Controlling Your Finances

In my last blog I shared my concern for what I see happening to so many folks who are overwhelmed with debt.  It is so sad.  I am by no means a financial expert, but there are some lessons which I've learned and applied over the decades.  I have never held a high paying job and I have often worked extra jobs to support my family.  My wife has never held a regular job outside of our home.  We've raised three boys.  God has been good to us and has always provided what we've needed.  There are some things which we have given up, but nothing that we regret. To do this we have always lived on a written budget.  Since we were married we have kept a monthly accounting of all of our expenditures and worked to keep them within our written budgeted limits for each category.  And our budget accounts each month for expenditures which may only happen once or twice a year, such as taxes, insurance, vacations, dental expenses, car replacement and repairs and Christmas.  So each month something is put aside for these expenses.  We never make purchases that can't be covered through our budget and our savings. We could never have survived our married years without this written plan which is revised annually.  And thank the Lord, we have reached our senior years without any debt, with adequate savings, and with all that we really need.  I don't know how anybody can survive today without a written plan.  There are several other practical things which we have followed as well.  We have always taken care of credit card charges within the 30 or so days allotted before any charges are added.  That has been a priority - credit card companies have never made a cent on us.  When they send us checks to borrow money, we immediately destroy them rather than be tempted to use them.  We shop for bargains and use coupons.  And a personal choice for us is that we don't frequent expensive restaurants.  Thankfully we don't have the taste for expensive meals since that would certainly blow our food budget for the month.  We have always tried to budget funds each month for savings.  As a math teacher I know the power of compound interest and so, even in the days of raising our children when we could barely afford it, we regularly put money into savings.  Now after all of that, let me come to the most important lesson that we have learned about finances.  We have always put the Lord first in our budget.  When we plan our budget, giving to the Lord's work is always the first thing that we include.  I remember talking to my dad a few times about the struggles with bills when things like medical bills and auto bills seemed so hard to predict and handle.  He advised me to take those things to the Lord while continuing to honor Him with our giving, knowing that He would answer and provide.  And He always has - especially when things seemed almost impossible from a human view.  God does not neglect His own when we trust Him and honor Him with our finances. My dad also taught me that all of our possessions really were the Lord's, not ours. That is a principle which I've never forgotten.  I wonder if maybe the checkbook might be the best test of one's spiritual condition.  Probably none of you really care about my financial experiences, but if I were ever asked to give advice to a young couple I would say put the Lord first in your finances, live on a written budget, tear up your credit cards if you can't pay them off each month, and evaluate and control your "wanters".  "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you".