Brian and Jennifer said they’d always known that giving was an essential; however, they remember being frustrated when they couldn't give more because of their debt.
Now, they are in a position to experience joy-filled, guilt-free giving. “Being debt-free allows us to take chances with giving that we otherwise wouldn't be able to take,” Brian said. “For example, we were recently able to buy some much-needed baby supplies for a local pregnant teen in a bad situation. If we still had debt looming over us, we simply wouldn't have been able to provide for her due to our monthly bills.”
As an army officer, Brian is excited about being able to provide more for his fellow soldiers in the future. “I want to have them over for dinners and socials, and I want to be able to pay out of pocket for supplies that are needed,” he said. “I want to be a resource they can turn to when they're in need.”
Leaving a Legacy
Brian admits that getting to this point was not easy, but now they’re experiencing life on the other side of debt. “Now that we are debt-free, we are able to start building a legacy for our future,” he said. “That's the most exciting part of it all!”
One of the Burgis’ greatest motivations for building a legacy is their now nine-month-old son. “We want to be able to put him through college so he won’t have the burden of student loans,” Brian said. “We want to teach him the value of money and how to make it work for him.”
Talk about the gift of giving!
Because they have their money under control, Brian and Jennifer have been able to experience the joy of doing more spontaneous things for others, too. “Small things like buying dinner for our friends when we go out, or giving a little extra to the church,” he said. They used to rely on help from their family members, but now they can pay for things themselves. “We are able to help them by helping ourselves,” Brian said.
“To me, giving like no one else means we are free to give at any point, at any time, whenever we see fit while other people are being told where their money has to go.”
How Did They Do It?
They paid off $32,000 in just three years to become debt-free! And get this—they did it as newlyweds. The Burgis took Dave’s Financial Peace University class early in their marriage after attending Dave’s live event in San Antonio.
“I assumed I knew how to handle money, but we were blown away by the Baby Steps Dave presented,” Brian said. “Starting off our marriage on the right foot financially was the best decision we could have ever made.”
You can help other newlywed couples get on the same track to being debt-free, joyful givers. Give them a Financial Peace University lifetime membership or enter to win one today!