Sunday, October 25, 2009
The Tithes that Bind
| By Lynn Forgy I've been complaining for months that I have NO extra money, my expenses continually creep up, and there doesn't seem to be an end in sight. I've applied to numerous part time jobs, taken on extra work when I can, sold everything I can, and yet I can't seem to get ahead. So what's a girl to do? My thoughts? TITHE! Maybe it seems a little wacky to think that I should give more when I can't make ends meet now, but let me explain... Several years ago, I took a Crown Financial class at my church. I learned biblical principles on managing money. I tithed 10%, religiously. And you know what? I always had enough. Don't ask me how - all I know is it worked. I still had to pinch pennies, but I didn't worry so much, which made everything seem like it would be okay. For the past year, give or take a few months, I haven't been tithing the full 10%. I'm ashamed to admit it, but I haven't. And not only do I struggle each month to pay the bills, sometimes borrowing from Peter to pay Paul, I am filled with worry. The sermon at church this morning was on stewardship. God rewards those who are faithful. I realize that my "rewards" may not be a gigantic increase in my income, or that all my debt will be paid off miraculously. But I do believe that I will feel better and that God will reward me in some manner. So I'm making a conscious decision, and a commitment to God - each check I receive, every bit of income I get, I will set aside 10% to give back to God. I plan on keeping a record or a journal for 3 months to see what has happened during that time. I don't expect to be worse off at the end of the 3 months than I am now, and in fact, I feel like something good will come from this experience. |
Wednesday, October 07, 2009
Ways to Get Out of Debt...
| By Lynn Forgy I am so sick of googling "ways to get out debt", and finding the same boring stuff. Like I haven't already quit eating out, and line drying my clothes, and buying generic brands, and on, and on, and on. Does no one have any useful suggestions? I admit that these are good places to start, but what about when you've done all those things, and more, and are still in debt? Things I've done to get out of debt by cutting expenses: 1) Disconnect Satellite TV 2) Quit using the oven in the summer (we did use it once a week, on Fridays, for pizza night - other than that, it was crockpot or electric skillet meals) 3) Do not step foot in department stores - buy clothes at thrift stores 4) Plan menus using lots of rice and very little meat 5) Make homemade laundry detergent (we had to discontinue this practice due to a rash) 6) Make homemade deodorant (again, had to discontinue due to a severe rash development - very unpleasant!) 7) Make homemade cleaning products using vinegar 8) Mystery shopping - good way to buy Christmas presents and get reimbursed for the purchase 9) Line dry clothing 10) Set thermostat at 80-82 in the summer, and 60-62 in the winter Yet through all of these cost cutting measures, I am progressing very, very, VERY slowly. And yes, I'm frustrated! I mean, what good is saving $20 each month on the electric bill when I have dental bills for thousands of dollars, the toilet starts leaking and has to be replaced, the air conditioner breaks, etc.? Any comments, suggestions, advice, ideas are welcome! |
Friday, June 19, 2009
What if...
| By Anna Mae Peabody What if... I sold EVERYTHING in my house?  Really. I'm serious. OK, except for a few clothes, and a couple of place settings. Oh, and of course my family. There would definitely be slim pickings right now, especially considering that I sold the living room furniture 2 weeks ago. (We're sitting on fold up chairs, you know the kind that people use on their lawns or sit in to watch their kids soccer games). Hmmm, so that leaves the bedroom furniture (none of it matches), a couple of odd chairs (real chairs, though, and made out of wood!), clothes (from Goodwill), "art" (that's funny), towels (with holes in them), and dishes (covered in cracks and chips). I hadn't really thought about it until today, when I was looking through the house to see what we had left that was "saleable". I noticed that just like the yard sales we had gone to last weekend, all our stuff shows signs of use, lots of it. (I wouldn't even buy my stuff). So I've been asking myself - what do I do now? My budget is down to the minimum, I've sold everything I can, and I can't seem to get ahead. I used my $1000 emergency fund last month for a dental procedure. I need to have another $950 by August to finish the dental work. School will be starting soon, which means books and supplies must be bought. There are house repairs that will need to be done very soon, and on, and on, and on. Rather than having a "Yard Sale", I've decided to have a "Junk Sale". Oh, the process might be similar, but the prices will be lower! It might be kind of fun - until someone turns up their nose at my favorite T-shirt that I've priced at $.05 (only because it has holes in the arm pits, but it's comfy!). And everybody should recognize right away that the headless Barbie on the table for a quarter is a collector's item!  I think I might be on to something here... Labels: Junk Sale |
