100: Saving Money During the Holidays with Larry and Hope Ware

In this episode of Saving With Steve, host Steve Sexton is joined by Hope and Larry Ware, frugal-living experts who raised four sons debt-free, including paying cash for a home when their income averaged less than $40,000 a year.


My guests, Larry and Hope Ware, have discovered the secrets of spending less and saving more, while living with a spirit of joy and abundance. They joins us today to discuss practical frugality and share seven tips to keep in mind when it comes to holiday savings! 

Larry and Hope Ware love teaching families practical frugality and living with a spirit of joy and abundance. They raised their four sons debt-free, including paying cash for their home in 2010 on an income which was often 30% under the national median. They knew that being debt-free meant the difference between “getting by” and “getting ahead.”

In practical terms, that means that Larry and Hope found ways to cut each budget category down to size in order to meet some pretty amazing goals, like paying cash for cars, vacations, and their current home. 

Living on little is challenging – especially if you are raising kids. That’s what inspired Larry and Hope to begin Under the Median. They don’t give pie-in-the-sky advice, they’ve been in the trenches and have had to make hard choices.

Larry and Hope married in 1988, each making $5 an hour, knowing next to nothing about budgeting. Three months later, their bank account registered nearly zero! They had a choice to make. Would they continue their current spending habits and sink into debt, or look their situation square in the face, embrace delayed gratification, and learn to live within their means? 

Larry and Hope’s journey began as they learned to live on a monthly written budget, believe God for provision, practice contentment, dream big dreams, and then come up with a game plan to make them happen! They discovered the secrets of spending less, saving more, and living with a spirit of joy and abundance every single day.

If you’re ready to kick debt to the curb, live life intentionally, and grab great big, nearly impossible goals with both hands and refuse to let go, Larry and Hope can help! In working with them, you can learn ninja-like money-saving reflexes, the ability to spot a bargain from 300 paces, super savvy shopper know-how, and more!