Strength and honor are her clothing and she laughs at what is to come.

Strength and honor are her clothing and she laughs at what is to come.
Strength & Honor

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Spend less & Enjoy More

This morning as I was thinking on our budget for our next trip when I came across an old bank statement. It was quite a surprise. As I looked through it and began to highlight all the unnecessary spendings in that one given month. I decided I wanted to see our average spending on things we really didn't need. I highlighted the following purchases;

1.Eating Out
This included fast foods, ice cream shop, Starbucks , fancy restaurants and etc.

2.Online Purchases
While not in all cases, but in my case all my online purchases fell in the category of  "unnecessary "
Most included : shoes, apparel, toys for my son and etc.

3.Department Stores
It takes one to know one. If you're like me and you're being honest about your spendings you know the cold truth that if it was purchased at a department store it most likely was not a 'need'.

4.Thrift Shops
As I looked thru my bank statement I knew I could not include the thrift shop as a 'need' .
As much as I can tell you how cheap their stuff is and how much you will "save" I gotta admit every time I go in there my bank account is minimized and never maximized.

Those where my top four categories. If you have some others go ahead and add them to the balance. It was shocking as I added such small amounts how it accumulated  into a large sum pretty quick. I was surprised to see that I was spending around 1,100 per month. What? That's like three car payments ! Imagine all I could've saved. Where would that money be? Maybe I would've payed off a debt. Maybe we could've helped a needy family in church. My head was spinning I couldn't believe I was that person behind every purchase. I realized one thing. LITTLE can Become THOUSANDS!

The next thing that came in my head was the verse I had heard at the previous ladies conference I had attended " A wise woman builds her house"  and also Proverbs 31:10-31. We see the pictures of a wise woman. A godly woman who is wise in her spendings. You see what God  allowed me to understand was that He wants every part of my life to be pleasing to Him, yes even the way I spend my money.  I was convicted and ashamed of how badly I had handled my finances in the past. As we learn and grow together let's seek Gods guidance in every part of our life. As women of God and specially as keepers of our home, let's begin to make choices that are wise, that will bless our husbands, our children and at the end even we will reap the benefits. Having more is something our culture has become obsessed with. More clothes, more gadgets, more pleasure, more , more, more. As a wise woman we most be filled in Christ, satisfied in His providence for us. After all when we walk close to Him on a daily consistent manner we will experience more joy, more peace, more blessings and more satisfaction. God always gives the best at no cost to us.

I'll end with this final verse found in Isaiah 55:2 "Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labor for that which satisfieth not?