Frustrated about finances? Drowning in debt? Befuddled by budgets, investments and retirement planning? Join the countless others who have found financial freedom through Financial Peace University.
FPU is a practical, nine-week course that will teach you how to manage money God’s way. The class covers relationships, budgeting, getting out of debt, insurance and making wise investments. The average Hoboken Grace household has experienced a more than $4,000 turnaround in their finances during the nine-week course itself.
The class will be offered Mondays (from 7:30-9:30 p.m., starting Feb. 6) and Tuesdays (from 7:30-9:30 p.m., starting Feb. 7). Attendance for all nine sessions is strongly recommended, and married couples are encouraged to attend together.
Those who took the class in the fall on average paid off more than $2,500 in debt and saved more than $2,000, according to surveys distributed at the end of the nine weeks. But months later, they are still unloading debt, growing their savings account and applying the many other lessons learned in FPU. Here are four stories from fall semester students who are experiencing financial freedom:
Tasheka
I was always interested in finance, so much so that I pursued it as a career. Within my roles (current and past), I was always responsible for managing millions of dollars each month to ensure we are meeting our yearly goals.
However, when it came to my own personal finances, I lacked the same enthusiasm and insight. I knew I had my fixed monthly expenses that were paid timely, but outside of this, all my discretionary income would just disappear before the close of the month, and I was hardly saving enough for any life emergencies. I started a new job last year that pays monthly, and I knew I needed to get my spending under control for fear of getting myself in a financial bind.
I decided to sign up for FPU in January, and it has been one of the best decisions I’ve made in 2016 (the year of courage). Since starting the class, I have created a monthly budget every month to account for how each dollar will be spent, I’ve paid off all but one credit card, I now have a growing savings account and, most importantly, I’ve been able to tithe as soon as I get paid (instead of paying all my bills and then seeing what I have left).
This class has been a blessing to my life because I am no longer stressed about something as important as my finances. I now have a plan to be completely debt-free by 2018. And I can honestly say I am well on my way to accomplishing my goals!
Dan and Rebecca
FPU has totally changed the way we view our finances together — from how we manage everyday expenses like groceries, eating out and filling the car with gas to big decisions like buying a car, house and insurance. It challenges fundamental ideas that many today have accepted as ‘truth’ when in fact those very things are what may drive people to financial ruin. We cannot recommend this course enough for those who are struggling with debt and their finances. If we were to sum it all up — in FPU, we entered thinking debt was something to be managed and left believing it’s something to be free from!
Andy
FPU was great for me because it laid out a formula to accomplish financial freedom. It wasn’t an abstract set of ideals. Instead, it provided a comprehensive list of steps toward peace of mind.
The debt snowball, a simple yet empowering method of paying off debt, was my favorite and most influential aspect of the course. I highly recommend FPU for anyone who wants a deeper understanding of financial responsibility, as well as a plan to achieve the peace and independence that comes with properly handling your hard earned money.
Angela
Financial Peace University gave me a plan. Prior to taking the course, I had no real plan for the money I was saving, and without a plan, I felt no strong sentiment for the money I was spending.
I had the attitude that since I was living in Hoboken, where rent is high and it is hard to save anyway, I might as well live well — support every local coffee shop, never say no to a happy hour and sport a new dress for every occasion. Increasingly louder was the inner conviction that this was not God’s intention for my earnings and for the countless hours I was spending at work.
FPU matured me as I accepted the truth that how I handle my finances now will contribute to the ease at which I can achieve the plans and desires in my heart in the future. Dave Ramsey’s passionate interpretation on financial planning caused me to waste no time in putting together a realistic budget and seeking to understand where every dollar of my income was going.
My boyfriend and I took this course together, and we’re so grateful for establishing these FPU principles in the foundation of our relationship. Our Uber trips up and down Washington Street have since subsided, and now when we’re covered in sweat going from A to B, we smile at one another and say “live like no one else now so later we can live like no one else!”
Financial Peace University will be offered on Monday and Tuesday Nights from 7:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. starting the week of February 6th. Classes are full this semester. If you have any questions you can contact Sarah at sarah@hobokengrace.com.
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