When You Need Encouragement to Keep after Your Money Goals

Inside: 3 tips to stay encouraged and motivated when your money goals take a long time to happen.

It wasn’t going to be long, a few semesters of pre-req’s at the community college, transfer to the state university, and we’d be done with school in a couple of years. 

In the months leading up to our wedding, we found a cheap apartment 3 miles from school, I agreed to work to pay the bills, and he registered for summer classes.

As I took charge of our finances, scrambled to pay the bills, deal with the debt we both brought in, a flicker of a dream whispered across my heart. 

What if he could graduate debt free?  Not with several tens of thousands in payments that start 6 months later. 

That’s when I started paying cash for school, while stumbling my way out of debt. 

At first the tuition payments were easy to come up with… community college was $81/credit hour. But then, after the university transfer, each semester cost $4,500-$5,500 and summers $2,600. 

But then life threw curveballs - we struggled through setbacks, car repairs, and challenges with school. 

Life doesn’t turn out like we plan… for anyone

Not going to lie. The years in school pushed me as hard-worker to the limit and beyond.

I held onto the dream of a debt free graduation so tight my fingernails dug into my hand. 

I scratched and clawed to pay cash for the next $4,500 tuition payment in less than two months, while keeping the lights on, and food on the table. 

At weddings, baby showers, and Christmas, friends would ask what we’re up to now, 

“Still in school.”

That’s when patience wears thin. It’s like being stuck in heavy, sticky mud, exhausted as you thrash your way to the edge so you can climb out, but reaching the dream drags on. 

Even with the disappointment. Our dream of graduation, as the key to open up the next chapter, postponed again and again.

Related: 4 Powerful Ways to Breakthrough Money Disappointment

Countless times, throughout the years of school, I’d ask God for a specific number of hours each week. 

Enough to pay the bills and save for the next tuition payment. 

Related: Resources to help you pay off student loans faster 

Either there was always enough hours or more. Or if there was a slow week, the opportunity for additional hours was available the week afterwards. 

God proved His faithfulness in providing for every single need we had, gave us the gift to pay cash for school and not once had to go back into debt. 

When dreams take a long time to happen, it’s a temptation to brush off the dream, convinced it won’t come about. 

Related: How to surge upstream: money grit and heart hope

But God wants to grow your faith and show how much He does love you and will provide for your every need. 

You have a choice, when dreams take longer. Be bitter and give up. Be thankful and continue to hold tightly to the hope that God will bring it to pass. 

As you cling to hope, continue to be faithful with what you have right now. 

Look for all the small ways God provides. 

The medical bill you thought you’d have to pay, but claims went through and maxed out your out of pocket. 

Opportunity to work a few more hours with holiday pay. 

Favor when you called your phone company and got a discount.

Each of these (and so many more) are a blessing, direct from God’s hand to you.  

As you share the blessings God gives you and how He provides for your needs, you will etch a layer of His faithfulness in your mind while encouraging others to watch for blessings. 

God did bring us through school. With zero owed back. And with savings in the bank. 

He’ll do the same for you and bring you to the other side of your money goal… even if it takes longer than you thought.