a really long post on finances

Lately, Mark and I have taken an "interest" in finances. It's fun for us, we agree on our principles, and it's really quite interesting. Money is important. The Bible (God) mentions money 140 times, gold 417 times, and silver 320 times. So, clearly, God thinks it's important too!

It takes will-power to go against the grain of the American culture - that is: swipe the card and pay later! If you've ever seen Money 911 on the Today Show, you know that people call in all the time and discuss their extreme debt - sometimes $50-100+ thousands of dollars! But there is a better way to live - and it's biblical too! :)


First of all, God makes it clear in Haggai 2:8 that it's all His: The silver is mine and the gold is mine,' declares the LORD Almighty. Once you "realize" this (or accept it, really), it makes budgeting a lot easier. If God has blessed you with a job, then He has entrusted you with finances. Not to blow. Or spend lavishly on things you cannot afford - but, rather, there is a purpose for your finances. As Crown Financial teaches: each dollar has a home. Every single dollar.

Saving is biblical. There are multiple verses about not getting into debt:

Proverbs 22:7
The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower becomes the lender’s slave.

Proverbs 22:26-27
Do not be a man who strikes hands in pledge or puts up security for debts; if you lack the means to pay, your very bed will be snatched from under you.

Romans 13:8
Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.


That last one just so happens to be my favorite. Saving means spending less than you earn - which requires self-control, one of the fruits of the Spirit. How easy is it to buy clothes, accessories, new cars, etc.? But how much more self-control does it take to set aside money for the "rainy day" so that when unexpected events occur (needing to replace a car engine, the loss of a job, a major illness, etc.) you will be prepared? One thing that "young" people struggle with is living below your means - which makes it very easy to save.


Our Little Money-Saving Tips:

1. Plan your meals: As you know, I pre-plan our meals. I mentally make note of which ingredients I need and write them on our grocery list. So, essentially, we only shop for groceries we need. Yes, we still buy snacks, but I write them on the list. It's amazing how quick our grocery shopping has become, because we stick to our list! When you go without a list, you end up buying what "looks good" and not what you need. Trust me - we spent months of doing just that! You can greatly reduce your grocery bill by purchasing items to prepare healthy, filling meals.

2. Take advantage of your Airman's Attic. This one is only for my Air Force friends. But, really, it's a gold mine in there. Kinda. It's absolutely free. And, if you go enough, you're bound to find little treasures. To date, we've gotten: a Baby Einstein exersaucer, a name brand Jumperoo, a Boppy vibrating pink seat, a Fisher Price rainforest bouncy, a baby bath tub, a Boppy, a tool box, and a huge cooler. And all of it looks WONDERFUL. The baby products are *barely* used. I'll clean them for sanitation purposes, but they look spotless. You can't beat free.

3. CraigsList. I love this website. People practically give things away. No, really. We actually got a brand new bumGenius 3.0 diaper for FREE. Just because someone didn't want it. People sell things for all sorts of reasons -- I've even seen quite a few people sell baby strollers because they wouldn't fit in their new car's trunk. Or they might sell a baby swing because "My baby hated the swing!" Why pay full price for something your child will only use for a short season of life? It's silly.

4. Cheap dates are still loads of fun! Do you have any idea how many "Buy one get one free" coupons there are for *nice* restaurants? Visit your favorite restaurants' websites and sign up for their e-mail club. You'll be shocked at the deals they give away. Nearly every restaurant does this - they also give birthday coupons and anniversary coupons. Now, we only go to the movies on occasion - not because of money, but because the movies aren't that good these days. But we take full-advantage of RedBox - where you can rent a movie for $1!

5. Spend less than you earn. Pay your bills, save a set amount, and live on the rest. To save, you must either bring in more money, cut back expenses, or do both. It's the only way.



However, as Christians, we do have God's provision. God knows our needs (a new BMW doesn't fall in this category), hears our prayers, and has promised to provide for us.

Matthew 6:31-32
Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

But, at the same time, He also calls us to save, to give, and to plan for the future. It's extremely gratifying to choose to not rely on credit, to save, and to be smart with finances. We are so, so thankful that we discovered this so early (and young!) in our marriage. Money advisers often say that you only learn how to manage money by one of two ways: Either you get into so much debt and then learn to manage money, OR you watch others fall into debt and choose to not make those same mistakes.

I have no idea how to end this blog post. But I will say that budgeting is fun. You should give it a try :)


Note: I chose not to discuss tithing or giving in this post - I just wanted to focus on the budgeting aspect.