Money Matters, Management, and Military Life

Join guest writer Courtney as she shares about Money Matters, Management, and Military Life.

By Courtney

Money problems are one of the leading causes of stress. Struggling with finances can lead to frustration, and you often feel like you will never get ahead, especially considering the past few years.

Military Life

For military families, money stress compounds on top of all the other trials that come their way. As a veteran spouse, I get it. I remember dealing with my husband’s job stress, the moves, training, and time apart. But when you add the financial pressure on top of it all, it is almost too much to take.

I remember what it felt like to have lots of debt, feeling out of control with our finances and on the opposite page as my husband with our money. It wasn’t peaceful. There was abundant stress, disagreements, and feeling like we could never reach our financial goals. God was so faithful to us as we created a plan for our money and learned to work together as a team. As we worked through this process, we were able to feel confident and less stressed in our finances.

Money Matters

According to a study done by Thrive Global, approximately 90% of Americans are dealing with some form of financial stress. You are not alone in the struggle! As a financial coach for over a year, I have walked alongside many struggling families and helped them create a plan to finally succeed in reaching their money goals.

My passion is to provide military families with valuable tools and information to help them remove the stress from their finances. This will then help you to view your money as a gift from God and allow you to be a good steward. Stewarding your money well can be an act of worship to God. (1 Cor. 10:31) Then you can act as a blessing in the lives of others.

Money Management

So now I want to share ways to manage your money well to be a good steward of what God has given us.

Monthly Plan

Create a plan for your money each month. Even though you might not like the idea of budgeting, let me tell you, a budget is your friend! It allows you to tell your money where to go and will enable you to prioritize what’s most important.

Are vacations vital to you? Add it to your budget!
Do you need that morning coffee to help you through the day? Make sure it’s in your budget!
I love using an app to keep track of my budget. I use the Every Dollar app. It’s free for the basic version! I enter in all our income, expenses, and savings, then track my spending in the app throughout the month. My husband and I have quick discussions each month to discuss what items need to be included in our budget and to ensure we are on the same page.

Money Misadventures

Build an emergency fund. We have all experienced when our car breaks down, we have to take an unexpected trip back home due to a family emergency, or we have to spend $500 on a vet bill for our pet. Most of us don’t have thousands left in our budget each month to spend, so an emergency fund acts as a buffer between us and the hardships of life.

I recommend having at least one month’s worth of expenses in a high-yield savings account to help lower the stress when there are financial hardships in your life. The ultimate goal for your emergency fund is to save 4-6 month’s worth of expenses once you’ve gotten rid of any high-interest debt like credit cards.

Money Maneuvers

Find little ways to save money. With the high prices of most things lately, it can seem like saving money is impossible. But little changes can make a huge difference. Use cashback apps like Rakuten, TopCashBack, or Ibotta to earn cash back on purchases you are already making. I’ve earned over $200 back this year! All of that will go towards our Christmas fund.

Find ways to cut back on things like groceries. Shop the sales at the grocery store or commissary. If you have difficulty sticking to your list, use grocery pickup to prevent impulse buys.

What we do with money matters!

I want to offer you a word of encouragement when you feel stressed or anxious about your money. I know that managing your finances can be challenging and often discouraging, especially in this current economic climate where your money doesn’t go as far as it used to.

When it feels like you might not make ends meet each month, there is a promise given to us by our God, who sees our situation and knows our needs. We can see this in Matthew 6:25-26 which says,

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?”

This is a reminder that the Lord knows what we need and will care for us. We can trust him because, in Joshua 21:45, we read, “Not one word of all the good promises that the Lord had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass.” Let’s be good stewards of the provisions the Lord provides!

Lord, please help these amazing women as they seek to manage their money in a way that honors you and helps them trust your care for them. Amen

About the Author

We are so glad Courtney shared Money Matters, Management, and Military Life for National Financial Planning Month! Courtney is a veteran wife and first responder wife who understands the stress that comes along with the military and first responder lifestyle. She had credit card debt, car payments, and student loans for years. With the right plan and determination, they were able to live a life that wasn’t weighed down by financial anxiety. Through their struggles and financial successes, her passion for financial wellness grew, and she became a financial coach. She has run her business, Heroes Financial Coaching, for over a year. Her mission is to help first responder families and military families become the hero in their financial journey through one-on-one financial coaching and courses. You can learn how to manage your money in a way that blesses your lives and others and lowers your stress! (Courtney’s last name is not on social media to keep her family safe, but you can find her on Instagram here! )