Member Spotlight: Grace Lantz coaches couples to financial freedom

The one money habit that matters more than your paycheck

Soon after getting married, Samaritan Ministries members Joseph and Grace Lantz met with a financial advisor. When they learned the service would cost about $2,000 upfront—and focus on investing—they realized it wasn’t what they needed.

“They could help us invest,” Grace explained, “but no one was saying, ‘Here’s how to save for your first house,’ or ‘Here’s how to set up your everyday budget.’ There’s help for people drowning in debt and for those ready to invest big, but not much for the in-between stage.”

Grace—the woman who as a girl once covered her dresser with sticky notes of financial goals—saw a gap in resources for couples starting out. To fill that need, she became a financial coach for newlyweds and others ready to take control of their budget.

From sticky notes to coaching

Joseph and Grace live in Pennsylvania with their four boys. Grace homeschools during the day and coaches in the evenings. What began as casual advice around her kitchen table has grown into a part-time job.

“One day after my husband got home from work and found someone at our kitchen table, I joked, ‘I should start charging for this,’” Grace laughed. “I wasn’t serious at all.”

A training course online gave Grace the push she needed. After finishing it quickly, she launched Family Financial Coaching.

Plenty of generic resources exist for learning about money, but Grace creates personalized plans tailored to each client’s unique situation.

“What is really needed is just that one-on-one look at your grocery budget and then asking, ‘Is this budget realistic for me?’” she said.

The couple had to be realistic about their own expenses, including their health care needs.

“I had health insurance through my work when we got married, and we were on that for the first year and then I had a baby and was home,” she said. “That’s when we looked into Samaritan.”

'It’s going directly to people who need it’

Samaritan was the most affordable option for them.

“At first it wasn’t about the philosophy behind it, but it was an affordable option that we knew worked,” she said. “My sister-in-law's family were members and one of their daughters walked through a cancer journey. We had the confidence to say, ‘This works,’ because those expenses were shared and that was a big expense.”

As a mostly one-income family, the Lantz crew has peace of mind when it comes to health care knowing there is freedom to choose one’s own providers and a body of believers behind them.

“We love that we don’t have to worry about where insurance does or doesn’t apply,” she said. “We recently got dental insurance, and I see the other side of it that is such a pain.”

The couple has mostly had needs related to the births of their sons, which they were able to have at birth centers. Several years into Samaritan membership, they appreciate the biblical values it’s grounded in, too.

“I love that my money is going every month to believers, and it’s not paying for abortions or things I don’t believe in,” she said. “It’s going directly to the people who need it.”

She points others to Samaritan, too, knowing health care can be a major line item for family budgets.

“Every time I look through our budget, I’m like ‘Yes,’” she said. “Samaritan isn’t part of our tithe, but it feels like another line item that is going toward a good cause versus just going to a big health insurance company.”

'Start with your budget’

Grace explains to her prospective clients up front that she is not a financial advisor and cannot manage their investments or consolidate loans. They set up a free call with her and then decide whether to sign up for a three- or six-month package customized to their goals.

“Whether you have a ton of debt or you’re investing or somewhere in between, we're going to start with your budget,” she said.

Grace meets with her clients monthly for about an hour either in person or virtually and checks in with them weekly.

“Sometimes all we need is just someone to answer, ‘Does this look right?’ and ‘Does this sound right?’, ‘Should I do this or that?’ We can ask our friends for advice on a lot of things, but most people don’t talk to others about their budget and ask them how much they spend on groceries,” she said.

Encouraging financial stewardship

Grace’s goal for her clients is independence. She wants them to feel confident without her help after six months. Still, some choose ongoing accountability.

Recently, one couple shared they had paid off about $200,000 in student loans in just 18 months since working with Grace. She dreams of seeing $1 million in total debt paid off by her clients.

Grace also teaches youth groups at local churches about principles of financial stewardship. She said part of her dream is also to see financial coaching as part of premarital counseling.

“With all the things pastors go over in premarital counseling, sometimes money is just a 20-minute conversation,” she said, adding that giving such counseling more time helps head off problems before they start.

Wealth as a tool

For Grace, wealth is not the goal—it's the tool. She helps families find what they are passionate about, so their financial plans align with their values. She says aiming for a dollar amount alone isn’t motivating.

“It’s not a good goal to say you want to have $1 million in retirement someday,” she said. “To give up things in the meantime so that someday you can have a bigger number in your bank account doesn’t really motivate you. But, if you know you want to do a certain thing for your kids someday or give more to this cause you’re passionate about, that is what the tool of money is for.”

Building a legacy and instilling values

Grace challenges families to think beyond today—to consider how wise financial choices can impact the next generation.

“It’s more motivating to say ‘no’ to the Starbucks drive-thru when you’ve got a big vision in mind, not just a dollar amount,” she said.

With concerns about housing and college costs, Grace suggests parents start small, maybe saving $10,000 to help with a first home and avoid rigid expectations about college. Legacy also comes from conversations and modeling good habits.

“We teach our kids there are three things to do with money—save, spend, and give,” she said. “Every time you get money, you have to do all three of those things.”

With a plan, a common vision, and discipline, Grace believes families can change their story for generations to come.