Some Days I Just Want To Throw In The Towel

If you know me or if you've been coming here for any amount of time you probably know this one thing about me. Stewardship of money and time is a topic high on my list. Especially when it comes to money. I'm an avid budgeter, couponer, and sale shopper. 

But some days I've just had enough! I mean why keep going. It's seems we just keep working and working. I keep trying to cut the budget and save money in so many different ways but it doesn't seem to matter. The money just keeps flowing out. 

The garage door breaks, the car dies, the boys need a new fan for their bedroom, this kid needs to go to the Dr., this house project needs to get done, I need to buy a gift for this, the girls need more shirts (or maybe someone just needs to do laundry more often). The list never ends. It's big things, it's little things. But it just seems we can never get ahead.

Some days I just want to take that budget and chuck it in the garbage!

As I look around at others it seems everyone is driving new cars, living in big houses, buying whatever they want, eating out all the time, have the latest fashions, going on vacation....... They all seem to be happy, so why does it matter. Why are we spinning our wheels when we can be living the American dream and have all the "stuff" too.

Then after I'm done with all the drama and having my little pity-party, I come to my senses. 

I remind myself that I've never missed a meal. I never missed paying a bill. My husband has a job. I have a job. We have money in savings. We are truly blessed.

And more importantly, God CALLS me as His child to keep going. To keep living within our means. To keep trying to be a good steward of what He has entrusted us with.

Today, I was reminded that when I let the frustration of material things rule me I am not focusing on the right things. I am focusing on the earthly, not the eternal. I'm not building up treasures above, I'm building up treasures here on this earth. When I get frustrated about material possessions, I am letting them rule over me.

I was also reminded of my sin. My sins of discontentment, worry, anxiety, selfishness, and unthankfulness. Wow, that's a lot of sin! I was reminded that I am not trusting God. I may see the immediate but He sees the future and I need to trust Him in that. He has promised to take care of us and I need to rest in that.

Control. It is another issue when I get consumed with money. They are issues that I can't control and I want to. Another reminder that GOD is in control of my finances not me.

So, yes, I love budgeting. I love couponing. I love sale shopping. And yes, there are difficult days. Not every day is roses but I will continue to seek God in all of it. I'm sure there will be more days filled with frustration and worry ahead and those are days that I will once again have to get down on my knees and ask the Lord for forgiveness.

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?  Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.  But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Matthew 6:19-33

How We Saved Money On Our Phone Bill and We Cancelled Cable

It's been awhile since I posted one of my Frugal Friday posts. But I wanted to share with you a couple ways that you can save money on cable and your home phone.

Last December we decided to cancel our cable as soon as our contract was up. I know for some of you cancelling cable is just not something you want to do. So I thought I would share what I learned in the process. This may not work with all cable companies but here are some tips that you might want to know and then see if your cable company offers the same thing.

When I called to cancel I was informed that I can put my account on hold for up to 6 months a year. The benefit to this is you won't have a bill for 6 months out of the year but remain with that company and not be under contract. I know you can get an introductory rate for just as cheap, if not cheaper but the benefit is that you are no longer under contract.

I was also told that they have special rates for existing customers, all you have to do is ask. 

What we did was put our account on hold for 4 months to make sure that we could live without cable and then when I called back to cancel I was offered a couple different rates to stay with them. They offered me one rate and then when I told them that I still wanted to cancel, they offered me an extremely low rate.

As far as living without cable, I miss the DVR. My kids miss their shows. My husband misses his sports. We save about $900 a year not having it. We now have a digital antenna hooked up to our TV. A lot less TV gets watched as a result.

Now onto our Phone Bill.

I am one of those people that just can't part with my home phone. Part of the reason being is that I work from home. Sometimes cell phones aren't that reliable so I like to have my home phone as back-up. Besides we have had the same number for 11 years and a lot of people have that number. I'm also not sure I want to give my cell phone number out on every application, registration, giveaway, etc.

We have always had the bare bones. No caller id, no call waiting, and no long distance. Last month I got my bill and the charges had again gone up. I called the company and they actually had a lower rate plan that I could get. They offered a lower monthly rate but for each local call you make you get charge $.04. Not per minute, per call. Incoming calls are free and toll free numbers are also free.

In the end it's not a huge savings but over a years time I will probably save about $90. That's a week of groceries around here.

Getting Stuff for Free/Cheap

I shared awhile back about some of my grocery shopping tips, so I thought I would share some of my tips for shopping for toiletry and personal items.

I generally stick to two stores. CVS and Walgreens. Walmart is a good place to shop if you don't have a lot of time to be making small trips and/or couponing. Their prices are probably the lowest for everyday shopping. And I've explained before why I quit shopping at Target. Target is bad for my budget.

I really love CVS and Walgreens because of their Extra Bucks and Register Rewards. If you aren't sure what I'm talking about, I'll try to explain real quick. You buy an item at the marked price and after you pay, it will print out a coupon that you can use on your next purchase.

(Small tip for those of who don't know, you can use Register Rewards from Walgreens at Jewel)

Although I shop at both, I am definitely a bigger fan of CVS. Their Extra Bucks don't expire as quickly as Walgreens Register Rewards and I just seem to get better prices there. But I know plenty of people who like Walgreens better, so decide for yourself.

I know many who get free items that they will never use and then use the Extra Bucks/Register Rewards to roll over to other transactions. I try to stick to items we need or that I know we will use. I watch the sales and often have quite a stockpile going.

Things I get free or real cheap: Deodorant, shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes, body wash, mouthwash, floss, plus many more.

To show you how it works, I'll share my transactions from this week from CVS. I often do two transactions in one visit.

Transaction #1
1 Ban Deodorant 2.99
2 Deans Milk 2.99 each
1 Crest ProHealth Mouthwash 4.50
1 Clairol Nice & Easy 6.97

Used $.75 off coupon for Ban
         $1.00 off coupon for Clairol Nice & Easy
         $2.00 off coupon for Crest ProHealth

Total Out of Pocket $17.70
Received $8.50 back in Extra Bucks

Transaction #2

2 Pkg Lifesaver Peppermints 2/$3
2 Tampax 20 ct 2.99 each
2 Axe Spray 4.69 each

Used coupon for Axe Spray BOGO
         $1.50 off 2 Tampax
         Then $8.50 in Extra Bucks

Total Out of Pocket $4.96

Total Paid in both Transactions $22.66
Total Saved in both Transactions $25.69

Although I've had shopping trips that have ended better than this, I always think it's a success when what I saved is more than what I spent.

Tip: If you shop at CVS, you will need to sign up for one of their cards. You can also sign up on their website to have more coupons emailed to you.

Why I Quit Shopping At Target

I quit shopping regularly at Target a few years ago. But yesterday I went back and was reminded WHY I quit shopping there.

When Alexandra, Amanda and Joshua were born I did most of my shopping at Walmart. Basically because diapers and formula were the cheapest there.

Then when Isaac was born, I didn't always have someone to watch the kids and I had to take them with me. So I started shopping at Target because they had carts I could fit all my kids in.

Then I had a problem. I could not leave that store without spending at least $100. When I was done with diapers and formula, it was time to move on from the temptation.

Throughout the store they have clearance areas with all kinds of items with these little red tags.

C'mon! It's just not possible to pass up shoes for $3.74! And of course you can't just buy 1 pair, you must buy 4 pairs.

Don't even get me started on the Dollar Section!

I'm getting better though. Although I failed yesterday, my last 2 shopping trips to Target I actually left with only things on my list.

Target definitely has us women figured out. Oh, how I love and hate you little, red clearance tags! 

My Grocery Shopping Tips

I've been wanting to share some of the ways I save money but haven't been sure where to start. I'm just naturally cheap, so it's in my nature. I will start with some of my grocery shopping tips (since a friend of mine asked me to share about a year ago) and in the future posts I'll move onto other subjects.

 

Over the years I have tried many different things and right now I have a system that works for our family.

 

My first word of advice is: Take others advice, try it out, but be willing to try different things and see what works for your family. Experiment. Just because one thing works for someone, doesn't mean it's going to work for you.

 

I have tried many different stores but what I found works best for me is to stick with 2 stores (sometimes 3) that I rotate and I don't even look at the sale papers for the other stores.

 

I live in an area where I have a lot of stores close to me. I have a local grocery store that I do most of my shopping at that is only 2 blocks away. I have another larger chain grocery store that I generally only buy extremely good sale items at. Then I also have an Aldi about 3 miles from my house that I go to once every month or two to stock up on certain items.

 

After trying many different stores I've found that this combo is the best for our family. I think I get pretty good prices and I don't spend too much time running from place to place.

 

Here are a few things that I've learned over the years:

 

1) Experiment with brands. Some are worth splurging on and others aren't. It's not worth buying the off brand if no one will eat it and it's not worth splurging if there is a cheaper brand that is just as good.

2) Shop the sale papers. I make my list strictly from the sale paper, then I add the few items that we absolutely need and any items that I might need for specific recipes.

3) Clip coupons but don't use them just to use them. The off brands might actually be cheaper than a brand name item with a coupon. I also will only buy certain items if they are on sale AND I have a coupon. I subscribe to 2 different newspapers for my coupons.

4) Try to stick with a budget. You can get a million good deals but you need to limit yourself to actually save money. I found when I actually gave myself a budget, I had to look harder for the deals.

5) Know your prices. The more you watch sale papers, the more you will know. Just because it's on sale doesn't make it a good price. I try not to pay more than $1 for a loaf of bread, $2 for a gallon of milk, $2 for brand name chips.

6) Stock up. When you see something on sale and you know you use it a lot, buy a lot of them when they are cheap.

I could probably go into a lot more detail on all of these but I'm trying to keep it simple. If you have any questions please feel free to email me or post a comment.

The Biggest Benefit of Writing It Down

Ever since I started a Budget I've seen the benefits of writing our expenses and spending down.

Even if you go through your month paying your bills, buying your groceries, you make sure you don't spend more than you make but you don't write it down.....you are still missing out.

If you write it down, don't change how you spend (as long as you live within your means), you WILL still see the benefits.

When I think back on all the months we were writing it down, the BIGGEST Benefit was being able to look back over the month and see how God worked. How He provided. How when it didn't seem the numbers would add up, they did!

When there were weeks we didn't get a paycheck, we could see how God made it work.

When there were months that we had extra bills, people who were in need, we had it right there in writing and we praised Him. The One who provided.

Are you struggling each month? Getting frustrated that there just never seems to be enough? Write it down and see how God has provided for your needs and so much more!

Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all.     I Chronicles 29:11-12

It's In The Envelope

Two and a half years ago when I first read Dave Ramsey's book Total Money Makeover, I started using the envelope system. I probably used it for about 6 months and then decided that it just wasn't working for me.

My biggest problem was when I was at a store and would have a purchase that required money from 2 different envelopes. I'd come home and try to figure out how much money I owed which envelope.

It all seemed way too confusing and like too much work. I decided a debit card would be way easier, so I got one.

In February, I went back to the Envelope System.

For those of you who don't know what this is, I'll explain.

Basically, figure out your budget and certain categories are cash only. You take that money, put it in an envelope and you can only spend what is in the envelope. If the cash isn't there, then you simply can't buy it.

There is just something great about going into a store and paying cash.

I still remember a couple years ago when I had saved up for a few months with my clothing fund and then headed out to the outlet mall. I had tons of bags full of clothes and it felt so great knowing that it was all paid for. I didn't have to go home and check how much I put on my debit card to see if I went over budget and I also didn't get a credit card bill in the mail the next month. It was a big shopping spree with none of the guilt!

I have envelopes for Adult Clothes, Kids Clothes, Groceries, Household Items, Gas, Date Nights, Entertainment, Dining Out, Babysitting, and a few others as well.

When you are paying cash, you think more about your purchase because you only have a certain amount to spend. Once it's gone, it's gone. You spend wisely.

If you don't believe me, I challenge you to try it. Try it for 2 months and see if it changes how you spend.

Our Biggest Financial Mistake

When it comes to our personal finances we often tend to think that every thing needs to be kept to ourselves.

Why?

Wouldn't it be helpful to hear others success stories?

Wouldn't it be helpful to hear others failures?

Then we can learn from them.

Today I want to share one of our failures. This happened 8 years ago and yet it is still fresh in mind and I want to kick myself every time I think about it! Looking back, the one good thing that came from it......it taught us a big lesson that I will never forget!

A little over 8 years ago Brad and I found out that in order to have children we were going to have to go through a very expensive fertility treatment. We started finding money to pay for this. We cashed in a life insurance policy and sold my business. After doing this we found out that we could simply switch our health insurance through Brad's employer and this treatment would be covered.

Now we had extra money.

Were we wise with it?

I think you know where I'm going.

One day, we decided to go car shopping on a whim. Since Brad is a Ford Motor Company employee, we headed to the local Lincoln dealership.

We test drove a Lincoln LS. It was beautiful. It smelt so good. It had a sun roof, heated leather seats, and so many things that I didn't even know cars had! It was last years model, so there was a discount plus we got the employee discount, and 0% financing. I mean, c'mon! It was a steal!

Did I mention it smelt REALLY GOOD!?

So, we drove it down to the local Wendy's and made our decision over a fast food hamburger.

Yep, that's right, we really thought this one over. Can't you tell?

We drove off the lot with our good smelling car and a big loan.

One Word - STUPID!

But hey, we looked cool. To be honest with you, I never felt right in that car. As much as I loved that smell and that sun roof, every time I drove it I felt like I should not be in it. I did not have a peace about it.

Now mind you, I just sold my business, so I'm not working. Then a few months later Brad's job took away the time and a half he was making on overtime. Our income is cut again. Now this car payment has us a little strapped.

Then later that year, my fertility treatment works and I'm having triplets! Well, now that Lincoln LS is not looking so good. Where on earth am I going to put these babies?

Thankfully we found a buyer for the car and got from underneath that car payment. We found a nice, used, no-frill Ford Windstar to replace it that I still drive to this day. It does not smell good, it has no sun roof, but it also has no monthly payment and it runs just fine.

I'm sharing this with you, so that maybe you can learn from our stupidity.

Here are a few suggestions and things to think about before buying a new/different car:

1. Pray, Pray, Pray. Make sure that you are talking to the ONE who is in control of your finances and seeking what He says about it. Which also means getting into the Word. As I've pointed out in previous posts, the Bible has a lot to say about money.

2. Ask yourself, 'Why the new car?'  Looking good and the great smell are not good answers and means you should probably not buy a new car.

3. Really look at what you can afford and how much you want to spend? Just because you can afford that car payment this month doesn't mean you will be able to afford it in 6 months. If you are just making it by adding it to your budget, rethink it.

4. If you are taking out a loan, my suggestion would be to make sure your payment is low enough that you can make double payments or more to get from underneath that debt as quickly as possible.

5. I sell insurance and there is something called GAP Insurance. This stands for Guaranteed Auto Protection and will protect you if you get into an accident, total your car and your loan amount is now more than what your car is worth. If GAP Insurance is something you would probably have to purchase on that new vehicle, I would suggest thinking twice about actually buying that car.

6. Rarely is a car a steal or a great bargain. No matter how great the discount, the money you pay is still going to be quite large and let's face it, vehicles are not good investments.

(On a side note, since Ford Motor Company is the source that feeds our family, I suggest that if you want to buy a new car - Buy Ford!) Thank you ;-)

Read my other posts on Finances:

Budgeting

What Led our Family to Budgeting

Stewardship

Giving

A Few Great Resources

A Few Great Resources

Sorry I did not post my usual Friday post last week dealing with Finances. We had some sick kids, plus I was in the midst of a couple good books that I didn't want to put down.

This week, I thought I would share with you a few great resources when it comes to money that I have read and that I like to read.

The first and foremost place that we should all be looking to when it comes to money is of course the Bible. We should always be seeking God's will and His word when it comes to how we should spend, save and give our money.

A few other good resources are:

The Word on Finances by Larry Birkett. I've mentioned this book numerous times and it will really point you to back to God's word with every subject under the sun when it comes to our finances.

Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey. This book will really walk you through how to start budgeting, saving, and paying off debt. I really enjoyed this book but think that it definitely needs to be paired with Larry Birkett's book to really give you the right focus. When I started budgeting I didn't do that and it took me a year to realize that my focus was wrong.

Crown Financial Ministries Website also has some great resources. It has a bunch of different articles organized according to topic for you. So whichever area you have an interest in learning more about, you can click on that topic and it will give you a list of articles that they have written on that subject.

Redeeming Riches is a blog that I started reading recently. I love his insight on different topics regarding finances and how he encourages through God's word.

Money Saving Mom is another blog that I follow. She has a little bit of everything. Her family is very frugal and she shares a lot of tips, plus deals you can get, as well as stories from others how they are saving and paying for everything with cash.

Lastly, if you are looking for a budget worksheet, Saving with Pam has a down loadable worksheet. I don't personally follow her blog, but it looks like she has a lot of very useful information.

I hope you find these resources helpful in your journey to being a good steward of your money. If you have any additional resources that you would like to share, please feel free to leave them in the comment section.

Check out my previous posts on Finances:

Budgeting

What Led our Family to Budgeting

Stewardship

Giving

Giving

Since I wrote about Stewardship last week, and part of being a good steward is giving, I figured that this would be the next logical place to go. I'll be honest, I don't really feel qualified to write on this subject since I am not naturally a giver. But God has been changing my heart in this area lately and I'm slowly learning and changing. My husband is a natural giver, it is his spiritual gift, and I have learned a lot from him. As I've done research on this subject, I've also learned a lot!

Before I go any further, I'd like to share what Larry Burkett writes on Giving in his book The Word on Finances.

Giving should be an outward, material expression of a deep spiritual commitment, an indication of a willing and obedient heart. We should give out of grateful hearts in an attitude of joy. Sacrificial giving is a way to honor God, but it should be the result of a good attitude.

There are 3 basic levels of giving.

1 ~ The Tithe, which means 1/10th. This is the minimum that we should give and the giving of our first fruits. We should be tithing on our Gross income, inheritances, profit made on the sale of a house. Basically, any money that we make. Malachi 3:10 says,"Bring the full tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house." The storehouse here would be the equivalent of today's church. So, we should give our tithe to the church. There are many verses that speak of tithing. Here are just a few of them. Gen. 4:3-4, Exodus 34:19, Deut. 18:4, Numbers 18:12-13, Nehemiah 10:37-39, Prov. 3:9,10

2 ~ The Offering or Gift. This is what we give above and beyond our tithe to help other people or other organizations. Here are just a few Scriptures that talk about gifts. Exodus 35:5, Ezra 1:6, Ezra 2:69, Luke 6:38, 2 Corinthians 9:7.

3 ~ Sacrificial Giving. This is when one gives to the point that they give up things that they want or need in order to help others that have greater needs. It's when you give as the widow gave in Luke 12.

The amount of proof texts that Larry Burkett sites when it comes to giving is unbelievable. Almost 80 pages worth! There is no question that we are called to give, to give generously, and to give cheerfully. Yes, this is going to look different for everyone. Especially since God gives to everyone differently. But when we remember that it is all His, it's easy to want to give instead of just keep it for our own selfish interests.

As a Christian woman, I often look to the Proverbs 31 woman for guidance in who I should be. In verse 20 we find that this model of a Christian woman, "opens her hand to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy."

"Ever since the time of your ancestors you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the LORD Almighty. But you ask, ‘How are we to return?’ Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me. But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’ "In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse—your whole nation—because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,” says the LORD Almighty.

Malachi 3:7-11

Some of my favorite stories of sacrificial giving are the ones where people did just this, they tested God.

I remember about a year ago, hearing a man on the radio tell how much he made and that someone had challenged him to give the next year just as much as he made. That year he continued living the same exact lifestyle that he was living and was able to give that same amount away. The next year he increased his giving and he continued every year after that. There was always enough money to keep his lifestyle the same but to give more.

God promises to bless us as we give generously, from our heart. Of course our attitude of 'giving to get' should not be one of selfishness but of 'giving to get' so we can then in turn can continue to give more.

Praise God for all that He has blessed us with and may we have grateful hearts that desire to give back to Him.

My Other Posts on Finances:

Budgeting
What Led Our Family to Budgeting
Stewardship

Stewardship

As I began researching what the Bible had to say on money I was brought to probably one of the best books on this subject. The Word on Finances by Larry Burkett. Larry went through the Bible and found every reference to finances and then organized them by topic. He found over 1000 references--second only to the subject of Love.

I don't know about you, but this tells me that God knew what an idol we would make out of our money, that He needed to address it A LOT!

As I continued my research, there are just so many topics to cover and I just wasn't sure where to go. But I really felt that before we deal with any other sub-topic, we first should look at God's role when it comes to money and our role. This led me to stewardship.

What is a steward?

A steward is in essence "a manager". He is a person that manages another's property or financial affairs.

Stewardship would then be the verb form of this. To act or serve as a steward.

I'd like to share with you what Larry Burkett writes on Stewardship.

The key to understanding God's will in finances is to have the proper understanding of stewardship. A steward is one who manages another's property. We are merely stewards of God's property while we are on earth. He can choose to entrust us with much or as little as He desires, but in no case will we ever take ownership.

Quite often the demonstration of our stewardship is not how much we give but how we react when there is not much to give. We cannot experience peace in the area of finances until we have surrendered total control of this area to God and have accepted the role of steward.

So what does this mean to us as Christians?

The first thing we need to understand is that everything is God's. I Chronicles 29:11 reminds us of this.

Yours, LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.

He has entrusted to us everything that we have. All our wealth. Our wealth is not just our money, it is everything. In Genesis 13, we see that Abraham's wealth not only consisted of his silver and gold, but also included his livestock. In Joshua 17 we see that the allotment of land that a man had was his wealth.

How do you view your things? Are you the owner or are you the steward? When we truly recognize that God is the owner and we are the steward or manager, our spending will change. When we view everything we have as God's possession, we will want to use our money in a way that is pleasing to Him and not to ourselves, especially since we know that one day we will have to give an account to Him for our managerial skills.

Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God.
Ecclesiastes 5:19

When I look at these verses and so many more, it reminds me of what a huge responsibility Brad and I have when it comes to our families finances.

Seek His Kingdom First

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Matthew 6:19-21,24,33

When you look at your budget, what does it tell you? Where does it tell you that your heart is? Does it tell you that you are seeking the kingdom of God or the god of materialism? Is God pleased with you as a steward?

As American Christians it is so easy to get sucked into materialism, it is all around us. But the greatest investment we can ever make is to invest in God's kingdom and not the world around us. We must remember that it is not materials that are the problem, it is materialism which is a matter of the heart. A heart that is not focused on the things above.

I really liked what Woodrow Kroll had to say in his article God's Gift of Wealth over at Back to the Bible. (I highly recommend going to his site and reading the article in it's entirety.)

Don't treat what money you have, whether it's a little or a lot, as your own. Treat it as God's and it won't buy things you don't need. Treat it as God's and it won't rule your life. If you treat it as God's, you'll discover that it will go a lot further than it does now.

Everything you have is God's gift to you. What you do with everything God gives you is your gift to Him.  

My prayer for all of you that have been following these posts is that you will completely surrender control of your finances to God. And that I will do that as well. I don't want you to think that I have it all figured out, I am a work in process as well and many of these areas that I will be writing about are daily struggles for me.

My other posts in this series:

Budgeting
What Led Our Family to Budgeting

What Led Our Family to Budgeting

Welcome to my series of posts on Money. If you didn't read my first post, you can go here to read it.

I have to admit, I am fairly new to the whole budgeting thing. I started after reading Dave Ramsey's book Total Money Makeover a little over 2 years ago. How did I get to the point of reading this book? Well, I'm glad you asked.

I remember going through premarital counseling and we were asked to figure out a budget. So, we did. We really had no clue what our bills would be, so we roughly figured something out and I did not like what I saw. We didn't have enough money.

I decided right then and there I didn't really like the idea of budgeting.

It always worked out for us though. We just made sure we didn't spend more than we had. I married a very smart man that always took care of putting money in savings and putting money aside for retirement. After that, we pretty much spent how we wanted to.

Looking back now, I want to kick myself! If only I knew then what I know now. We most likely would not have a mortgage payment. Just imagine!

This system worked out very well for us for many years.

Then we had kids. Things had to get a little tighter.

Then there was a change in careers. That's when it all went downhill.

About 4 years ago my husband decided to take a buyout from Ford Motor Company. I have to say if it weren't for this decision, I would not know now what God has led me to know about finances. So, for this I am very thankful. If you are not sure what the buyout was, Ford was paying many of their employees to leave. We took the money and ran!

The plan was for my husband to get into insurance, but in the mean time he took over his dad's painting business. Starting a business brings a large cut into your income until you can get things going. Thankfully we had a large savings account to help out.

We began to use our credit card for our expenses. This is where we ran into trouble.

We would pay ourselves what we could from the business and then write a check from our savings for whatever we couldn't cover. Some of you who are wise with your money are completely shaking your heads at me. Don't worry, I shake my head at myself.

Every month when I got the credit card bill it would bring on a fight of what expenses were on there. I was getting sick of the fighting and our savings account was slowly being depleted to the point where it shouldn't get any lower.

I had talked to a couple people that had read Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover and decided I needed to get this book. I read it and was convinced. Thankfully, my husband had taken a class through Crown Financial many years before and so he was on board immediately.

See, when it comes to finances I feel that Brad and I compliment each other. I am one that seems to look at today and my husband looks to the future. He had been busy planning for our future, but I wasn't doing a good job of taking care of the day to day.

I have been budgeting our money ever since and it has seriously changed my life.

If you have never budgeted or would like to learn more I would highly recommend Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover or any of his books. Although, I have only read the one. You can also check out his website. Many churches also offer his Financial Peace University classes.

Next week I hope to tackle the topic of what it means to be a steward.

Frugal Friday - Budgeting

Last year I had this whole plan to do a series of posts on budgeting and saving money. As I started to research the topics I wanted to cover, I became so overwhelmed because there is SOOOOO much material out there. I became a little nervous that I wouldn't be able to cover everything or even be able to do it well.

I have to admit that we became a little lax in our budgeting towards the end of the year. With the new year starting, I was determined to get us back on track and with that came new spreadsheets, financial goals, savings plans and a whole new excitement again.

It's been awhile since I've done Frugal Fridays, so I thought I would bring them back with a series of posts on Money and hope that I get you all excited! Maybe some of you don't budget or maybe some of you just need someone to get you excited about it again. I am going to try and tackle this huge subject as best I can. I truly feel that everyone should budget regardless of how much money you make or how many 0's are in your salary. Especially as Christians we have a duty to be good stewards of what God has given to us.

Here are some of the things I plan to address and if you have more ideas of things you'd like me to cover please let me know.

1. What led us to budgeting and some of our financial mistakes.

2. What the Bible says about money.

3. Why we should budget.

4. Different ways we are able to save on expenses.

5. What it accomplishes in your life when you tell your money where to go instead of letting your money control you.

6. Paying cash for ALMOST everything!

I am by no means an expert in the area of finances and do not claim to be one as I share all of these things with you over the next several weeks. I am simply a housewife that loves to budget, clip coupons, and learn more about how God wants our family to be better stewards of the gifts He has given us.

A Weekend Away

A couple weekends ago Brad and I were fortunate enough to get away and celebrate our 10th Wedding Anniversary!

We spent 2 nights in Chicago while Brad's parents took the kids for 2 fun filled nights! At least the kids have fun, not so sure how much fun it is for Grandpa and Grandma :)

Friday night we walked around for awhile and then settled on eating some delicious pizza.

On Saturday, I was treated to a facial (thanks to Groupon) and then we did some shopping on Michigan Ave. If there is one thing I learned: if your husband says,"Let's go shopping."  You go shopping! This is one time you NEVER argue! We hit Banana Republic, Brad's favorite store. It has now become my favorite store since he doesn't argue about me buying stuff there. Normally we hit the outlet store, but we treated ourselves to the real thing! Of course, we shopped clearance racks. You know me, I just can't get away from the clearance racks! We also had a coupon for 30% off and then a portion was given to charity or something, so we had to shop. It was for charity!

Saturday night we went to Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. Our first time there and it was delicious! And after we paid an arm and a leg for steak and wine, they treated us to this complimentary dessert. Wasn't that nice of them.

After dinner we walked to Millennium Park. A lot of walking was done this weekend which hopefully balanced out all the food we ate.

Here our some views from our room. Also, I must mention that I love Priceline which got us this room at a fraction of the price we would have normally paid.

And there you have it, our fun-filled weekend of frugality, shopping, walking, eating, pampering, and did I mention NO KIDS! (for those of you think that sounds bad, we really do love our children very much but this is the first time we've done this since they were born!)

Jewel Deals

Sometimes I get such great deals on grocery store purchases I just want to share it with everyone. Today was one of those days! Unfortunately Jewel's sales on most of these items ends today. So if you are reading this today, hurry up and you can go get some free food for yourself.

First Transaction:

This one was all the healthy items! (note sarcasm)

5 Capri Sun
2 Cocoa Krispies (had coupon for $1 off)
2 Rice Krispie Treats (had coupon for $1 off)
4 Pop Tarts (had coupon for $1 off)
2 Fruit Snacks (had coupon for $1 off)

Total $29.65
Received $10 Catalina for Keebler and Kelloggs Products (this deal is good until the 15th)
Received $5 Catalina on Capri Sun

Second Transaction:

3 Diet Pepsi ($1.88 each when you buy 4 Pepsi products)
1 Lipton Raspberry Iced Tea
3 Sweet Baby Rays ($.88 each)
5 Kraft Cheese (had $5 off coupon)

Used my $15 Catalina's from first purchase
Grand total $.69

Received $5 Catalina back on cheese

Third Transaction:

5 Cool Whips ($1 each)
Used $5 Catalina from previous purchase
Grand Total $.00

I also received $5 Catalina back on this

So there you have it, for all this food I paid $30.34 and I have $5 to go spend at Jewel yet!

If you want some more information on these deals and where I got some of my coupons you can go to Jill Cataldo's website, she helps me out a lot!

No Car Payments Ever Again!

Remember a few weeks ago when I had a post about Used Cars?

This morning I got an email for DaveRamsey.com that I thought I'd share with you. If you think there is no way you can live with out a car payment, take a look at this article.

My goal is to never have a car payment again, of course if all our cars died tomorrow we might have to go that route. Hope this article helps you and motivates you to be wierd!

Used Cars

Before kids, I had a nice car. We had bought a 2002 Lincoln LS. This car had everything and I loved it but buying that car was one of the dumbest things we ever did. It came with a nice car payment. (note sarcasm) This was an impulse buy and a decision not blessed by God and boy, did He let us know. I won't go into how, just trust me on this.

We ended up selling that car when I went onto bed rest when I was pregnant with the triplets. The day after I got out of the hospital (they were still in the hospital) we went car shopping and bought a 2001 Ford Windstar LX. Brad refused to spend a lot of money on a vehicle because it was mostly going to be sitting in the garage and wouldn't be driving too many places with 3 babies. We had a car payment for a short time but paid it off as soon as we got our tax refund the following March. That means I have been without a car payment for almost 5 1/2 years!

I admit, occasionally I get car envy. I want that new mini-van or SUV that someone else has. But then I start thinking about the car payment I would have, how much taxes and plates would cost and realize, it's just not worth it!

One of my favorite blogs to read lately is Money Saving Mom. The other day I was reading her blog and this post by her made me laugh, mostly because I can relate. It's true, when you have an older vehicle there is always stories that go along with it.

Here are a few things about my vehicle that you just won't get with that new car:

1- I don't care if you ding my door or scratch it. Not that I want you to do it but it's just not that big of a deal.

2- My windshield has been cracked for 2 or 3 years. (I lost count)

3- Sometimes I have a little leak in my windshield when it rains. I get to occasionally enjoy a little bit of the rain while I drive. (unrelated to the crack, the leak was first and in a completely different spot)

4- My interior lights sometimes flash like a strobe light. Not a big deal during the day, a little odd when you are driving at night.

5- I have spent time in parking lots when my car didn't start. Always a good time when you have 4 kids asking when we can leave.

6- I sometimes try and see how many different lights can come on at once. Currently I have 3 but one of them is because I'm almost out of gas.

See, now doesn't that sound fun! Way more fun than a car payment!

Want another story about vehicles? Check out my sister-in-laws post.

If you have a funny story to share about your used car, I'd love to hear it.

Some More Awesome Deals!

Last week my sister emailed me a coupon for Kmart for $10 off a $20 purchase. I wasn't sure if it was real just because a couple weeks ago I had seen one on a blog and then a few days later it was said that it wasn't for this area. When I talked to her Saturday she said she had used it 6 times! I decided to give it a shot. They also had double coupons last week, making for some really awesome deals! When I went there everyone was using these coupons. I think I will be shopping at Kmart a lot in the near future.

This was my first transaction.

Sandals on sale 6.99 each

Tampons after double coupon 1.59

Conditioner after coupon FREE

Pull-Ups after coupon 5.99

Take off $10

Total $12.65

This was my Second Transaction.

Sandals 6.99

Toothbrushes after coupon FREE

Bath mat 5.99

Toilet Bowl Cleaner after coupon 1.29

Pledge after coupon 2.00

Old English Furniture Polish 2.49

Take off $10

Total $9.69

I made another trip there today and all the sandals I bought Saturday are now $12.99 each!

Of course double coupon week is over, but you can still take advantage of the $10 off $20 until May 22, 2010. This coupon is only for the Chicagoland area and if you live in Indiana the only store you can use it at is the St. John store. I have tried to somehow get a link on this post but it is a pdf and I can't figure it out. If you would like this coupon, please email me and I will forward it on to you. Happy Shopping!

I LOVE JEWEL!

So many people are always raving about Jewel. Although I've thought some of their deals are good, it can take a lot of work and you have to do a couple transactions which is not something I like to do.

Last week though I decided to try some of it out. I got all of these groceries for under $35!!!!!

That included some of my needs, as you can see. This also included 3 pork roasts! I am really loving Jewel now. Is it wrong to have so much fun grocery shopping?

A really great deal they have going on is on Betty Crocker Fruit snacks. 5/$5. You do need to have their Preferred Card to get this price. When you buy 5, you will get a Catalina for $3.50 back on your next purchase. You can also try www.coupons.com for a $.50 coupon on the purchase of 2 and there was also one in Sundays paper. Another great deal was the Malto-Meal Cereal on sale for $1.49 plus I found coupons at www.coupons.com for $.75 off. Fisher Peanuts $1.89 with $1 off coupon from newspaper a couple weeks ago. As I look at the picture I could go on forever! If you need any help, just email me!

So what did I do with all my savings? I took a break from cooking that night and treated my family to Culvers!

Frugal Friday

I have goals in life.

They may not be that exciting or that big...................but I do have goals.

One of our local grocery stores prints on the bottom of your receipt the percentage of your grocery bill that you have saved between shopping sales and using coupons. Most the time my percentage of savings is in the upper 30's and low 40's.

My goal has been to get to 50%! I know, I know. A silly goal, but it is one of mine.

This week I reached this goal TWO TIMES!

If you look on these reciepts you can see that in the first reciept I spent $49.09 and saved 50% and a total of $49.55. In the second receipt you can see that I spent $3.65 and saved 58% and a total of $5.02.

Is it sad that this is one of the most exciting things in my life?