A DEBT FREE ADVENTURE CREATES A STRONGER FAMILY

Authors: Lake and Jess Maner

We got married in the Spring of 2015.  Jesus used parables, which were very often drawn from nature and natural growth.  Just as a plant grows over time, we believed our marriage, careers, and finances should as well.  As he says in Luke 8: “When a wise man goes to build a house, he digs deep and lays his foundation on the rock, and when a storm comes that house stands because it was built on the rock.” And the Proverbs tell us: “Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.”  We didn’t want to rush headlong into the blind pursuit of the American Dream, but rather to build a strong foundation relationally and financially.  Rather than chasing after wealth, we wanted to give God a chance to grow our relationship.

Like any other newlywed couple, we were excited to embark on this new stage of our life journey together.  Neither of us were tied to a job or a specific location; so, our possibilities were wide open. Also, due to a combination of the Lord’s blessing and the decisions we had made leading up to marriage, both of us managed to get through to that point in our lives debt free, even after paying for our own wedding.

At the beginning of our marriage, we had several goals for ourselves.  We had both traveled extensively, Jess with her fashion business and Lake touring the continent by motorcycle, hiking, and fighting wildfires with the US Forest Service.  But we wanted to continue our travels as a newlywed couple and to serve the needs of others in the process.  We wanted to maintain the freedom and peace of mind that comes from being debt free.  And, of course, we wanted to build a strong foundation of trust, love, and overcoming adversity for our marriage.

Lake had read an article encouraging young people in our situation to buy an old sailboat and have an adventure while young and free.  That is exactly what we did! Because fiberglass boats last for decades, there are many available and can be had for a very modest price.  Our search led us to a 1984 34’ cutter named Ariel who became our home for the first year of our marriage.  The first few months living aboard we stayed at the marina where the ship was purchased, bringing her back to sea-worthy condition and learning everything we could about sailing and all things nautical.

Our boat-slip rent during this time was a mere $225 per month which included all our utilities as well as access to the bath houses and laundry.  We took advantage of our few expenses to save money for our planned voyage.  Jess sold advertising and Lake took a job with a shipwright who restored boats for a living.  This equipped us with the skills and knowledge needed to maintain and operate our vessel during our travels.  Whether sailing a ship, owning a home, or just driving a car, the more you can confidently maintain and repair on your own, the lower your expenses can be.

Another critical aspect of this early stage of our marriage that really set us up to win was making strong relationships with people we respected and could give us the help and counsel we needed.  Our dock master, the shipwright, fellow sailors and elders at our church were all vital to our success in many ways,
finances included. Our time on the boat was a major challenge for our new marriage.  We were tested with tight living quarters, exposure to the elements, mechanical and navigational failures, and much more, but the experience taught us to truly depend on one another and on God.  We met amazing people, saw beautiful and interesting sights, served the poor, encouraged and were encouraged by churches, grew our faith, and made lifelong memories.

Towards the end of our journey, we discovered that Jess was pregnant and decided to sell Ariel and find somewhere to settle down.  Thankfully we were able to fully recoup our investment into the ship and this money was soon after put towards the purchase of our first house.  We even gave the name Ariel to our firstborn baby girl, to remind us that our adventure was just getting started.

The decisions we made as a young married couple have propelled us to continue in a lifestyle of frugality and living well within our means.  This has allowed us to both be self-employed, and, while we may never be wealthy by the world’s standards, our time is our own and money is very rarely the topic of our marital disagreements.  Hopefully we can all live out the calling of our Lord who came so that we may have life and have it to the full.  Thanks be to God for all our blessings!