Money and your family’s happiness
- Jan 5
- 3 min read
As a society we own more than we have ever owned, with places like Amazon, Temu, etc. making it so easy to over consume we are covered in material things. Storage centers are popping up everywhere because Americans don’t have enough space for our things. Now…there are lots of legitimate uses for storage units. But most units are crowded with excess, not necessities.
Beyond that, the amount of money we spend on material things adds up and Americans are more in debt then we have ever been. During the third quarter of 2025 the Federal Reserve reported that Americans are $1.23 TRILLION in credit card debt and it keeps rising. They estimate that is an average of $7,000 per person!
Financial debt also creates stress, which impacts our relationships and how we treat each other, it affects marriages, parents working longer hours to earn more money, teens and children are spending more time alone and are being parented less.This leads to more unsupervised time on electronics, and social media, which in other studies has been linked to higher anxiety and depression in teens.
So, could your credit card debt be indirectly depressing your children? Not to mention the fights mom and dad have over money in front of the family. How do we get our family to optimum health? Getting out of debt would be a big step in that direction.
Now more than ever people want to be financially independent, they no longer envision working 30+ years for a company only to be handed a retirement check and told “Thanks.” People want freedom sooner, and they want income that is continuous, not at the will of their employer when they are restructuring.
Deciding to be debt free is the first step to protecting your family’s happiness. The Bible reminds us “The borrower is slave to the lender.” So being out of someone’s control should be a driving force for Christians. Not having debt that can be called on, that can stress us out, should be the goal. Debt causes emotional stress, physical stress and weighs on us even when we’re not thinking about it. Debt is also a misuse of money that we have been given.
Next is setting up funds that you will need, I suggest following Dave Ramsey’s principals here. Set up emergency funds and sinking funds. Dave has a great program for getting out of debt. I don’t always agree with him 100% on some things, but this is the area I agree, get out of debt as fast as possible.
Then actually using money you have to live off the interest and dividends and finding ways to earn money in a more noncorporate way. Some great YouTube channels for this are: Gabe Bult, Humphrey Yang, and Vincent Chan.
Getting your financial life in order will help your family in ways that you’re not even aware of right now. Which will set you up for a better family dynamic and happier family life. Finding a way to create your own business would be next, and please let’s be smart here, no MLMs, no scams, no “courses”. Offer a service that people need. I know of a local family that invested in professional printing machines, they print materials for homeschool families and do it for way less than the big box stores, they offer binding as well. They have both been able to quit their corporate jobs and be at home with their children.
The goal of this is not for both of you to quit the corporate life, but what if one of you could, what if one parent was always available for the children and worked at home? Wouldn’t that be ideal? If not, if you both love the corporate world, that’s ok, but ask yourself, what price are my children paying because I’m choosing to work full time? If they’re not, if you’re off before school lets out and you’re there for every sporting event…great.
Getting out of debt is a great thing to have on the top of your list this new year. I know it’s on mine, and something I’m really motivated to do. For my happiness, my peace of mind, and to teach my teen how to manage money.
Check out Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover
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