Money Tips!!!

I am terrible with money because I can’t be precise to save my life. I’m a saver married to a spender. But my saving is always relative. I never know how much I’m saving. I just like to throw money in savings and never spend on anything. So, thankfully, God has been gracious to me in many ways in terms of his provision (especially in the area of a wife who watches the bank account like a hawk.) So, see these tips on money but once you get past the first three, I don’t know how good they really are.

#1 Trust the Lord for your provision. Seek him and follow his commands. (See Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart; lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight.)

#2 Be content with what you have. Do you really, really need more stuff? I bet you could survive on what you have. So, stop striving for more stuff. It just drowns out your ability to follow #1 because you trust your stuff more than you trust God.

#3 Get a job and be faithful at performing it.

#4 Make a budget that allows you to live within your means and that supports the following items (see #s below). Kimberly and I use the envelope system. We learned it from Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University. But you can probably find more info about it online.

#5 Give generously. Tithe to your church (if you have one -- If you don’t you probably shouldn’t be reading this list anyway). And, don’t be nitpicking about tithing on gross or net. Be generous. There’s actually no New Testament command to the church to give 10% so give more than that.  Give toward the advancement of the gospel and to other good causes.

#6 Put $1000 in a savings account. Sacrifice a few lattes or a few shopping sprees and save one thousand dollars. Leave it in savings and only remove it for REAL emergencies. Needing a pair shoes is NOT an emergency. If your air conditioner goes out in your car, that’s NOT an emergency. If its winter and the heat in your house doesn’t work, that IS an emergency. But, remember #1, don’t start to trust in that $1000 because as soon as you start to trust in that, you’ll have $5000 worth of trouble.

#7 Get out of debt. Pay off credit cards. Pay off car loans. Pay off student loans. And, close the accounts. You might save one credit card just so your credit score doesn’t tank (in case you ever need or want to buy a house)

#8 Start to buy stuff with cash. So, for instance if you need a car after you’ve paid the current one off, save the money so that with your trade you can pay cash for a car that is one or two years old (or older if you can stand it). For most of us we won’t ever buy a house with cash. But, most recommend a short term loan like 10 or 15 year mortgages.

#9 Don’t give loans. I don’t loan anybody money. I do obey Jesus’ command to give to those that ask of me. But, I usually don’t expect it back. I don’t always say that I don’t expect it back, but I make sure I can live without it when I give it. This will save your relationships with your family and friends. Loaning money and holding onto an expectation to see it again, will cause you to harbor unforgiveness.

#10 Be content with what you have. Yeah, I know I said that in #2 but you need to hear it again. Unfortunately, living in America, we tend to fall prey to culture’s bent for us to have more and more and MORE. (As a for instance, I can think of 20 reasons why Kimberly and I need a bigger house. But honestly, people in a lot of places raise bigger families than ours in less space with fewer things. So, until baby #4 gets here, I think we’ll stick it out in our 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath house). You like that subtle hint, don’t you?