Did We Just Become Best Friends?

August 13, 2025

Friends and Finances

Hey everyone, we're back with another update!

Okay, we think we might have accidentally become besties with our financial coach, Jess!
Just kidding … but also not really!

Meeting with Jess monthly has been such a great experience. We always plan for a quick one hour check-in, and next thing you know, two hours have flown by because the conversations are just that good. It helps to have someone in your corner cheering you on, keeping you motivated, and reminding you that you’re not alone in this journey.

Jess brings more than just financial solutions; she brings perspective. She helps us navigate the tough money conversations as a couple, and she’s always there to remind us that we’re doing amazing, even when we feel like we could be doing better. Honestly, we’re usually just being too hard on ourselves… Huge shout-out to Jess for making this process both fun and empowering. She celebrates our wins, big and small, and treats every problem with care and respect.

Talking Money With Friends

Speaking of relationships, we've been talking more about money with our friends lately, and it's been awesome! We’ve started sharing what we’ve learned, and in turn, our friends are teaching us what they know too. We've even joked about starting a finance book club! Right now, a few of us are reading Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey and chatting about it whenever we hang out.

One big realization we've had is that financial freedom is all about perspective. We know people who make a lot more than we do and still feel stressed about money, and others who make less and are totally content. It's not just about how much you earn; it's about how you feel about your finances. We're learning to see ourselves through a lens of satisfaction and progress, not perfection.

The Nitty Gritty: Life Happens

Now onto the real talk… When it rains, it pours…

In the past few weeks:

Our lawnmower died
Our truck developed a major oil leak
Our poor dog needs surgery (and we all know that’s never cheap)

But here's the silver lining: for the first time ever, we have savings to cover it.

When we started this competition, we had exactly zero dollars in savings. Back then, our
approach was to throw every extra penny at debt, which sounds noble, but left us with nothing when unexpected expenses hit. That meant turning to credit cards and paying 20% more in interest later. Not smart, not sustainable.

Now? We’re paying out of pocket. And yeah, it stings to watch our savings take a hit, but we
also feel proud. A few months ago, this would have wrecked us financially. Today, we’re
holding steady, and that’s the win we’re focusing on!

Big Decisions, Bigger Goals

We’ve also been having some honest (and tough) conversations. One of the biggest ones?
Whether we should sell our truck. Between the oil leak and how rarely it’s driven (Marco mostly uses his company vehicle), it might be time to trade it in for a low-cost beater.

If we do that, we’ll free up a chunk of debt and put ourselves in a much better place financially. Marco, even though this is the first “nice” vehicle he’s ever had, is willing to let it go for the bigger goal: saving up to buy another nice truck down the line with no payments!

That’s what financial freedom is about for us, making intentional sacrifices now so we can build the life we really want later.

Let’s Normalize Talking About Money

According to this , one of the biggest financial challenges
millennials face is a lack of financial literacy. So let’s lift each other up. Let’s talk about money more often. Let’s share what we’re learning, ask questions without shame, and make financial conversations a normal (and even fun!) part of life.
We’re all in this together, and the more we talk about it, the stronger we all become.

With love,
Dawn & Marco