Craig and Brad grew up in ministry families, which meant their families struggled with finances. Today, they help wealthy investors manage millions of dollars. Here, they offer advice for a different clientele—youth ministry workers—but with similar principles and with a simple aim: to build a better financial culture by starting small.

You might recognize these people. A couple comes into our office for some advice. They have three small children, the youngest of whom has severe health problems. The husband is an associate pastor and the sole income provider. The wife works at home, caring for the young family. They face a constant struggle to make ends meet. The majority of their income goes to just pay for the family’s “needs.” The “wants”—owning a home, paying for college, and having savings for emergencies—seem impossible to reach.

As we discuss their situation and talk about goals, we learn they have been diligently saving $125 a month toward their dream of buying a home. It is the maximum they can squeeze out to save, and yet they have “only” $10,000. They feel frustrated, and doubt they will ever reach their goal.

This couple’s feelings are typical. Yet it doesn’t take too long for us to offer some hope.

We show them how the $125 per month can truly make a difference in the life of their family. Using a return of 8 percent per year for 35 years, the savings can grow to be worth $450,000.

Today is the most powerful day to compound the growth of our savings. With each passing day, the value of our money declines. As food and gasoline and other goods we purchase get more expensive, the value of our dollars declines. Yet the power of compounding interest earned on money can reverse the trend.

Here are a few more examples of how the couple—and you—can save more and leverage your savings into substantial cash.

How Much Does that Jamba Juice Really Cost?

Your weekly original-size Jamba Juice with an energy boost probably costs around $4. So what, you ask? Well, you need to realize that the $4 is after-tax money from salary. That means it is more like $5 of earned income. If your tax rate (federal and state combined) is 25 percent, you would need to earn $5 to pay for that $4 juice. And one juice per week adds up to $260 of earned income per year. If you saved that much during your career, you’d have have nearly $38,000.

Leveraging Your Jamba Juice Savings

Many non-profits, including churches and charitable organizations, offer savings plans. What many people don’t understand is that these plans are more powerful than saving alone. A retirement plan through your employer is the most powerful saving vehicle available to you. Here’s why. Many employers will match contributions (savings) to the investment plan. That means, when money is saved by the employee, two wonderful things happen. First, the government (who actually encourages saving) reduces your taxable income by the amount you save. This essentially subsidizes your savings, since you are not first paying taxes on that income. Second, the employer often matches your savings up to a certain level (typically 3 or 4 percent of salary).