ECU Savings Challenge

The Warwick Family Mike & Shelley Warwick

As the Savings Challenge draws to a close, we’ve been looking back and reflecting on what we’ve learned and how the process has greatly improved our lives. It’s definitely been a life changing experience!

Just 9 months ago we thought we were doing all we could to make the best of our financial situation. Other than the basics, we weren’t really big spenders. We rarely just went out and bought ourselves “stuff”.

The Przepiora Family Nicole & Jess Przepiora

The end is near! Don’t be afraid not the END but the end of our journey with Educators Credit Union. It has been a long and difficult journey but a satisfying one all in all. This is the last month and things are feeling really good. My new job is great I get the challenge I was looking for, learning new things is something I like best and there is a lot to learn. The financial gain is another great perk that we needed also.

The Baron Family Becca Baron

This is the final blog that I will be writing as the Savings Challenge is drawing to a close, however it is really just the beginning. Throughout the last 9 months, I have essentially taken a crash course in personal finance and have been given the tools to begin my new life.

I have learned how to balance my check book, how to make small changes that add up to big savings, how to track spending and make a budget (essential!!). I have learned what your credit score means and how to read a credit report…

The Horzewski Family Tony & Jessica Horzewski

The challenge is almost over and we are still going strong even if Tony and I are on a 7 hour time difference and thousands of miles away from each other. The hardest part is really keeping the communication going with the finances since we only get a total of about 20 minutes a day to talk to each other but we are utilizing e-mail as well to keep each other updated with the bank account. Even though Tony being in Spain for such a long period of time is hard I think this is the biggest sacrifice we’ve ever made to better ourselves and our finances.

The Armstead Family John & Sarah Armstead

Today I was asked by a coworker, “Is that Savings Challenge you’re in almost over – isn’t it?” I smiled and said, “The training period, now I am ready to start the next phase.” There was a puzzled look on my coworkers face and I said, “The rest of my life.” As I went back to the work at hand I started thinking about the rest of my life and the effect that the Savings Challenge has had and how it is spilling over into the many things I do. I was a procrastinator about most anything I had to do.

The Aranda Family Angie and Pablo Aranda

Time flies when you’re having fun, right? Well, if that’s true, the Savings Challenge must have been at least a little fun, because I can’t believe we are really in the final days of it! Sure, there were some long days in the cold, dreary winter that I thought it would never end, but suddenly, here we are, May, with a few days left to go!