Faith and Finances with Stacy
Faith and Finances with Stacy
On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, our host is Victoria Sechrist, Financial Trainer, and she is joined by her client, Stacy.
Podcast Notes
Stacy joined The Financial Gym about a year and a half ago. She saw Shannon McLay on the Today Show, and she had been praying about how to get out of debt.
Stacy did some research on The Gym and decided to pay $85 a month for the membership, because she didn’t know if she could afford it. Her credit card debt is now paid off.
When it comes to her financial information, Stacy is cautious because she wants to work with someone who understood her beliefs about God, because he first and foremost in her life. Victoria was an answer to her prayers. Shannon believes all clients are paired with their trainers for a reason.
Stacy recently quit her job, during a pandemic, without having another job lined up. She had been at her job for six years. While there, she knew she was meant to do something else. She applied for many jobs, but didn’t get them.
Stacy felt the Holy Spirit prompting her to prepare for moving on, and first was getting her finances in order. Stacy was constantly in debt, and she still is. There was only one time she was debt free. It was before she went to college, and she loved the feeling of having no debt.
After she went back to school, the debt started. She used debt to pay for school and books. She didn’t get a job for a year after graduating and she used credit cards to live.
With Victoria’s help, Stacy was able to build an emergency fund and work on paying off her credit card debt. Victoria helped position her in a place where quitting was possible.
In 2020, the CARES Act took away the 10 percent early withdrawal penalty on retirement accounts, due to COVID. Stacy used some retirement funds to pay off the rest of her credit card debt, and her last day of work was June 30.
Stacy is a creative and she wanted to work at getting her finances under control. Managing money is a skill, not a gene. Stacy wanted to change the narrative.
Stacy had a dental emergency and when she was driving home, the Holy Spirit told her when to give her notice at work. It was one of the greatest leaps of faith she has ever taken.
It has now been two months since Stacy’s last day, and she is very grateful. The best part about stepping away is trusting God in a way she has never trusted before. Stacy has trust issues and her fear was holding her back. Each time she is obedient to God, her trust grows.
Prior to working at The Financial Gym, Victoria quit her job without having another job lined up. She quit so she could spend more time with her grandmother, who she lived with and who was dying of cancer. Her grandmother passed away two and a half months after Victoria quit.
Before, every time Stacy was rejected for a job, God allowed her to be present with her dad. He was gravely ill and she was his health care advocate. She was able to mend a lot of fences with him before he died and she wouldn’t have been able to have that time and opportunity.
Stacy is now working on her podcast, Tell the Story, where she has guests that tell a story about a moment that changed their lives. She wants the wisdom of others to change her listeners’ lives.
Her first episode has been published and is available on Apple Podcasts and Podbean.
Debt is crushing and robs you of opportunities to take leaps of faith and change your life. If you are blessed enough to have a financial advisor and a relationship with God, it is priceless. Financial freedom will change your life.
“Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.” Romans 13:8
Debt is not necessary.
Resources Mentioned
Podcast: Tell the Story