He is risen! – Matthew 28:6

Holy week is upon us and soon we’ll be celebrating the good news on Easter, that Christ is risen! If you’re like most Christians, you’ve spent the past six weeks of Lent reflecting on your life, your faith and your commitment to God and your church. It’s the season of spiritual rebirth, of cleansing and of hope. You can apply this feeling to most any aspect of your life, including your financial affairs. If you’re looking to rebuild and reinvigorate your finances, below are a few things you can do to easily enrich your financial health this Easter season.

1. Start or Add to an Emergency Fund

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The last century has seen a decline in the overall character of man. On a national level the moral compass of our society has tilted far from “true north” so to speak. We see this through the lack of morality on television and in movies. We can see it through the increased crime rates in every city in America. We see it through an increase in crimes that in times past were absolutely unheard of.

We also see this decline in the financial world in the way businesses and government conduct their money as well as how individual’s view their own financial responsibilities. The decline in money morality has resulted in near catastrophic recession in the last decade which forced many Americans out of their homes and into foreclosure and bankruptcy. During that time period many people were comparing the events to those of the 1930s in which “The Great Depression” had a similar effect on American families. Continue reading

In our society there is often great confusion concerning wealth and increased income. One definition of wealth states that wealth is, “an abundance of valuable resources or material.” This could be pretty broad range of things. You may not have one dollar to your name, but if you had a chest full of rare diamonds, you could still consider yourself wealthy. So then, wealth can become subjective to whatever you may deem “valuable.” When an individual is in the trenches of a Christian debt consolidation program some days can seem dark indeed. The level of financial sacrifice you are making may seem unbearable some days. You may even experience some level of ridicule or judgment from people who do not understand what you are doing or why you are doing it. There may be days when you feel poor indeed. This is when you must reevaluate the true meaning of wealth.
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I used to think only rich people could be obsessed with money. I saw how wrong I was when I began seeing signs money has become an idol in my own life.

I was actually more than $30,000 in debt when I was most obsessed with money. My intentions were good—I wanted to become debt-free. I wanted to protect my family by building an emergency savings. I wanted to give generously to my church. But I became so fixated with those goals that money turned into an idol, and I couldn’t even see it.

It was only through a loved one speaking into my life that I was able to wake up and realize I was on a slippery slope.

Read on for three signs money has become an idol in your own life…

Money is Constantly on Your Mind.

What do you think about when you first wake up? What’s on your mind just before you fall asleep? If your first and last thoughts of the day are centered on money—earning more, saving more, spending more or paying off more—it may be an idol. The Bible tells us we control our own thoughts, and we are to take every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5).

Keep an honest budget. Pay off your debt. Focus your attention on what matters.

Your Loved Ones Are Increasingly Frustrated With Your Money Talk.

Your family and close friends probably know you better than you think. If your spouse, children or friends look like they want to head for the hills when you bring up the subject of money (again), it may be an idol. Luke 6:45 says “the mouth speaks what the heart is full of” (NIV). A certain amount of money talk is healthy and necessary, but the subject shouldn’t come up every day. Don’t let an obsession with money damage or ruin a relationship.

You Have a “Destination” Mindset. Do The Following Thoughts Sound Familiar?

This type of “destination thinking” is a lie. Here’s the reality: if your joy rests in achieving a particular financial goal, you’ll be disappointed every time. It’s human nature. Once we complete one goal, it won’t be long until a new one pops up. Some people live their entire lives climbing a ladder to nowhere. Just check out Solomon’s experience with this subject in the book of Ecclesiastes. If this wealthy, powerful king couldn’t find satisfaction through money, no one can. Ask God to help you find true contentment in Him. Nothing else will fully satisfy.

Financial idolatry is real, and it’s alive and well in America today. But recognizing it in our lives is half the battle, as well as the first step towards rooting it out.

Remember the wise words of Matthew 6, and be careful where you keep your treasure.

Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it’s safe from moth and rust and burglars. It’s obvious, isn’t it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being (The Message).

Actually, more than $30,000 in debt when I was most obsessed with money. My intentions were good—I wanted to become debt-free. I wanted to protect my family by building an emergency savings. I wanted to give generously to my church. But I became so fixated with those goals that money turned into an idol, and I couldn’t even see it.

It was only through a loved one speaking into my life that I was able to wake up and realize I was on a slippery slope.

Read on for three signs money has become an idol in your own life…

Money is Constantly on Your Mind.

What do you think about when you first wake up? What’s on your mind just before you fall asleep? If your first and last thoughts of the day are centered on money—earning more, saving more, spending more or paying off more—these may be signs money has become an idol. The Bible tells us we control our own thoughts, and we are to take every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5).

Your Loved Ones Are Increasingly Frustrated With Your Money Talk.

Your family and close friends probably know you better than you think. If your spouse, children or friends look like they want to head for the hills when you bring up the subject of money (again), it may be an idol. Luke 6:45 says “the mouth speaks what the heart is full of” (NIV). A certain amount of money talk is healthy and necessary, but the subject shouldn’t come up every day. Don’t let an obsession with money damage or ruin a relationship.

You Have a “Destination” Mindset. Do The Following Thoughts Sound Familiar?

This type of “destination thinking” is a lie. Here’s the reality: if your joy rests in achieving a particular financial goal, you’ll be disappointed every time. It’s human nature. Once we complete one goal, it won’t be long until a new one pops up. Some people live their entire lives climbing a ladder to nowhere. Just check out Solomon’s experience with this subject in the book of Ecclesiastes. If this wealthy, powerful king couldn’t find satisfaction through money, no one can. Ask God to help you find true contentment in Him. Nothing else will fully satisfy.

Financial idolatry is real, and it’s alive and well in America today. But recognizing it in our lives is half the battle, as well as the first step towards rooting it out.

Remember the wise words of Matthew 6, and be careful where you keep your treasure.

Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it’s safe from moth and rust and burglars. It’s obvious, isn’t it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being (The Message).

As with many aspects of our financial lives and spending habits, most of our money choices are influenced by society. There are constantly underlying pressures on us to keep up with what everyone else is buying. The root of this pressure and our resulting obedience is pride. We do not want to seem strange, backwards or poverty stricken. This is very easily seen in the brand vs. no brand debate.

Everything from cola to clothing is categorized into name brands and non-name brands. Making the choice between name brand and non-name brand is not as easy as just assuming that you should always buy the cheaper version, though. If you are reinventing your finances and trying to stick to a careful budget as part of your Christian debt relief program, you must consider that quality is an important factor when you are shopping. If you cheap out on a purchase only to find out later that the item was not of good quality, you will wind up spending even more money to replace it or repair it. So some thought and planning ahead come into play here. You can only control your finances when you plan ahead and spend thoughtfully.

Clothing

Clothing is a big consideration in the brand name debate. The issue of name brand clothing has a lot more to do with social status than it does with quality. People are proud of their labels. The best way to determine the wise choice as it pertains to clothing is to pinpoint your motives. Are you buying expensive jeans because you really, honestly know for a fact that these are quality jeans that will last a really long time, or are you just buying them because other people buy them and you want people to see the name on back? Your motives behind your spending are very important. Your spending motives can make or break your most carefully laid financial plans. The great thing about clothing is that if you shop thrift and consignment shops you can usually get name brands for a fraction of their regular price. Again, pride has to take a back seat to practicality, though.

Shoes

Shoes are one area in which you often find, especially if you have young, active children, that forking over the extra money for name brand shoes might be the better investment. Name brand shoes are generally made better and use longer lasting material, like real leather. Children beat up their shoes so badly, that often times buying shoes at thrift shops is not practical. By the time the shoes reach the Goodwill they are pretty much wasted. If spending an extra twenty dollars means the shoes will last an extra six to twelve months, then that is wise. Again watch your motives. Buy because of the quality, not because of the name.

Food

This is where most folks get tricked by the marketing villains. Off brand food is required by law to be of the same quality as name brand food. Therefore, you can’t argue that name brand is better quality. However, our subconscious will often play tricks on us and tell us that the name brand just tastes better. If there is a certain product that you just can’t stomach in an off brand that is understandable, however, do not go across the board and let your taste buds demand you buy name brand. Pick a few items each week to try in off brand. Within a month you will have changed your entire grocery list and will have begun to save quite a bit.

Other Stuff

When purchasing bigger items like electronics, appliances or furniture, take the time to research different name brands. Most importantly read reviews. Websites like Amazon will post honest reviews of almost every product they have listed. Even if you are not purchasing from the site, use the reviews listed under the product you are interested in to help you make your choice. Using sites like Consumer Reports can also help you understand the true quality of an item based on testing and consumer reviews. This is a great tool for larger purchases which you would consider an investment and you would like to see last for a good, long while.

Our lives are made up of important milestones like graduations, birthdays and anniversaries.  Many people like to celebrate these milestones with parties and big events. These are a fun time for family and friends to get together, share memories and make new ones.  For individuals who are currently involved with a Christian debt management program you may think that any fun events like these are off limits until you have reached your goals concerning your debt. It’s true that there is a lot of sacrifice involved in Christian debt relief. However, that does not mean you can never celebrate another big event with your family and friends.

Rethink Party

You just need to rethink your definition of what a party or big event is. If in your past you could not have a party without expensive decorations and professionally catered food, then you must stop and re-evaluate. Most of these ideas are based on pride anyway. Many money troubles stem from a sense of pride and an un-Christ like desire to make people think highly of us. If you are throwing a party or hosting a big event for someone the event is not about you. It is about the person celebrating the milestone. Remember that your loved ones will be touched by your efforts not by how much you spend.

Old Fashioned Pot Luck vs. Catering

Never underestimate the power of a good old fashioned pot luck style dinner. People get excited when they get to participate. A pot luck evens out the burden of providing food for your event in such a way that no one feels overwhelmed and in most cases each person will not spend more than they normally would on making a meal at home. A pot luck style meal is appropriate for a number of different events and are far more interesting as there will be a bigger variety of foods to choose from.

Bulk Tableware

If you are planning a large event visit a bulk supply store to purchase plates, napkins and flatware. You can get huge discounts when you buy large amounts of these products together.

Chill on the Decorations

There is no law requiring you to decorate every inch of every event. It is far more cost effective to decorate with something like photos of the folks you are honoring. Clothes lines strung with photos, or individual notes written to the special someone are a touching way to decorate your event space. These can be organized and gathered together weeks ahead of time. Another great alternative to excessive decorations would be to organize a slide show of photographs celebrating the life of the individual. When set to appropriate music these are usually an emotional addition to any celebration and in most cases the decorations or lack of decorations will be forgotten about as every one reminisces together in this special way.

Research Freebie Venues

There are many organizations which will allow the use of their facilities by the community for free as long as you agree to care for and clean the area during and after your event. Community centers, schools and churches are a great place to start looking for free venue options.

Choose Emotion Over Expensive

Taking the time to make the event emotional and memorable will create a far greater and longer lasting effect on those present than expensive food and decorations. Remember that these celebrations are about people not hundred dollar shrimp platters.

Christian debt relief programs are built upon the concept of creating a plan and sticking to that plan no matter what. When you have a financial plan and stick to it like glue, there are few money obstacles that you can’t successfully tackle. Most people find themselves in a debt disaster seeking Christian debt help because they did not have a plan in the beginning. Each area of our lives will require its own individual financial plan. Near the very top of our list of financial priorities should definitely be our homes.

Why Plan?

Our homes are our most important investment. Shelter is one of our top legitimate needs which income must be allocated for. But even with this most necessary of human needs, there are different ways this need can be met. Once you have invested in purchasing a home you want that home to continue to meet your needs for as long as possible. This can only happen if you have a plan concerning home maintenance.

Expect the Worst

One of the great fallacies of money management is to wait until something goes wrong to decide how to pay for it. Go ahead and accept the fact that things will go wrong with your home. At any given time there are a number of things that can go wrong. Appliances, plumbing, electrical, HVAC, pest infestations and general wear and tear all add up to big money over the years. Many of these issues can be handled with money from a carefully maintained emergency fund. When you think of how essential to our daily life and comfort something like hot water is, you can understand how important it is to be able to go purchase a new hot water heater the day you need it. An emergency fund makes this possible.

Common Sense Saves You Money

Some of the home maintenance issues that you will face are simply the result of time and cannot be helped. However there are also a myriad of home maintenance problems that would not be problems if a little forethought was used. There are some steps you can take to save yourself a lot of trouble and money in the future.

In an ideal world everyone would have enough cash to take care of their monthly expenses without ever having to take on unnecessary debt. However, the way our economy operates, it is quite inconvenient (although not impossible) to conduct your financial life without an adequate credit score. The question then is how to build or re-build healthy credit for those necessary times in life when your character is being judged by a FICO score.

Secured Credit Cards

Secured credit cards are a hybrid between a loadable debit card and an unsecured credit card. Basically secured credit cards allow individuals with poor or non-existent credit scores the opportunity to use a line of credit granted that the person first make a security deposit usually of $300-$500. Charges on the card are not deducted from this amount, but are actual credit charges. Paying off the entire balance each month will quickly begin to affect your credit score in a positive way.

Gas Cards

Applying for a gas card is another very safe way to build credit because you will be limited to purchasing only one necessary item, gas. Gas is already part of your regular monthly budget, so if you simply put these purchases on the card, and then use the cash you have set aside for gas to pay off the balance each month, then you will be building your credit with no extra expense or risk to your financial security.

Pay Student Loans on Time

Many people do not realize that Federal Student Loans will affect your credit score negatively or positively. Student loans are usually a very easy debt to manage because the interest rates are generally very low, late fees are small or non-existent and in most cases re-payment plans are ultra-flexible. Staying on top of this easy debt can re-build a credit score very quickly.

Do Utility Bills Count?

Paying utility bills will usually only affect your score negatively if you allow a bill to become delinquent. However, the opposite is not true. If you consistently pay your utility bills on time it will not necessarily affect your credit score in a positive way. So, yes pay your utility bills on time, but do not except that alone to make much of an improvement to your score.

Is Cash Really King?

Attempting to live a cash only lifestyle is a wonderful, tried, and true method of controlling spending and reinventing your finances. However, you will want to consider that there are a growing number of areas in which a good credit score can assist you in reaching your goals. Operating entirely on cash will result in a non-existent credit score, which can translate into rejection. Individuals looking to rent a house or apartment are often very disappointed to learn that a good credit score is required. Purchasing a home definitely requires good credit, and even some employers are checking into your credit history in order to make a judgment of what kind of employee you will turn out to be.

Pay Down Debt Increase Income

New credit laws and credit practices are turning toward a more common sense approach when it comes to approving an individual for a line of credit. Many lending companies are looking more at a person’s credit to income ratio to help make a decision. You can improve your credit score by paying down current debt and making an effort to increase your yearly income by means of a part time job or generating side work in your current field of experience. Paying down debt is one of the key elements to restoring health to a damaged credit history.

Christian debt settlement can help you evaluate your current debt situation, and map out a Christian debt program that will work for you. Visit the link above, or fill out the short form to the right of this article to contact a representative for a FREE no-obligation quote today.

Marriage is the beginning of a new life and it is also one of the holiest of human social practices. Marriage was instituted by God in the Garden of Eden. However, we must be careful not to confuse “marriage” with “weddings.” Weddings are largely the invention of man, and each culture has its own set of socially approved practices in order to transport one man and one woman into the joined state of marriage. No matter what your culture or even your religious views, one thing remains the same about weddings for everyone; they cost money. In most cases a great deal of money.

Many couples make the choice to begin their married lives together by going into their first huge debt together for the sole purpose of having an extravagant wedding. This is dangerous on many levels. You will set several precedents with your wedding. You will be presenting to your new spouse what kind of spender you will be in married life. You are also setting the groundwork for how the two of you will interact with one another on money issues. You will quickly be able to pinpoint who is the spender and who is the saver. This is a great time to evaluate if the two of you are on the same page.

Choosing to conduct a modestly priced wedding will do a lot for you as a couple. You will obviously save some money, and as many couples have learned the hard way, there are a lot of expenses involved in starting your lives together beyond the ceremony and reception. It will also be a very important exercise in self-control, for both bride and groom. If you can control your spending urges during a wedding, you can control them under almost any circumstances.

Know What is Important

The first step in affordable wedding planning is to understand which part of the wedding is the most important to you as a couple. Is it most important to have amazing clothes, or is it most important to be able to invite as many of your friends and family as possible? You may not be able to do both and stay within a reasonable budget. Do not rush this step. Talk and discuss the issue for as long as you need to until both bride and groom have come to an understanding on the wedding priorities.

Small Bridal Parties

Rather than trying to fill a particular number in your bridal party, choose individuals who are really, truly special to you. Many brides think they must have a certain number of bridesmaids and therefore pay for clothes and gifts for each of these girls. It would be far better to focus your attention and money on one or two precious friends than a whole crew you are just picking randomly to fill a number.

Kill Two Birds with One Bouquet

Having your ceremony and reception at the same venue will usually save you a lot of money, not to mention a lot of confusion and travel arrangements. Trying to shuffle all of your wedding guests from one location to another can be an expensive pain in the neck.

Homemade is Not Tacky

Do not let your pride hinder your wedding plans. There are a lot of great homemade ideas that can be quite beautiful and affordable at the same time. Everything from flower arrangements to catering can be done when friends and family pitch in their talents and time to help you out. Do not be afraid to ask for help. Most people will not see this as an inconvenience, but rather an honor that you want them involved.

The debt disasters that many couples have found themselves in often begin with outrageous weddings that had to be financed. These couples will often find themselves seeking help from a Christian debt settlement program within just a few years. Avoiding this problem from the beginning is always best. It is also a good idea for engaged couples to attempt to get their own personal debt under control before their wedding so that they do not go into marriage dragging their debt baggage with them. A Christian debt management program can help you get that personal debt out of the way before your big day.

If you are reading this because you are close to your “big day,” or thinking about “tying the knot,” but you and your soon-to-be spouse have debt, why not look into a solution for it now. It will only take a second! Fill out the short form to the right for a FREE no-obligation quote today! Get your debt under control before your big day! Oh, and Congratulations from all of us here at, FaithWorks Financial if you are indeed getting ready to tie the knot.

Funerals are certainly not a favorite topic for most people, but it is a necessary topic that should receive more adequate attention and planning. Funerals are an eminent part of our life, and although funerals are super charged with emotion, there is also a practical side to this difficult subject.

Ignoring is Costly

To avoid the topic of funeral planning can be very costly for families. According to the Federal Trade Commission there are over fifteen different costs involved in an average funeral. Each of these elements carries their own price tag. The emotion associated with the death of a loved one will not make the costs go away. It will still be expensive no matter how upset you and your family are.

Practicality of Planning

Planning ahead for personal and family funeral costs is practical because you can conduct this most important of tasks in a non-emotional environment. You will be better able to focus on what needs to be addressed and you will be in a better state of mind to make choices. Even if it does feel awkward or difficult to discuss such things with your family it will be far easier to discuss it now than it would be hours after a loved one’s death.

Planning is Cost Effective

Often times when families choose to establish their funeral plans a head of time they will get the opportunity to purchase necessary items at the current market value. This means that if you purchase a casket now and it is not needed for another twenty years, you will not pay the inflated price in the future. Today’s prices will be far cheaper than they will be when these items and services will actually be used for yourself or a family member. Planning ahead also gives you the option of installment payments. Having the option to pay for your funeral costs over a long period of time makes this large expense much more easily managed.

Planning is Kind

Your family may feel resistant at first to this topic. Take the time to explain to them that you are actually doing this as a kindness to them, not to make them uncomfortable. Ask each one of them if they would rather make these decsions right now, or the day of your death. When people think of this task in that light it is much easier to see the practicality and kindness of planning ahead.

Considering Children

Planning ahead for the funeral costs of an adult is one thing, but many people feel an extreme taboo surrounding any type of funeral planning for children. If you have small children and cannot emotionally handle making these types of decisions concerning them, you should consider setting up a life insurance policy for your children which can double as a college savings plan. These plans will ensure that there is money set aside for funeral costs in the event of your child’s death and the money can convert to cash value when they reach college age. This will at least offer some financial buffer so you would not have to worry about how to pay for a funeral while also facing the tragedy of losing a child.