Marriage Kids and Money’s Andy Hill Sheds Light on the Journey to Financial Independence With Dependents

In a Nutshell: Individuals who struggle to master their finances may find the challenge intensifies when they have a growing family to support. Andy Hill created the Marriage Kids and Money website to teach parents strategies to improve their financial futures. He uses blogging, vlogging, and podcasting to spread his message to his readers and listeners. Hill also provides coaching sessions to help families reach their financial goals.

Personal finance is one of those subjects that should be on the curriculum for all high school students, but it usually isn’t. People who begin their adult lives without some formal instruction in financial matters may struggle to manage their money and stay out of debt. 

Andy Hill is a Family Finance Coach and the creator of Marriage Kids and Money (MKM), a website that informs the public about the strategies he’s employed to create financial stability for his family. Hill uses his experience in managing finances and raising a family to inform the site’s content.

Hill and his wife, Nicole, were married in 2010, when they were both in their late 20s and employed. Hill said the couple didn’t pay close attention to responsibly managing their finances in the early days of their marriage. They enjoyed spending all the money they earned on fun activities.

Something clicked when Hill learned the couple was expecting their first child. Hill said he realized that he and his wife needed to consider planning for their financial futures so they could provide the life they wanted for their child. It was around this time that he said he learned about net worth.

“At that time, we were really looking at our income, but we weren’t looking at a budget or at our net worth,” Hill said. “I assumed we had a huge net worth. But I started to run the numbers and found out we actually had a negative net worth — we owed more than we owned. It was at that point that I realized we needed to start doing better.”

The couple examined their financial practices to identify areas where they could improve their money management. Hill said that period of self-examination led him to start blogging, vlogging, and podcasting about the couple’s financial journey. 

Hill worked in corporate marketing for 15 years before starting his blog. He said that once he began the work that led him to create MKM, he discovered that he enjoyed exploring ways to build family wealth more than he did his corporate career. 

Hill is an Accredited Financial Counselor, and he’s spent time coaching and providing financial guidance to families over the last six years. He said he enjoys sharing with parents how they can eliminate debt and incorporate more fun activities into their lives. 

Hill also appreciates helping parents learn how they can transition from a job they don’t enjoy to a position that allows them to spend more time with their families. Conversing with parents allows Hill to share his strategies and learn from their experiences.

Achieving financial freedom can be challenging for individuals, and it can be even more difficult for parents who have children to support. Hill and his wife have followed a strategy of eliminating high-interest debt and maximizing their savings, which enables them to work part time.

“My wife and I both work 20 hours per week,” Hill said. “That allows us to spend more time with our kids and aging parents. We have a little bit more margin in our weeks to allow us to spend time doing those types of things. We’re not fully financially independent or retired, but we’ve found this middle ground where we can work less and be there more for our kids.” 

MKM’s content can help individuals at all stages of their lives. Most of the site’s readers are in their late 20s to mid-40s and are married with one or two children. Hill said his readers are trying to figure out how to manage their finances while raising a family and managing a career. 

Hill said many parents struggle with time management and finding a balance in their lives that allows them to spend quality time with their children. Hill teaches parents strategies to help them build passive income streams that can bridge the financial gap between today and their anticipated retirement date.

“People are looking for ways to earn money outside of their day jobs that don’t take up too much of their time,” Hill said. “That way, they can work a little bit less and then eventually ease into retirement. I have a lot of conversations with people about that.”

Regardless of how compatible a couple is, they may not see eye to eye on every detail of their shared lives. Hill said many couples feel they lack the time and tools to align their financial goals with one another.

Hill and his wife set aside specific times to have conversations about money and family finances. Couples who learn to communicate with each other about money can position themselves for a healthy financial future. Hill said if one member of a couple is more skilled in understanding financial figures than the other, then the couple should discuss the emotional benefits certain financial approaches can yield.

“Couples should strive to set aside time to discuss their financial goals — whether it’s once a week or once a month,” Hill said. “You don’t always have to focus on the numbers. Talk about the dreams you have together and where you see yourselves financially in five or 10 years. Talking about lifestyles and dreams can be a little bit more enticing than just poring over numbers on a spreadsheet. If you set time aside and try to make it fun, it can be worth it.”

Side hustles allow individuals to enhance their income without leaving their current jobs. Side hustles can also enable people to reduce debt and build savings. Hill said a person looking to make an extra $500 or $1,000 should walk around their house to find items they can sell online.

“It’s amazing how much stuff we have in our garages and closets,” Hill said. “I always encourage people to look around their houses to find 10 things that have some value that they don’t care about or use anymore. They may be able to sell those things and make a little bit of extra money.”

Hill said people who want to earn money consistently through a side hustle should consider jobs that allow them to set their own schedules and use their skills. For example, someone working in the medical field can use their expertise to become a freelance writer specializing in creating content about medical topics.

Side hustles requiring people to leave their houses may not be attractive to parents with young children. Hill said numerous side hustles, including data entry and proofreading positions, allow parents to earn extra income from the comfort of their homes.

Parents who’ve mastered their finances may be interested in helping secure their children’s financial futures. Hill offers a course to help young families build wealth for their children.

Hill said people should think of money as a tool to help them live the life they want. 

“Parents often feel like they don’t have enough time to accomplish everything they need to do in a given week,” Hill said. “I always think of utilizing money to find myself time. Parents have so many things going on. If we can buy ourselves more time during the week, it’s such an empowering thing to do.”