Budgeting hurts so good. I am so thankful to have Luke in my life ~ his leadership, accountability, and sweet partnership. As we have sat down over the past few days to manage our finances a few things have become apparent to me:
1) We are blessed beyond anything I would have ever imagined at this point in our lives. God is good. He has brought people into our lives to aid us and teach us how to be good managers of our money. Not that we always follow the right way though ;)
2) I am so thankful for Luke and his giving heart. He would love to give all of our money away :) I still struggle with wanting to support people in addition to our tithe from gross. I want to say I am willing to give all I have to the kingdom, but I really debate that mentally ~ my thoughts turn to, "but how will we support ourselves if times get tough," and " we already live to our lowest means...how can we give any more away?" I think I may need to reread The Treasure Principle by Randy Alcorn again. My heart so easily goes cold.
3) I am pretty sure coupons have turned to my demise! Luke pointed out that it's like a hobby or game to me to see how much I can save in a grocery trip...it really has! I have saved up to $118 through Kroger's savings, coupons, and bonus coupons. However, I have lost site of the bottom line. So, the new plan of action is to only get what we need and not even focus on coupons. I tend to stock up on things because they are good deal, which totally throws off a budget if you are looking at by month. But here's the question~ when should you spring for that good deal because it may not come along the next month!? I could give many examples and proof, which seems arguable by Luke. Again, I'm easily tempted. The degreed marketing employee has fell into her own trap! However, can I brag that I do use coupons to my benefit some times? I have actually made money on some products (i.e. toothpaste & dog treats), but my coupon and grocery list organization could be another blog ;)
4) Through the mulling of thoughts and challenging conversation on money, I have been humbled and reminded to live every day in submission to Christ. My daily time with HIM determines how I spend my money AND time! It truly transforms my day to live in the light of eternity rather than my selfish wants.
More thoughts on this later...I just wanted to share the surface of my heart for now. And I wanted to see what you all thought out there about support above your tithe. I need encouragement! I think I will be reading in the gospel of Luke today.
Lindsey - thanks for a great post! I am a Horrible (capital H) budgeter and I always need support to get better. I totally agree with #3 - Jonathan has to be there to tell me not to get that sale item because it is not on our list. I'm so blessed to have a husband that likes to go to the grocery store with me - it's fun to have him there and he definitely keeps me accountable.
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting Megan! Sometimes I wonder who really reads this. Unfortunately, Luke does not have the time to go with me AND I really like to go by myself and rock to my ipod to stay focused. Here is my plan for now to keep me accountable: I already do my grocery list by Word document before I go to keep me in track by isle, quantity/brand & how much the coupon is for so I can compare it to off-brand. I am going to send it to Luke to review beforehand so he can hopefully knock off what he thinks we don't "need." But it sure is hard to stick to it once you get in there!! ahhh! Also, it's hard to keep up with how much you are adding $$ wise to your cart...grocery prices have gone up SO much since my 2 years of marriage!
ReplyDeleteHey Honey- I just returned from a grocery trip where I spent alot of $ for things I did not need as they were on sale or appealed to me. I appreciate your blog - one on thinking about this great resource that God gave us and how to use it and also your heart for God and your husband.
ReplyDeleteI love you
Mom
Lindsey, I love your phrase "budgeting hurts so good!" And I know what you mean about "couponing"! It has become a game for me too. I am always so proud of myself when I get products for much less than the sticker price. But I too have gotten sucked into buying things that I don't need just because they're on sale!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing and being so open!