With inflation and a growing family, our budget is in constant need of tending and adjusting. If you're not already convinced of the importance of wisdom in financial management, just look at what the Bible has to say! (Emphasis mine.)
An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels.
The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain.
She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life.
She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands.
She is like the ships of the merchant; she brings her food from afar.
She rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household and portions for her maidens.
She considers a field and buys it; with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.
She dresses herself with strength and makes her arms strong.
She perceives that her merchandise is profitable.
Her lamp does not go out at night.
She puts her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle.
She opens her hand to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy.
She is not afraid of snow for her household, for all her household are clothed in scarlet.
She makes bed coverings for herself; her clothing is fine linen and purple.
Her husband is known in the gates when he sits among the elders of the land.
She makes linen garments and sells them; she delivers sashes to the merchant.
Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come.
She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: “Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.”
Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates.
Proverbs 31:10–31
Scripture is clear that we are to steward well the material resources God has given us, planning for the future to provide for our families, as well as giving to those in need. Saving money allows us to prepare for the future, save for big purchases, pay off our debts, and give generously with intentionality.
If the topic of money is stressful and overwhelming for you, you're not alone. Here are 10 simple practices that can help you start saving money today. I compiled this list for our family to help us be more intentional in our financial stewardship, and I hope it is helpful for you too!
Drink Water It's incredible the difference it can make in your budget if you commit to drinking water, rather than soda or juice, for most meals. (It also makes our family feel better!)
Save Sweets for Special Occasions When we have gotten into the habit of maintaining a consistent ice cream supply in our freezer, we add hundreds of dollars to our grocery budget each month. (Again, we feel better physically when we eat sweets more sparingly.)
Make Meals from Scratch Buy ingredients in bulk and prepare them yourself rather than purchasing pre-made packaged meals. Grind your own coffee beans rather than purchasing K-Cups or Nespresso Pods.
Turn Off Lights and Water When Not in Use I don't know about you, but our electric bill and water bill are ridiculously high, particularly in the summer months. Some things as simple as turning off lights when you leave a room, and not leaving the water running while brushing your teeth, can really add up.
Use Outdoor Air to Regulate Temperature Open windows when it’s cool in the mornings and evenings rather than blasting the air conditioner.
Cut Down Subscriptions Amazon Prime, Disney+, Netflix, Hulu, Peacock, Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Red, PlayStation Plus . . . We could go on and on. We chose to start buying CDs or MP3s of music we love and creating varied playlists of quality music rather than paying for a music subscription. We canceled our Amazon Prime account, deciding that we can just wait until we have $35-worth of products to purchase at once to access free shipping. We have tried to limit ourselves to subscribing to only one streaming service at a time. Try this: Choose one streaming service for one month. Watch everything you want to watch that month, then cancel and pick a different service the following month. This will allow you plenty of variety while ensuring you don't pay for services you aren't using.
Practice Contentment We try to be content with what we have in as many ways as possible. When we see something new we would like to have, we ask ourselves, "Is my current [iPhone, wardrobe, pair of boots] meeting my needs?" If the answer is yes, then an upgrade can wait.
Use Coupons My two main grocery stores do not accept coupons (one is wholesale and the other has pretty competitive low prices for the products they carry), but they do have sales on certain products. I almost never make a purchase from other stores unless I have a coupon or there is a sale or promotion.
Sleep On It Never make a big purchase without giving it at least 24 hours to consider it. Sometimes, you may need to think about it for a few weeks! Make a pro/con list if you need to. Talk it over with your spouse or other parties involved. Search multiple vendors, research different options to meet your need. This gives you time to identify the best product and find the best deal. Keep an eye out for sales—and when you find one, you can purchase confidently without the possibility of regret from an impulsive splurge.
Commit to the Budget Make a categorized budget spreadsheet, and actually look at it before making a purchase to make sure there is room in the budget. If not, can it wait until next month? If not, maybe it's time to rearrange the budget.
Is there anything you would add?
Happy Saving!
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