The #1 way to keep track of your money

 


Money.

When my husband and I first married, I was newly graduated with an Associates Degree and he still had two more years to go at a major State University. We married young, we were both 20, and did not have a whole lot of cash between us. When we combined our bank accounts the number was 4 digits....barely.

Thankfully, we both lean towards saving versus spending, and were content to live on cheap noodles, a zero dollar entertainment budget, and even went as long as possible without heat (the apartment reached 50 degrees when we finally turned on the furnace).

Back then, it was fairly simple to keep track of expenditures - we just didn't make any.  But, as life goes on, a mortgage is added to the mix, children add to the expenses, and things like medical issues and car breakdowns seem to be more often than not.

We didn't really have to create a budget in the early days, we just saved as much as we could. But once kids came on the scene, it was clear that we needed to start tracking where the outflow was going.

Whether you are making 6 figures or scraping by on 4 like those newly married college kids, a budget is the number one way to make sure you are intentional with your money. There are so many budget resources out there if you are one who likes to have a template and not just wing it or make it up on your own.

The one I have appreciated the most is Crown Financial's resources. They put a strong emphasis on giving, not just budgeting to build your own wealth, but building it to be able to give more.

This week, let's take another look at our budget.  If you don't have one - get one.  If you have one, look it over. Are there things you can flex to increase your giving?  Are there non-necessities that you are spending on each month when you could divert that spending to something more Kingdom Building? Are you  finding that you are blowing your budget monthly, not on emergencies and surprises, but on impulse buys and luxuries? Take some time to reflect on that - why are finding yourself in that spot month after month? What can you change to keep it from happening again?

As we seek to be more intentional with our spending, let's use these Truths to help point us in the right direction:
 

1. God owns it all. 
Psalm 24:1

2. God's way is always better than my way, so I give Him control. 
1 Chronicles 29:11

3. I am content with what God has provided.
Philippians 4:11b-13

4. I am God's wise manager.
Matthew 25:21

5. I am free to fulfill God's plans for my life and advance His kingdom. 

Exodus 9:16



Show me your bank account and I'll show you your heart.



Can I ask you a favor? I have put together a Free Guide to Using Our Money, Intentionally. This is a first for me and I would love to have feedback on whether it is helpful or not. I want to make more of these guides, focusing on different areas, but would appreciate feedback as I start with this first one.

 

Eventually these may be part of a book (shhh...) but you get access to it for free! Click the button below to get your pdf guide and then email me your thoughts.

 

My hope is that this guide will help others take a more intentional approach with their money so that they can live, give, and thrive with this life they have been given.

 GET THE GUIDE

 


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