We (Stayed) Out of Debt: Daniel & Brianna's Story

John and I have just begun the journey of getting out of debt. Sometimes it can feel overwhelming or dejecting to put every extra dollar into, sigh, things we can't see.

That's why I've begun compiling stories from real life friends who have get-out-of-debt success stories. Seeing that others have done it makes me feel like we can do it, too. 

So today I introduce you to Daniel & Brianna. Like many readers, they have no debt & began their marriage with no debt. But they have made a decision to keep it that way. Getting out of debt is tough; staying out of debt can be even tougher. Read their story below.

Meet Brianna.
Hey there! My name is Brianna and my employer is a very rambunctious little girl named Penelope (also known as my daughter). My husband is a youth pastor and graduate student. He is currently an intern, which means we are living on a very minimal income. I also blog at Tea with Bri.

Here's Their Story.
My husband and I were married in May 2011 at 21-years-old. Thankfully, we entered our marriage with no debt, but also with no money either. When we returned from our honeymoon we were shocked and amazed to find out that we’d received a substantial amount of money through various wedding gifts.

At the time, we had minimal expenses. No car payment, the cheapest rent you could imagine, and no children. Still, we knew that we needed to save this money. Two weeks later our 1990 Camry died, and we had to make a fast decision regarding what kind of car to buy. We could make a small down payment on a new (or almost new) car, and have a minimal monthly payment. This would allow us to keep most of the cash for other expenses. Or, we could spend a large chunk of our brand new nest egg on a reliable family sedan that would last us for many years, and have no car payment to worry about.

We decided to buy a 2007 Pontiac G5 for cash, and kept the remainder of our nest egg in a savings account. A few months later I was pregnant with our first child, and shortly after I was laid off from my job. We worked hard to save money over the next year, but at times we had to dip into our savings. We were so thankful that we didn’t have a car payment looming over our heads, and that we weren’t irresponsible with the remaining cash.

Today, my husband is working at an internship, and our family of 3 lives below the poverty line. We are blessed to have savings, and unlike 47% of the country, we have never lived pay-cheque to pay-cheque. When we can, we work to build up our savings.

At the end of the year, that nest egg that we saved two years ago might be gone. But, we know that God has been faithful to see us through this difficult financial season. By making the choice to save rather than spend, my husband was able to find a job that will ultimately help him in his career.

What's Next For Them?
Once my husband’s internship is completed, we know that our income will increase. We will use our increased income to build our savings again, and start to save for a home and a bigger car. We pray that we’ll never have to live pay-cheque to pay-cheque, and that we’ll never have credit card debt, car debt, and possibly even a mortgage looming over our heads (we haven’t decided yet on the mortgage!)

Here's The Moral.
I believe it’s important to live within your means, and save as much as possible. If God blesses you with a large amount of money, whether it is through wedding gifts, an inheritance, or a high paying job, use wisdom and discretion in how you allocate those funds. Always remember that there is no way to anticipate the future, and it’s always best to be prepared financially. If you are living pay cheque to pay cheque, sit down and figure out what you’re spending your money on. Are all of your expenses necessary? Probably not. Find ways to save so that you can be prepared for anything that may come up.  If you’d like to hear more about my family please check out my blog Tea with Bri, where I share my faith, talk about my family, and provide lots of money saving tips!