Jessi Fearon - Getting Good With Money: Pay Off Your Debt and Find a Life of Freedom—-Without Losing Your Mind

In the age of consumerism, Jessi brings calm into the chaos of living financially strapped by encouraging and guiding families to discover the beauty of living in financial freedom. No matter the size of your income, Getting Good with Money will lead you toward the stability you crave.

ALLI WORTHINGTON, AUTHOR OF STANDING STRONG: A WOMANS GUIDE TO OVERCOMING ADVERSITY AND LIVING WITH CONFIDENCE

Jessi has written a book so honest and vulnerable that it is sure to resonate with many working couples. Her willingness to get to the marrow of her own struggles lets the reader know immediately that she is in their corner. She is to the point, nonjudgmental, and offers practical advice applicable to real-life people wanting to get good with money. With a mix of heart and humor, Jessi is ready to guide readers on a better, more financially stable path.

LYDIA SENN, HOST OF FRUGAL DEBT FREE LIFE PODCAST

Jessi Fearon is a rare gem in the personal finance space. She has the unique ability to teach personal finance in a way that is encouraging, personable, and relatable. This book will change many families lives for the better. I highly recommend it.

CATHERINE ALFORD, AUTHOR OF MOMS GOT MONEY: A MILLENNIAL MOMS GUIDE TO MANAGING MONEY LIKE A BOSS

Jessi is the real deal. Shes been studying finance long enough to be an expert without being so far removed from money struggles that shes out of touch with how people going through them are feeling. Her empathy and encouragement will make you feel like you have a fighting chance at becoming financially secure, even if other methods havent worked for you in the past. If youre looking for insight that goes beyond make a budget and spend less, this is a book youre going to want to read cover to cover.

JEN SMITH, CO-HOST OF FRUGAL FRIENDS PODCAST

Getting Good with Money

2022 Jessi Fearon

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Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Nelson Books, an imprint of Thomas Nelson. Nelson Books and Thomas Nelson are registered trademarks of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc.

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Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.Zondervan.com. The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.

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This book is designed to provide readers with a general overview of budgeting principles. It is not designed to be a definitive investment guide or to take the place of advice from a qualified financial planner or other professional. Given the risk involved in investing of almost any kind, there is no guarantee that the investment methods suggested in this book will be profitable. Thus, neither the publisher nor the author assumes liability of any kind for any losses that may be sustained as a result of applying the methods suggested in this book, and any such liability is hereby expressly disclaimed.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Fearon, Jessi, 1986- author.

Title: Getting good with money: pay off your debt and find a life of freedomwithout losing your mind / Jessi Fearon.

Description: Nashville: Nelson Books, [2021] | Includes bibliographical references. | Summary: Certified financial coach and mom Jessi Fearon leads the way for overwhelmed readers struggling to get a handle on their finances and lays out the doable steps her family underwent to pay off all their debtseven their mortgage!and pursue their dreams, all on a $47,000-a-year salaryProvided by publisher.

Identifiers: LCCN 2021007012 (print) | LCCN 2021007013 (ebook) | ISBN 9781400226108 (paperback) | ISBN 9781400226115 (epub)

Subjects: LCSH: Finance, Personal. | Finance, PersonalReligious aspectsChristianity. | Consumer loans. | Debt.

Classification: LCC HG179 .F377 2021 (print) | LCC HG179 (ebook) | DDC 332.024/02dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021007012

LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021007013

Epub Edition November 2021 9781400226115

Printed in the United States of America

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Information about External Hyperlinks in this ebook

Please note that the endnotes in this ebook may contain hyperlinks to external websites as part of bibliographic citations. These hyperlinks have not been activated by the publisher, who cannot verify the accuracy of these links beyond the date of publication

In loving memory of one of the greatest men in my life,

my daddy. Thank you for teaching me how to always be

willing to give to others even while in dire straits. You

showed me what it means to work hard for what you have

and to make the most out of what God gives you. I cant

wait to see you again! AMDG (Ad maiorem Dei gloriam).

The day I hit rock bottom was March 3, 2013.

It was a rare spring day here in Georgiathe kind that is warm enough to wear a T-shirt but cold enough to wear jeans. I remember it clearly. While watching my one-year-old son play on the driveway with his monster trucks, I sat down to write out what we expected our expenses to be in just a few months when our second son was to be born.

As I looked over those numbers, my stomach churned. We were broke! As in, I-wasnt-sure-how-we-were-going-to-be-able-to-afford-diapers broke. You see, just a few months before, my husband had been in an accident, ending in an emergency surgery that wiped out our savings. Around the same time, the payment for my student loans started. I was a stay-at-home momsomething my husband and I both wanted for our familybut the reality was clear. If we didnt boost our income or reduce our expenses, we were in serious trouble.

Feeling lost and scared, I began to cry. How had this happened? After all, I was the one with the accounting degree! How would I explain to my husband that Id failed usthat I couldnt make the money work? And worse yet, what happened if he felt like a failure because he didnt make six figures a year like some of his friends?

What about you? What is your current reality? Are you living paycheck to paycheck? Are you so deep in debt that you wonder if youll ever get ahead? Does most of your income go toward making monthly payments for your house, cars, and credit cards? Or do you have enough money saved that if you or your spouse lost your job youd still be able to pay your living expenses for a few months while searching for another job? Do you have enough money saved to retire one day?