if you are moving away to go to college.
• Parents, understand that this is hard on your child because they are about to do something they’ve never done before.
• Students, take the time now to thank your parents, grandparents, friends, educators and coaches for their help in high school.

2. PLAN Your Finances.

DON’T think that you are too young to budget the money you have.

Luke 14:28 says, “For which of you, intending to build a tower, doesn’t sit down first, and counts the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?” This verse reminds us that it’s important to plan when it comes to our finances. “

• You can set up a spreadsheet to track your money. We like to use mint because multiple people can track finances on the app.
• If your parents give you money for tuition, books, rent or food, then this gives them a right to see how the money is spent, so be prepared to share your budget with your financial sponsors. Their love is unconditional, but their money is an investment in your education and it has conditions.
• Be prepared to work hard and add income to your monthly budget through work-study programs, a part-time job or even an entrepreneurial source of income.

DO be prepared to develop good financial habits that will set you up for success before, during and after college.

• Do listen to fun, upbeat podcasts like The Money Millhouse to learn more about managing your money.
• Parents, you may want to get an additional card on your credit card to help your student build credit. These cards usually allow you to modify the spending limit.
• We added additional cards on American Express and put these under our kids’ social security numbers. They charged preapproved items and then we paid the bill in full (and on time) each month.
• By the time each of our children graduated from college, they had a 750 or higher FICO score which helped with everything from getting a lower rental down payment to paying less on car insurance.

3. PREPARE for Positive Changes.

DON’T make this all about you.

• Parents, don’t create drama before they go or after they’ve gone.
• Moms, don’t sob and cry and tell them you don’t’ know how you’re going to survive without them. Shedding a few tears is OK, but doing what Oprah calls “the ugly cry” isn’t.
• Don’t post a bunch of “poor me-isms” on social media because it distracts your student from focusing on a successful transition to college.

DO keep it positive and focus on faith.

• Do send happy texts, emails, cards, and care packages to your college student, these mean a lot. 
  
• Do tell your student funny stories about a younger sibling or the dog, it will make them feel more connected to home and send pictures of the dog or pet.
• Students, do clean up your social media channels because you never know what can come back to haunt you in college and you don’t want to embarrass yourself or become a target of unwanted attention.  
• Do subscribe to Our Daily Bread and consider joining CRU to connect with others in a safe, faith based community.
• Parents can join Moms in Touch or a Bible Study with parents in a similar situation.

Moving away from home can be hard but I believe that every student can find success by preparing your relationships, finances and faith as you make this journey into adulting.

What can you do today to prepare for success in college tomorrow?

Ellie Kay is the best-selling author of fifteen books including Lean Body, Fat Wallet, and Heroes at Home. She is a Toastmaster Accredited Speaker as well as a popular international speaker and media veteran who has given over 2,000 media interviews including appearances on ABC, CNBC, CNN and Fox News. She writes for six national magazines and has been a Subject Matter Expert for the Wall Street Journal, New York Times and Washington Post. She is the cohost of The Money Millhouse podcast. Currently, Ellie provides financial education to military members through her “Heroes at Home Financial Event” sponsored for USAA. Ellie is married to LTC Bob Kay and they have seven children. 

Graphic adapted, courtesy of YannaZazu at Pixabay.

Upgrade Your Finances: Financial Freedom in 2018

Ellie Kay, better known as "America's Family Financial Expert," loves to teach people how to find financial freedom. In this Financial UPGRADE, she focuses on three steps that can help anyone find that freedom in the coming year, and she shares her "financial testimony" to make this personal and practical.

“Sacrificing for a short time helped us gain financial freedom in the long run," Ellie says.

I (Dawn) think financial freedom is a wonderful tool for growth and ministry. Why? Because, as Ellie Kay shows in her own life and teaches so powerfully, there is so much we can do for the Lord if we're not deeply in debt!

Ellie continues . . .

In Romans 13:8 it says, “Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loves another has fulfilled the law.”

What does financial freedom mean to you?

When I think of the times I’ve felt truly free, it’s when I’m on a roller coaster, bungee jumping or on a zip line. These “adventures” are full of letting go, experiencing the moment and screaming until I’m hoarse!

Financial freedom is very similar, because it can be a roller coaster filled up ups, downs and unexpected turns. But it is also the freedom to let go of worry, live life in the moment and enjoy the adventure around the next bend.

Financial freedom doesn’t necessarily mean an early retirement, but it does mean you are financially healthy.

But that’s hard to do when living paycheck to paycheck or with excessive debt.

Conquering consumer debt can be as daunting as stepping into a roller coaster or stepping off the bungee platform . But it doesn’t have to be an overwhelming experience if you take a few easy steps to get started.

1. Assess Your Debt.

The first step toward financial freedom is to find out where you are in your journey and how far you need to go to reach your goal.

Start by ordering your credit report for free at annual credit report. Use this report to add all your consumer debt (for both spouses if married). Most consumers don't know how much debt they have, which is why this step is so important.

2. APR Reduction

This is where the miracle of compounding interest happens and it can either work for you or against you.

If you’ve been working on your credit score and still have high interest rates on your credit cards, then it may be time to call your credit card provider to ask them to reduce your APR. A lower APR can save hundreds of dollars a year. Just tell the customer service person you want to reduce your APR because your FICO has improved, you’ve been paying on time for many months and you could transfer the balance to a different card (outside of their company) if they can’t help you.

If you don’t get the answer you want, kindly ask to speak to a manager. Then repeat the process. You’d be surprised at how often this works.

3. Absolute Commitment

When my husband and I had 40K in consumer debt early in our marriage, we had to fully commit to getting out of debt. This helped us pay off that debt, on only one income, in 2 years.

This means all the money saved will go toward consumer debt including tax refunds, bonus checks, birthday dollars and items you sell. We even sold one of our cars, when we lived on base, and my husband rode his bike to work or car pooled for a year.

We realized that we couldn’t have debt and a lot of extras at the same time. Sacrificing for a short time helped us gain financial freedom in the long run.

What is one step you can take today to be financially free in 2018?

Ellie Kay is the best-selling author of 15 books, veteran of 2800 media interviews and podcaster of The Money Millhouse. She is the founder of Heroes at Home, a non-profit organization that provides financial education to military members. She’s married to Bob and they have seven millennial children.

Graphic adapted, courtesy of stevepb at Pixabay.