The Ultimate Financial Makeover Challenge: Two Couples, Big Wins
Managing personal finances can feel like a never-ending challenge, but what if you had a financial makeover with real stakes and real rewards? That’s exactly what two couples experienced in the thrilling Fox Ripple Effect Financial Makeover Challenge, where participants competed for cash prizes, improved their financial futures.
Meet the Couples
The challenge, which was designed to boost financial literacy and promote better financial habits, put two couples to the test: Alex and Reanna Pelnar and Justin and Karina Olbrantz. Each team was tasked with achieving three main goals over a set period:- Increase savings
- Decrease debt
- Improve their credit score
The Rules of the Challenge
To win, the couples had to focus on three key metrics:1. Savings: How much money they could put away for future needs and emergencies.
2. Debt Reduction: How effectively they could pay down high-interest debts, such as credit cards or loans.
3. Credit Score Improvement: How much they could raise their credit scores by the end of the challenge through better money management and timely bill payments.
During Ripple Effect, each team worked with their own Financial Coach assigned through Fox Communities Credit Union’s partnership with Goodwill Financial and Debt Solutions Services. The financial experts provided advice, tools, and strategies to help them make the most of the opportunity. This was more than just a race for money—it was a crash course in budgeting, investing, and managing credit.
In order to take first place, each team had to make the most progress in all 3 areas of the challenge.
Rick Dennis, Financial Wellness Manager at Fox, and his team partnered with Goodwill North Central
Wisconsin to run the challenge “To determine the winner of our Fox Ripple Effect Challenge, we evaluated 3 categories: increasing savings, decreasing debt, and increasing credit scores,” Dennis said. “We couldn’t be happier with how those teams fared in those 3 categories.”
The Results: Big Wins and a Bigger Impact
After six weeks of hard work, dedication, and smart financial decisions, both teams decreased their debt by around $10,000 and the winning team increased their savings by over 300%. The results of the challenge were announced at a small ceremony at Fox Communities Credit Union. Team Alex and Reanna Pelnar came in first place and took home $5,500. Justin and Karina Olbrantz came in second place and received $3,000. A donation of $1,500 was give to Goodwill North Central Wisconsin from Fox in thanks for the partnership during the challenge.
“I wanted to thank certainly Goodwill for their partnership in this,” Dennis said to the participants and those in attendance at the ceremony. “At the credit union, this is what we do every day. We work with our members to help them build stronger financial futures.”
Shana Herzfeldt, Director of Mission Operations at Goodwill North Central Wisconsin, congratulated the participants on their wins and all their hard work throughout the challenge. “Goodwill North Central Wisconsin puts a high importance on financial wellness as it can be a barrier to those looking to find a pathway to financial stability and long-term success,” Herzfeldt said. “A special thank you to the
participants for their dedication, time, and willingness to tell their story and be open for assistance to improve financial wellbeing.”
Lessons Learned and Takeaways
Both couples walked away with more than just money—they gained essential life skills that will benefit them for years to come. Here are some key takeaways from their journey:• Building good habits is the foundation: Success wasn’t about a single “quick fix” but about creating lasting habits that will continue to grow their wealth and security.
• Small changes lead to big results: Whether it was setting up automatic savings or negotiating better terms on a loan, small but consistent actions led to significant improvements.
The Bottom Line
The Financial Makeover Challenge showed that with the right tools, support, and mindset, anyone can improve their financial situation. It’s not just about winning money—it’s about setting yourself up for long-term success. Whether you’re looking to boost your savings, reduce your debt, or improve your credit score, the challenge serves as a reminder that with the right strategies, financial transformation is within reach.
And if you’re ready to start your own financial makeover, remember: every small step counts, and with persistence, you can reach your financial goals—just like these two couples did.