Tim and Kathryn have given us many tools to get our finances under control.

• The envelope system has been a lifesaver, and we found we needed to move certain expenses into the “envelope” when the debit card became too easy to use and we overshot our planned spending amounts.
• We also participated in Dave Ramsey’s 13 week Financial Peace course at our church, and found it immensely helpful and reinforcing. We thought our work with Tim and Kathryn prior was key in being able to really understand and get the most out of the course. It would have been totally overwhelming otherwise. The facilitators of our class are really great folks, but not professionals in this area as Tim and Kathryn are. I also don’t think they work the program as diligently as they do, so they continue to be our role models.

Here is our progress since working with Tim and Kathryn: we have been steadily paying down debt on the AMEX and are hopeful it will be completely closed in early 2013, when we will finally attack the VISA with a vengeance. We have cut up our remaining credit cards, so do everything with cash/limited debit/check. Phil finished the backyard shed sufficiently that he moved the last load of “stuff” tonight from the storage space we were renting – this will save another $75/mo to go towards debt payoff. We refinanced our house, freeing up another nearly $400/mo to go towards debt payoff as well. Although Phil is currently between contracts, for the first time we feel like we are well in control of our expenses and so the worry load is greatly reduced. Best of all, our communication as a couple is better than ever and we are reaching deeper places spiritually than we thought possible. It feels like we are really leading an integrated life where our values, actions, and management of the assets we’ve been blessed with all align.

“Kathryn and Tim have helped me in ways I didn’t realize I needed help. They helped me look at my budget and prioritize the 4 walls and decide what was above the line and what was below the line. I took the online course and was not able to get the part that “$ is amoral-neither good or bad.” So when it came to money and budgeting through situations, I did not see myself with any choices or power to make choices. All I knew was that somehow I was suppose to pay the bills. The help I didn’t realize I needed was Kathryn and Tim’s loving ability to state the facts, walk me through my options, and encourage me to stay the course. They are a wealth or information and love to help people recover and prosper.” – Pamela, Single Mom, Issaquah