Adopt Without Debt: Creative Ways to Cover the Cost of Adoption [Paperback]

Julie Gumm (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 6, 2011

In 2000, Julie and her husband, Mark, declared war on their debt credit cards, student loans, cars and the house. Seven years later, as they wrote the check for their last mortgage payment, God called them to adopt two children from Ethiopia. A few months later, with their income unexpectedly cut by two-thirds, they wondered if they could finish the adoption without crossing back over into the red.

When they brought Wendemagegn and Beza home 12 months later, Julie and her husband proved debt-free adoption is possible!

Passionate about helping others achieve their adoption dream, Julie shares how to find extra money in your household budget, apply for grants, and fundraise in order to build your family without saddling it with debt. With over $65,000 worth of creative fundraising ideas from more than 25 adoptive families, Adopt Without Debt shows you how to fulfill your adoption dream without signing away your financial freedom.

Editorial Reviews

Review

I receive calls on my show all the time about how you have to go into debt to adopt.  Julie Gumm is living proof & a testament to the fact you can adopt without ANY debt.  I highly recommend reading "Adopt Without Debt" if you are considering adoption."

-- Dave Ramsey, Best-selling author & nationally syndicated radio host

I've been waiting for a book like this for almost a decade. The reality has been that finances are often the biggest obstacle to adopting a child. Thanks to Julie Gumm that reality is going to change.
 --Dan Cruver, Director of Together for Adoption

I highly recommend Adopt Without Debt as a must-read for any adoptive parent looking to discover creative ways to afford their adoption. The ideas in this book work!
--Carolyn Twietmeyer, Founder & Executive Director of Project Hopeful

About the Author

Julie is married to her high-school sweetheart and the mother of four children from two continents. She and her husband Mark finished pay off $235,000 in debt, including their house, in 2008. They have been dreaming and living God-sized, debt-free dreams ever since.

Julie blogs about their crazy, fun-filled life at fourplusmore.com. She loves networking with other adoptive parents and speaking to groups on adoption, global orphan care and financial freedom.

Product Details

• Paperback: 140 pages
• Publisher: Black Boot Publishing; First edition (May 6, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0983539804
• ISBN-13: 978-0983539803
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,001,882 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Julie is married to her high-school sweetheart and the mother of four children from two continents. She and her husband Mark finished pay off $235,000 in debt, including their house, in 2008. They have been dreaming and living God-sized, debt-free dreams ever since.

She loves networking with other adoptive parents and speaking to groups on adoption, global orphan care and financial freedom.

Julie blogs on family life, financial freedom and how to pay for adoption at her blog - http://juliegumm.com

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 27 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars No silver bullet October 19, 2011

By A. Neff

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I'm conflicted on how to rate this book. We have had children biologically and hope to adopt, and of course, finances are concern. I've seen plenty of people who are far from wealthy adopt, so I know it can be done, but wasn't sure how they all did it. So I had high hopes for this book.

I want to rate this book very favorably, because I think many people are in our same boat - considering adoption, but unsure how to afford the steep costs associated with the adoption process. I think this book could be a major help in encouraging people to think unconventionally about how to raise money for adoption. There were lots of examples of ways families raised money and were successful.

The reasons I can't give it a five star review:
1. I think this would be helpful if someone had no concept of budgeting and had some fat to cut. We had very little money to trim in our budget, so advice like cutting an $800 monthly grocery budget just seemed ridiculous and unhelpful.
2. I don't have any problem with people raising money for adoptions through fundraisers, but I'm just not sure that it's a good fit for our family. We're private and ever going to be a rah-rah poster child sort of family. If you aren't comfortable soliciting donations for fundraisers, this probably isn't the book for you.
3. Perhaps this is outside of scope of the book, but I wish that they addressed some of the touchy issues surrounding fundraising for adoption. Questions I have like: Do people who contribute in some way to fundraising efforts ever feel a sense of ownership over your child who their efforts, time, donation, or purchase helped bring home? How do you handle any additional scrutiny fundraising might bring to your family - such as people evaluating your lifestyle making conclusions about your finances (for instance, is an smartphone a necessity or a luxury?)? How do teenage or adult children brought home through adoption feel about being the focus of a fundraiser? I don't claim to know answers to these sorts of questions, and would have loved to see them addressed.

Like I said, perhaps my complaints outside the scope of the book. If you want a quick read with a crash course on budgeting, a summary of grants and several different ideas on fundraisers, this is a good source. If you want much more than that, it's not the best fit.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Affording adoption isn't as hard as you think! May 6, 2011

By Mary Ostyn

Format:Paperback

In this book the author shares stories of ordinary families who were able to adopt, debt free, using a variety of creative ideas. I'm an experienced adoptive mom of 6, and the book provided me with ideas I had never considered. If you have a passion to adopt, but don't quite see how the money would work out, don't miss this book. Where there's longing and resolve, there's usually a way to accomplish your dreams!

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent resource May 6, 2011

By emilyalex

Format:Paperback

This is an excellent book and resource for anyone considering adoption. Julie tells her personal story of how her family climbed out of debt and then adopted internationally without going into debt at all. She shares many helpful tools and fundraising ideas that anyone could implement into their own adoption journey. Finances tend to be a main reason many never actually pursue an adoption, but this book will help make that desire to adopt a reality! I really enjoyed how she weaved their personal story and practical tips for how to apply them to your own life. Well worth the read!