Our Story

We married in 1995.  This was the second marriage for both.  When they met, Dave had three young children from his first marriage.  Sandi had none.  They went on to have a son together.  Currently, they currently have 4 children, 8 grandchildren and a sassy Vizsla dog. 

When they married, Dave and Sandi decided the best way to handle their finances was to combine them.  Over the last 27 years, they had to learn how to work together despite very different financial mindsets. 

Dave was very pragmatic about finances.  He knew early on that he wanted to work in banking and so that was the path he took.  Money, to him, represented a challenge, a puzzle, and it was and still is considered a tool to get what he wants in life.  Going through their finances on nearly a daily basis is fun and exciting for Dave.

Sandi, on the other hand, came from a place where money was not discussed.  She occasionally saw her stay-at-home mother at the kitchen table with a stack of bills and her checkbook.  Sometimes she would see her mother crying while paying bills.  Sandi’s outlook on money is that it is something that wasn’t easily attainable even with hard work.  To Sandi, money represents security.  She always hoped to have enough money that she wouldn’t have to worry about finances; but she never expected to build any real wealth.  Thankfully, she was wrong.

Even though, they have differing mindsets, they both agreed early on that a top priority was to save for their children’s college education.   Dave’s parents, though not wealthy, were excellent at saving money.  They looked at it as a challenge to see how far they could stretch their hard-earned dollars.  They had saved for their kids’ educations and thus, for Dave, this was a non-negotiable when it came to their children.   For Sandi, though her grades were always very good, she didn’t see higher education as an option because she didn’t want to take on student loans. Because Sandi didn’t go to college, saving for their kids’ education was also a non-negotiable.  This was their first insight! Even though they came from different perspectives on money, they could still have common goals.

Over the years, they have learned (and are still learning) how to relate to each other with respect to finances.  Here is their philosophy on personal finance.

1. Limit debt.  They are not debt-adverse.  However, they limit debt to a small percentage of their net worth.  It is their belief that debt is a tool.  They believe that most people need to maximize their credit scores because they may need to borrow periodically.
2. They believe in saving and investing for the future. 
3. They believe it is critical to invest in a 401K and to max out to receive an employer match.
4. They invest in real estate.  Currently they own 9 houses.
5. They use a 30-year mortgage.
6. They live by a budget.  Each year, Dave and Sandi create an annual budget prior to January 1^st based on their expenses tracked from the previous year and based on their goals for the upcoming year. They discuss expenses, at a minimum, every 2 weeks.  They also prepare quarterly financial statements to see if they are hitting their targets.
7. They have come to realize that when they have setbacks, it is always due to a lack of communication.  They will delve into all of these philosophies further in upcoming blog posts.