Christina Knaack of Gaffney, South Carolina, decided to make the very most of her tax return this year — and in the process has inspired scores of other Americans when it comes to family finances.
Think that’s an overstatement? This single mom, who is raising a four-month-old and a two-year-old, posted a photo to Facebook earlier this week of a receipt for $5,400. She said that when she got her tax return this year, she decided to put all the money toward her family’s housing — rather than spend it on the hottest fads or trends.
“It’s crazy. I was just sharing a milestone with my friends and family,” Knaack said of the response to her post.
“Instead of buying my kids the latest Jordans or fancy electronics, I paid my rent for the YEAR,” she wrote in her post. Gaffney works at a minimum wage job.
“My kids don’t want for anything because my priorities are straight,” she said.
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Within 12 hours, Knaack’s post had already received more than 246,000 “likes” and almost 173,000 “shares.” The response, she said, was shocking.
“It’s pretty crazy,” she told the local Fox news affiliate. “I was just sharing a milestone with my friends and family.”
“The money I carefully saved has saved me — literally. I think God knew what was in store.”
She said most of the reactions have been positive and she is hoping to use what she would spend on rent each month to do things with her family.
Other moms have chimed in.
“The first year I was single, I got a large refund like that and payed off the debt my ex-husband left me in,” one mother commented. “It helped a lot considering I was living with two children and [making] only $500 a month.”
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Another mom posted, “Such a sweet lady with such beautiful, powerful words. Just stay up and never look down, doll. God is good.”
Gaffney told the local Fox affiliate she would use any extra money now that her rent is paid to do things with her young family.
Related: The Secrets of Family Financial Fitness
A Baltimore-area single woman applauded Knaack’s decision and said it resonated with her personally.
“I have saved my money since I was a child, and I was investing in certificates of deposit before I was 20,” the 53-year-old — who has chronic pain issues — told LifeZette. “Little did I know, I would become sick in my 20s and I have been challenged health-wise ever since then. The money I carefully saved has saved me — literally. I think God knew what was in store and made me a saver.”
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Another mom in New York, who has four sons, said that saving money and using it responsibly makes all the sense in the world. “I have tried to teach good financial habits to my children and it is gratifying to see them start to embrace that. You cannot go wrong if you handle money wisely and responsibly.”
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