In Him

I just worked out that dinner for our family tonight cost a grand total of $4.85!  I bought Black and Gold Spaghetti and Cheese for .59c each today.  Heinz Baked Beans is $1.73 each (salt reduced!) and a loaf of bread is $2.20 which contains 22 slices so that is .10c a slice - so

a half a can each for the girls                   0.59

and a can each of beans for Dave and I      3.46

plus 2 slices of toast each                        0.80

                                                         = $4.85

A cheap, easy (Friday night, not gonna cook) filling meal. 
And WAY cheaper than takeaway (that costs $20 at the very least).

I read this small article in the May edition of the Challenge newspaper.  Some good advice. 

Family Finances

So many of us get trapped into a discontented life by adopting needlessly excessive goals. These goals always boil down to more, bigger, best. And as soon as we accept these sky-high standards, indulgence, greed, and pride can rule our lives.

In our society it is not normal to “step down.” Instead, once a certain level of income (or spending) has been attained, it is considered a failure to step down. But, is the concept of conservation and moderation really a loser’s attitude? Not according to God’s Word, the Bible.

To find true contentment, some basic guidelines must be established.

1. Establish a reasonable standard of living.

Since there is no universal plan that is suitable for everyone, this must be a standard established among husband, wife, and God. Just having an abundance is not a sign of God’s blessings.

2. Establish a habit of giving.

Find out how your family can be directly involved in contributing to the needs of another family. There are many Christian charities and organizations that act as a funnel for such funds. If you can’t be personally involved, this is the best alternative.

3. Establish priorities.

Many people are discontented, not because they aren’t doing well, but because others are doing better. Too often we let the urgent things take priority over the important things.

4. Develop a thankful attitude.

Thankfulness is a state of mind, not an accumulation of assets. We will not have true contentment until we truly thank God for what we have, and willingly accept that as God’s provision for our lives.

5. Reject a fearful spirit.

We can get trapped into hoarding because we fear the “what- ifs?” of retirement, disability, unemployment, or economic collapse. Obviously, God wants us to consider these things and even plan for them, within reason, but when fear dictates us to the point that worry becomes the norm rather than the exception, then we need to rethink our priorities and seek God’s wisdom.

Finding contentment is the solution to reversing the growing debt levels in our society. Contentment does not mean complacency or living according to strict rules. Contentment instead requires a personal relationship with God and finding His plan for our lives.

Lloyd Woodrow - Crown Financial Ministries - crown@crown.com.au
Copied from Challenge Newspaper May 2008 edition
http://www.challengenews.org/showstory.php?i=2008/may&s=story_4&r=2008/may/&l=AU&f=NKNE

I receive a newsletter from Simple Savings. Some may have heard of this site by seeing it on Australian current affairs programs or just from friends/family.  The following story is written by Colin Cook.  People are always adding creative ways to this website on how to save money.  Some are more helpful than others.  If you apply only a handful you can still save money. 

We decided to get rid of the $96,000 mortgage on our home within three years.

The massive load of interest we would pay to the bank was over the top and we felt that the bank owned us. The entire family bought into the project one hundred percent.

1) We replaced the nice modern cars with older, less costly ones. The net difference and any savings we had and $700 from a garage sale were paid off the mortgage.

2) We agreed to budget as if we were in a life and death war and the war had to be won in three years. I developed an Excel budget spreadsheet and we tweaked the numbers until we had a ‘do-able’ weekly saving of $220 extra to pay off the mortgage. Clothes purchases would be done exclusively at ‘Harrods’, our Salvation Army shop, until the war was over.

We decided to run any item not budgeted for over three ‘hurdles’.

The first hurdle was ‘could it shorten the mortgage war?’

The second hurdle was ‘is it a health issue?’ and if so what was the least-cost workable solution?

The third hurdle was ‘could it wait until the end of the three years?’

3) As time progressed we became pretty smart at reassigning money to reward ourselves for enduring the war. This meant we could have a low cost take away sometimes, or spend on an out of budget item we had set our hearts on.

It took nearly four years to knock off the mortgage. Yes, we won the war a little later than hoped, but we won. If it had taken eight or nine years to win, it would still have been worth it.

The legacy of our war against the mortgage is that we have developed great money saving skills for life. And life is great.

Simple Savings is an Australian website offering information on how to save money in simple practical ways for a minimal cost.  I’ve been a member for 3 years now and have more than paid off the initial $47 (for 12 months, subsequent renewal is cheaper) in the first year, or even first shopping trip, I’m sure!  Check it out, there are menu planners, calendars, a monthly newsletter and weekly hints like the one above.  The website has forums where you can discuss ways to save and what others are doing as well as question recipes which have been posted etc.