Comments on: Financial Mistakes in our Newlywed Days

By: Jacqueline @ Deeprootsathome.com

Jacqueline @ Deeprootsathome.com — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 04:11:34 +0000

Erin,
We did most of the same mistakes, but God intervened in some neat ways. I especially believe that saving that extra second income can turn the tide early in a family. Wish we’d have learned earlier Love you honesty!

By: Rebekah

Rebekah — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 20:03:07 +0000

I think this is a good comment… it’s easy to go overboard and become burdened by the desire to store up money. My husband and I do our best to balance wise frugality with honest enjoyment of God’s gifts. We have plenty of things we could “save” on (a Netflix account, new clothes, the occasional bottle of wine) but we don’t feel that we must pinch every single penny.

I think that most people in our society tend towards overspending, though, so this article is very timely! I appreciated the reminder to be cautious about spending money and do your research before making an investment

By: Leigh Ann @ Intentional By Grace

Leigh Ann @ Intentional By Grace — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:10:47 +0000

This is a great post, Erin. By God’s grace alone, we have no regrets. We learned of Dave Ramsey early on, and had wonderful counsel from our local church. We were fully prepared before marriage. Not to mention, my husband is incredibly money-minded. I wish more couples were given the realities of finances before marriage, or better yet, taught growing up. :-/ At any rate, this is great counsel, and I hope it blesses many young couples. Thanks for your humility in sharing!

By: KM Logan

KM Logan — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:33:59 +0000

We didn’t have a chance to make many financial mistakes because my husband was out of work shortly after we got married, we didn’t have enough money to make mistakes.

By: Heather

Heather — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:27:56 +0000

We sure could have been tighter when first married, however, I think you can also be too frugal, to the point of not enjoying life, which is exactly what I am capable of. I took some of my mother’s advice and chose to enjoy a bit of the extra money we had (pre-kids). We were still frugal (no credit cards), but didn’t feel we had to stash everything away. I look back on those years when we both had incomes and no kids, I cherish them. We were able to go out on a lot of dates together. Once kids come along, lots of money or not, dates with your spouse aren’t as realistic. Be frugal but also take advantage of the different seasons of life.

By: Cheryl

Cheryl — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:23:26 +0000

Ahhh, the mistakes we made! I could also say, “all of the above,” but would add that we had no idea how or why to budget when we got married, and that we got a credit card or two that we were going to pay off right away (with no budget mind you). Needless to say we are still in debt but at least have the tools we need to be heading in the right direction!

By: Erin

Erin — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:21:58 +0000

I meant to reply these to other comments. It sounds like you all have made huge strides, Sherri! Be encouraged–your hard work will pay off!

By: Erin

Erin — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:19:02 +0000

We just finished our class in December–it’s so good!

By: Erin

Erin — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:18:26 +0000

Any time!

By: Erin

Erin — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:17:02 +0000

I should have mentioned that my family actually got a scholarship to take it! It is SO worth it!! Thanks for the encouragement, Lisa!

By: Erin

Erin — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:16:25 +0000

We just finished it in December! So glad you’re taking it! It’s excellent!

By: Stacy Makes Cents

Stacy Makes Cents — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 23:27:25 +0000

Thanks for the plug sista.

By: Lisa

Lisa — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 19:56:04 +0000

My husband and I are currently leading a small group for FPU. Although it can be pricey, there are scholarship options available through most churches or organizations that offer it. I would highly recommend that those interested check into that. Even with the initial investment you will reap far greater financial benefits in the long run. It is definitely worth the price!! This will be our third time to go through it (first time leading a group) and we continue to learn new things about how to further “tweak” our spending/saving habits. It’s a blessing and encouragement to hear other people’s stories and testimonies. Not only that we have the privilege of cheering others on to financial freedom too!! By the time this class is over we will be completely debt free including our home. Thanks for sharing Erin. You have some great insights and tips for those on their own financial journey.

By: sherri

sherri — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 19:30:16 +0000

Our financial mistakes started before we ever met…when my dh and I were in college we not only took out loans but both leased/bought new cars that although reliable, we could have used that money to pay for college instead of taking out loans. When we got married we paid about $1200 a month just in school loans and car payments. We both had a small amount of cc debt as well. This really set us back and 10 years and 3 kids later we are still playing catch up but are finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. I have taken odd jobs here and there for extra money but have not set any of this aside since there always seems to be something that needs to be paid for. It can be discouraging at times especially b/c my dh needs to work way more because of the hole we dug but within the next year we will have everything except one loan and our car payment paid off. Althought its not everything…to us its a big accomplishment. I finally feel like we can start saving some money instead of spending all we make just to stay afloat.