Josh and I were never taught personal finances. There were no discussions at home around the dinner table, no classes taken in high school. Everything we’ve learned, everything we have, is through our faith in God’s words in Malachi 3:10, Luke 6:38, and many others you can read in this post. We also understand and experience it often, that God changes our lives so we have to adjust plans. And while I dont always understand it at the moment, with enough time I become grateful everything happens the way it does. They are all teachable moments if you sit with God and reflect. While our Financial Outline is less than some people’s and more than others, whatever success we’ve had is by the grace of God. This article directly ties with our “DINK Financial Foundations – The Base Budget.”

Previous Year Financial Wrap-up
Bianca Savings $7,228.00
Josh Savings $2,043.00 (Truck Purchase)
Emergency Fund $1,806.00
House Fund $20,028.00
Car Maintenance Fund $560.00
Vacation Fund $209.00

Current Financial Outline as of Jan 1:
Credit Scores
B- 770-800
J- 720-750 Balance = $0 on all accounts
Credit Cards = 12
Balance= $0
Limit = $104,700

Location: High cost of living(HCOL) area.

Four Income Sources

• Annual Gross $129,000 Net $115,164
• Monthly Gross $10,393 Net $9,375

Current Financial Status
Cash = $31,874 (mostly in High Yield Savings Accts)
Retirement Accounts all together = $97,586
Debt = Student Loans $41,000

Tithing 
Current tithing allotment – 10% on all gross income sources + 5% of Bianca’s gross income to offerings
Next goal when raise occurs – 10% on all gross income sources + 5% of Bianca and Josh’s gross income to offerings
Future goal – 10% on all gross income sources + 5% of all gross income to offerings

Savings and Retirement Yearly Limits
Bianca Savings $10,000
Josh Savings $10,000
Emergency Fund $7,500
Bianca Retirement $1.5mil by 60
Josh Retirement $1.5mil by 60
House Fund 5 years of savings
Car Fund $2,000

Because we are Christians first these are the verses we’ve based our financial decisions on.
James 4:13-15 *Why we say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”*
13 Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” 14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 15 Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”
Luke 12:16-21 *Why we have limits on our savings*
16 And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. 17 He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ 18 “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. 19 And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’ 20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ 21 “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”
Luke 6:38 *Why we strive to be outrageously generous*
38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
Malachi 3:10 *Why we tithe and believe we shall see the fruit. Not strictly through money in our bank accounts but through the preservation and protection of our bodies and possessions.*
10 “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.”
Proverbs 3:9-10 *Why we tithe on our income before anything else.*
“Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.”
1 John 3:17 *Why we give offerings*
“But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?”
Romans 13:7-8 *Why we pay off our credit cards monthly, and big purchases before we pay interest on them*
Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor. 8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.

Here’s a chart to see the info above and our current base budget together.

Thanks for reading a story from Childfree Christians—choosing joy, purpose, and a whole lot of freedom.