As Christians, we fully understand the “reason for the season.” It is our time of the year to consider God’s great sacrifice through his son Jesus Christ, our opportunity to reflect upon the sheer magnitude of God’s grace toward us.

Unfortunately, consumerism has taken over our society. It is estimated that the average person sees thousands of advertisements a day. Whether it’s on a billboard, the side of a bus, in a store or on television, we are surrounded by the message that in order to feel good we should spend. This is especially true now that the Christmas season is well underway. We tell ourselves that we must buy things for the people we care about, even if it means putting it on a credit card.

One great thing about attempting to manage finances according to Christian principals is that we understand the importance of the holiday. We know that spending money is not what Christmas is all about. It is important for anyone trying to get out from under debt to celebrate Christmas on a budget.

Fortunately, plenty of people are managing to have a joyous Christmas on a budget and have come up with easy ideas for making it possible to enjoy Christmas without breaking the bank.

Here are a few tips to help you stay on track this Christmas! 

1. Avoid credit cards from Thanksgiving day through January 1.
2. Budget in the cost of groceries for your Christmas meal. If you will have people over, it’s okay to ask them to bring a dish to share. In fact, most people are glad to know they’ll get to enjoy their favorite holiday dish.
3. Divide the cash you have by the number of people you have to buy for and make a list that includes the person’s name and how much you’re going to spend on them.
4. The mailman, hairdresser and next door neighbor will be perfectly satisfied with a thoughtfully chosen card.
5. Don’t buy more edible items than you need. Peanut brittle, little chocolate Santas, egg nog and the other holiday favorites can really add up quick. One great pie with Christmas dinner will easily take the place of those costly little snacks.
6. If you have children, think about what they actually need. If they will be needing a new pair of shoes in the next few months, now would be a great time to make the purchase so that it can be appreciated as a Christmas gift.

Stick to your Christmas budget and come January you’ll be very grateful that your New Year’s resolution does not involve paying off 2013’s Christmas debt!

For most families, food and grocery expenses are the second biggest line item in their budgets after rent or mortgage payments. While the budget bite from grocery shopping can be depressing at times, the good news is that there is a lot of room for creativity and savings for disciplined shoppers. One of the greatest advances in budget-conscious shopping is finding its way into America’s kitchens with great results: shopping for groceries online can rescue an out-of-control food budget.

It is well known that the internet provides opportunities abound to comparison shop for necessities like clothes and insurance; using the internet to find grocery bargains is a logical next step. Most grocery store chains offer online shopping options with free in-store pickup; a few even offer home delivery for a small fee. Wal-Mart and Amazon.com offer free home delivery, and allow you to combine grocery purchases with other items from the store. The end result is a great addition to any debt relief program- saving money by buying groceries online.
Shopping online for food makes sense for many reasons, especially for families trying to stick with Christian debt management principles. When you buy groceries online, you eliminate pricey impulse purchases. You buy only items from your list. This saves money and helps you stick to healthy choices. Eating healthy on a budget is easier using online shopping tools. Many grocery stores offer meal planning and recipe tools right on the site: You choose your menu for the week and the corresponding grocery items are automatically loaded into your shopping cart.

Most grocery websites list their weekly specials so you can buy from the store with the best prices for the groceries you need that week. Some even feature economical recipes using sale items to help you maximize grocery savings.

Shopping online allows you to compare grocery prices on the things you buy regularly so you can always get the best available price without driving to several stores. Big retailers like Wal-Mart and Amazon give you access to economical brands and product sizes that might not be available to you at your local stores.

Ordering groceries online takes the guesswork and surprise out of your food bill. You can see what your choices are costing before you purchase them, giving you an opportunity to make changes to keep costs in line with your budget.

To start harnessing the Internet for grocery savings, begin with your local grocery chains’ websites to see what’s available. Browse the grocery offerings at Walmart.com and Amazon.com to compare prices. Other sites like ShopFoodex and NetGrocer have frequent specials offering favorite foods at steep discounts and usually offer a credit toward your first order. It may take a few weeks to get used to buying groceries this way, but you will find, with practice, that online grocery shopping can be your budget’s best friend.

With the hectic daily grind that has become a part of so many peoples daily routines, it is no surprise that eating out is one of the top budget breakers. When you are running around town and have your kids in the car howling about how hungry they are, a quick pizza run may cause the kids to cheer, but your budget will not.

Last minute dining out decisions can wreak havoc on a carefully planned budget or Christian debt management plan. For families attempting to eliminate debt, this is an added expense that can kill your dream of being debt free. Eating out is such a sneaky expense, because we can always justify needing to eat. You must consider however, food purchased in a restaurant is almost always significantly more expensive than the same type of meal prepared at home.

Why Do You Eat Out So Much?

Pinpointing your motives behind your actions is the first step toward changing those actions. Many individuals cite eating out as more convenient than cooking at home and that it saves time. Forbes author Laurence M. Holland points out that when you calculate the travel time, waiting for a table, waiting to give your order, waiting for your food, and then waiting for your bill you ultimately save no time at all. Not to mention the fact that when you are eating at home, you can also be multi-tasking on other things such as catching up email, or helping your kids with their homework. Eating at home ultimately saves time.

Other individuals may say that they eat out so often because they just don’t like to cook. This is a situation where you must evaluate how important it is that you be successful with your Christian debt management program. If you are truly committed to debt elimination, then doing something you don’t necessarily like to do should not seem like that big of a sacrifice. The truth is people eat out a lot because it is less work for them. This, however, is not a good reason to endanger your budget or your path to being a debt free Christian.

How to Ensure You Eat At Home

Make a Plan

Planning to eat at home more often takes a little organization. You must have a plan. Taking thirty or forty-five minutes once a week to make out a menu and a grocery list will save you a lot of time and money later on. Make sure your menu is specific and that your grocery list will accommodate all your meals. If you are new to cooking, take a look at websites such as allrecipes.com or the Food Network for ideas and inspiration, or do a search for “budget friendly meals”.

Stick to your list

Now that you have your list put together, it’s time to go shopping! If you made a careful menu, then the items on the list will feed your family for that week. You will not have a need to buy other items. Many parents find that bringing the kids with them to the grocery store often leads to overspending. If going alone will ensure you spend less, then go alone.

Plan for eating out.

The fact that you are going through a Christian debt management program does not mean that you cannot still enjoy a meal out on occasion. If your budget has the room for it, set aside some money for eating out each month. Every situation is unique and your personal goals are going to determine the frequency at which you can enjoy a meal out. You may find that you can actually budget for a pizza night each week. We suggest that you are careful to be eating out because it was planned and budgeted rather than because you weren’t sure what else to do for dinner that night.

If you follow these suggestions, you can prevent one of the top budget breakers from getting between you and your financial goals.

Getting out of debt is a big job and requires a lot of sacrifice if you are serious. When most people begin their Christian Debt Relief program they just assume, “Well, no fun vacations for us for the next five years.”. While there will be many things that must be sacrificed, fun does not have to be one of them. You and your family can still have fun, even without an expensive yearly vacation. Here are a few alternatives to traditional family vacations that will save some money and make some lasting memories.

Kid’s Choice Week

If your kids are accustomed to taking a week-long vacation to somewhere exciting, present a “Kids Choice Week” as an alternative. Explain to your kids you will not be going on vacation, but instead, for an entire week every evening will be kid’s choice. Your kids get to choose the meal, the movie, the game the activity. Give each child a night that can be entirely their own to plan for the family to spend at home together. Your kids will love the concentrated time with each other and the feeling of being in charge.

Staycation

This is becoming a much more popular alternative in recent years. If you are in a position to take some time off work, plan a staycation. This is a great option for families that have a little money for a vacation but not really enough for travel expenses and hotel costs. Spend some time finding the most fun activities and attractions that are within driving distance of your house. You may think there aren’t any, but you’ll be surprised what you find once you start looking. Each day of your planned “staycation” you and your family will go experience a different place or activity. It could be an amusement park, museum, hiking trails. A week full of day trips. If you have really young children, you would be shocked at how much fun they might have just staying at home and getting to play with you for a few days. This is especially true for parents that work a lot. Just you being home will seem special to them.

Freebie Weekends

If you really have no extra cash, and you don’t think it wise to take time off from work, plan a month of freebie weekends for you and your family. Each state has loads of free activities offered at national parks, museums and other attractions throughout the year. Simply Google “free fun stuff to do” for your state. Pack a picnic lunch for each outing and all you’ve spent is a little extra gas money. This is a really nice alternative because your family will be looking forward to a new experience all month long.

“Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.” — Matthew 22: 20-22

Jesus gave this oft-quoted response when asked by church officials whether he felt his followers should have to pay the Roman tax. The questioners were seeking to trap Jesus and arrest him, yet they walked away satisfied with the answer.

In today’s complex financial world, it’s difficult sometimes to keep our wits about us when faced with bill collectors and demands for payment. Sometimes, we don’t even remember or understand the debt the caller wants to discuss. When it comes to debt collection phone calls, it is all too easy to respond in a less-than-Christian and less-than-responsible way.

Here are a few tips on how to handle bill collectors in a Christian manner.

1. Pick up The Phone and Make Responsible Arrangements
Speaking with a bill collector is very unfamiliar territory for most. For this reason, the first reaction to a known bill collector is often to avoid the call. However, it is important to face the matter head on.

When overwhelmed and put on the spot, it is very easy to promise a bill collector more than you can afford. You want to fulfill your obligation, and you probably want to get the person to stop calling. However, you don’t want to jeopardize your other financial obligations by agreeing to more than you can truly afford. A better solution is to disassociate yourself from the emotions of the phone call, call the collector back after you’ve had time to make a budget, and work out a solution that will be satisfying to both the collector as well as your finances.

2. Be Polite
Bill collectors can bring out bad behavior in many of us. After all, not having enough to pay what you owe is frustrating in itself, let alone with an aggressive stranger letting reminding you of the shortcoming. However, it is important to remember that the person on the other end of the phone is someone like you, just trying to earn money to house, clothe and feed his or her family. Even if the person is rude to you, the proper Christian response is to “turn the other cheek” and end the call politely.

3. Educate yourself
If this is a new situation to you, as it is for most people, it may be helpful to educate yourself on the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. The collection industry is very regulated and knowing your rights can be very empowering and prevent you from being taken advantage of.

4. Ask For Help
If, despite all of your efforts, you are unable to make reasonable arrangements with the bill collector don not just let it build up on you- ask for help. The Christian Debt Relief programs offered by FaithWorks Financial can help you get your accounts back on track, or settled entirely, so that you can put the situation behind you and move on to rebuild your financial house.

To learn more about how FaithWorks Financial can help you on the road to financial freedom, fill out the short form on the right or call us at 877-232-5109. We are a Christian debt relief agency and we share your Christian views.

Debt is a distraction that prevents Christian men and women from focusing on giving glory to God and thanking Him for the blessings He has provided. For a Christian, different concerns arise from debt because it causes the mind to focus on problems related to paying back loans and getting the situation under control rather than trusting in Christ.

Eliminating the distraction of debt is not a complicated process, but it may require professional debt help to make appropriate changes based on your personal situation.

What the Bible Says About Debt

The Bible is clear about the problems that come with Christian debt. According to the Proverbs 22:7 in the New International Version of the Bible, “The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender.” The statement is clear: if you owe money, then you are a slave.

When it is not possible to avoid debt, such as taking on student loans to pay for an education or using credit cards to pay for groceries after losing a job, it is important to find appropriate solutions that make it possible to pay all or part of the loan.

According to Psalm 37:21 in the New International Version of the Bible, “The wicked borrow and do not repay…”. Drastic solutions such as bankruptcy should be avoided, pursuing all alternative options first.

God says in the Bible that borrowers are slaves and refusing to repay a loan is wicked. When problems with debt develop, it is important to seek Christian debt relief from professionals who understand the Biblical perspective of debt as much as the problem of debt.

Debt Relief Through Consolidation

The goal of any Christian who is struggling with debt is repaying as much as possible so that the lender is no longer a distraction from the blessings that God gives. Since we ultimately want to pay back our debts, Christian debt consolidation can provide relief that allows you to repay the full amount of the loan.

Consolidation, or Credit Counseling, is a process that focuses on reducing interest rates so that it is easier to make monthly payments without sacrificing the needs of your family.

Depending on the type of debt, the process may vary slightly.

For example, student loan consolidation is specifically designed to combine all of the student loans into a single monthly payment with a low interest rate. Credit cards and other forms of debt are not included in the student loan consolidation process. A credit card consolidation is designed to help repay credit card loans.

Here is more information on Christian Credit Counseling and a Federal Student Loan Consolidation.

Is Debt Settlement an Option for Christians?

While the Bible clearly tells us to repay our debts, sometimes the loans get out of control and it is simply not possible to make the payments.

If you have reached a point where your credit card obligations are preventing you to otherwise provide for your family, bring to mind 1 Timothy 5:8 which states that “Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” When your situation has reached this difficult point, Christian debt settlement is a solution that can help.

Debt settlement is a process that works through direct compromise with the lender. Your FaithWorks Financial Christian Debt Program Advisor will ask the lender to forgive a portion of the loan if borrowers pay a certain amount. Although you do not pay the full loan amount, it prevents you from filing bankruptcy and walking away from the obligation completely. In many instances you have already repaid the full amount that you charged, plus some interest, so it is not a tremendous loss to the lender.

Follow this link for more information on our Christian Debt Settlement Program.

Eliminating debt and paying off your loans will allow you to refocus on God’s goodness and mercy. Debt is a distraction, but realistic Christian solutions are available to help you rekindle your faith and find relief from financial worries.

If you are a Christian struggling with debt, fill out the short form to the right to learn how FaithWorks Financial can help you get on track to live a debt free life!

The term “budget” gets tossed around a lot. 

A budget can be simple or complex. It should reflect our income and our expenses, and it should be honest. One thing that is often missing is that they do not always reflect our values. Instead of merely creating a financial budget, let’s instead consider keeping God first and creating a Christian budget.

When Christian financial concepts are important to your household, there are a few twists to conventional budget suggestions. Some things will hold true, too, of course.

Many people believe that they are using one even when they have never actually put it into practice. Implementing a budget is the best tool available to ensure financial security, whether for an individual, family, or business. Creating a budget does not just mean jotting down your bills and tossing the paper in a drawer, but conducting a thorough review of your income and expenses and then taking actions based on your findings.

Why Take the Time to Create a Christian-Minded Budget?

“Every prudent man acts out of knowledge”

Proverbs 13:16

First things first— let’s understand why it is important to have a budget. Consider your budget to be the foundation of your financial home. Your budget is the groundwork for everything that you will be building on top of it. It will help you determine what you currently do with your money and, more importantly, what you should be doing with your money.

A good Christian budget will be like a solid foundation for a home. 

It should be confident and complete. No bricks should be leftover, and no empty spaces should remain. If you find that you have money left over, you will want to create a home for it in your budget.

Sometimes your new budget may show that you cannot cover your expenses or have credit card debt that has gotten out of hand. In this case, speak with a Christian Debt Advisor for a free professional consultation to learn about Christian debt relief programs that are available to you. 

How is a Christian Budget different?

“Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops” Proverbs 3:9

Most budgets begin with your largest expense first. Generally, that would be your housing expense. On a Christian budget, we should place the tithe at the very top of the list. Even if there’s no chance of tithing while in debt, place that line item at the very top to keep everything in proper perspective. 

When we place God first, we can trust that the rest will fall in place as he intends. 

How Should A Christian Budget Should Look

The best budget is the one you will use. 

Here is where personal finance will become personal. I cannot tell you what budget to use or how it should look because your finances may be drastically different from the norm. I do always encourage simplicity! While I applaud high-level attention to detail, that can be tough to maintain in the long term. 

While your budget will be unique to your situation, there are some guidelines you can follow.

• Use your preferred vehicle: Excel, Google Docs/Sheets, a pen and pad; anything that works for you is fine!
• Expect it to evolve- add some padding to your savings if you can so that when unexpected expenses arise, you’re covered
• Follow a template, like these provided by our friends at SeedTime
• Consider the 10/45/25/20 framework
  • 10% of income is dedicated to tithing 
  • 45% is dedicated to needs (housing, food, etc.)
  • 25% is dedicated to wants
  • 20% is dedicated to savings and debt repayment

Plan and Persevere to Keep your Christian Budget Current

“May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance.”

2 Thessalonians 3:4-6

Once you understand the purpose of a budget, you should prepare for the tricky part- sticking to your plan!

Your new Christian budget will:

• Guide how you spend your money.
• Shed light on your financial blind spots. 
• Set you up for a successful debt reduction plan. 
• Bring peace to your financial situation.
• Help you automate your savings.

When you have reached your weekly limit on eating out, but your friends invite you to a meal, you’ll learn just how dedicated you are to your budget. Suppose you’ve already spent the money set aside in your new Christian budget. In that case, determination and perseverance will keep you on target.

Allowing small cracks to form in that foundation now can result in an entire collapse in the future.

Stay Aware

“Know well the condition of your flocks, and give attention to your herds”

Proverbs 27:23

A regular review is the final component in keeping your new Christian budget in tip-top shape. Life is ever-changing, and our finances change right along the way. If anything has changed in your life, update your budget immediately. Otherwise, take some time bi-monthly or quarterly to review your situation. This regular review will allow you to catch any trouble areas in advance so that you can keep from straying too far off course.

Creating and implementing an honest Christian budget will provide you with awareness of your financial situation that will pave the way for a stable and predictable future. It will allow you to see trouble coming months in advance so that you can prepare. You will be able to spend your money confidently, as you have prepared and anticipated every dollar that you spend.

Complete the simple form below for a free budget review and to explore Christian debt relief programs that will have you debt-free faster than you ever thought imaginable.

When it comes to debt relief programs and ensuring a debt-free future, you have four main options available. How do you know which one is right for you?

Here’s a quick summary to help you make the best decision.

Debt Relief Option #1 – Debt Consolidation

While a common consideration for those with high credit card debt, debt consolidation offers some fairly significant disadvantages.

1. Debt consolidation does not reduce the overall amount of your debt. With a debt consolidation loan you’ll still pay back 100% of your debt, plus interest. A debt consolidation loan basically transfers your credit card debt from one place to another.
2. Debt consolidation loans are usually “secured” loans that cannot be lowered or negotiated. This could put your home, car, or other personal assets at risk in the event of default.
3. Funds from the debt consolidation loan are used to pay off your credit card debt. For some people, having credit cards with zero or low balances is too much of a temptation. Before they know it, they’re back in the same position again with high credit card debt.

Do your research before you choose Debt Consolidation. It’s a decision you’ll be living with for many years to come.

Debt Relief Option #2 – Credit Counseling

Credit counseling organizations usually try to reduce the interest rates and fees associated with your debt. Like debt consolidation, though, credit counseling doesn’t actually reduce the amount you owe. You’re still responsible for 100% of your total balance.

Many people are also surprised to learn that credit counseling can actually cause your monthly payment to go up. If you’re looking for some immediate financial relief and want to have more money in your pocket for rent, food, tithing, and more, credit counseling may not be the best option for you.

Debt Relief Option #3 – Bankruptcy

Yes, bankruptcy will often eliminate all of your debts… but it also produces some significant negative consequences that you should be aware of.

• The bankruptcy will show on your credit report for at least seven years
• It will be much harder to obtain loans or other forms of credit in the future
• The higher interest rates you pay as a result of filing bankruptcy may offset any gains you received from eliminating your debt
• You’ll likely have unexpected attorney expenses due to laws that were recently enacted
• A credit counseling course will be required within six months of filing bankruptcy…even if you have already taken one
• Bankruptcy will stay on your court records for 20 years and could easily be uncovered when you apply for a job, a loan, or rent an apartment

In addition, bankruptcy has a social stigma that many people prefer to avoid. Think long and hard before choosing bankruptcy as a debt relief solution. In most cases, it should be your last choice.

Debt Relief Option #4 – Debt Settlement

The three previous debt relief solutions all have some fairly significant negative consequences to their use – from not reducing the overall amount of your debt to taking five years or more to get you out of debt to potentially increasing your monthly payments.

Debt settlement, though, offers some of the best features of the other methods and eliminates many of the negatives. That’s why we believe that debt settlement is a great choice for those looking to reduce or eliminate their debt.

With debt settlement you’ll:

• Immediately lower your monthly payment
• Reduce your credit card debt
• Become debt-free in as little as 24 months
• Pay no fees until your debt is reduced

Have more questions or want to learn more about the FaithWorks Financial debt settlement program? Visit our FAQ page or click here to receive a free consultation and quote from one of our friendly Christian Debt Advisors.

Finally…the hard work is done.

You’ve reviewed your debt relief options (including debt consolidation, credit counseling and bankruptcy) and have determined that debt settlement is the right choice for you.

Perhaps it was because you could get started for free. Or maybe you liked how quickly debt settlement could help you reduce your debt. In any event, it’s great to have the decision made.

Now what?

Well, you want to be sure to choose a debt settlement company that is right for your personal situation. Here are 7 quick tips for choosing a reputable debt settlement company.

1. Make sure you select a company that follows FTC regulations. Unfortunately, there are some unscrupulous companies out there. The FTC recently stepped in to help protect consumers. You can also protect yourself by choosing an FTC-compliant company.
2. Don’t pay any upfront fees. In fact, there should be no fees until your debt is reduced. FaithWorks Financial believes that you should ‘Get results first…pay fees later’. You’ll want to choose a company that has a similar philosophy.
3. Avoid debt settlement companies that don’t offer a free consultation. The consultation will give you a window into how the company works and help you gauge how responsive their debt advisors are. You deserve to work with experts who will quickly respond to your questions and who put your wants and needs at the top of their priority list.
4. During the free consultation make sure you ask the debt advisor if he or she is the person you will be working with throughout the debt settlement process. Many companies have sales teams that close the sale, leaving you to work with someone else for the duration of the program. At FaithWorks Financial we believe in developing a long-term partnership with our members. That is why we try to limit your communications to no more than two of our Advisors. You’re treated as an individual, not an account number. Your Christian Debt Advisor will take the time to learn about your unique circumstances and be with you through the entire process. This personalized approach can help you reduce your credit card debt even more and save you as much money as possible.
5. Get as much upfront information as possible on how long the debt settlement process will take and how much it will cost. FTC guidelines require that these details be communicated to you…so don’t let a company beat around the bush!
6. Make sure your funds are held at a third-party financial institution in an FDIC-insured escrow account. Avoid companies that ask you to send funds directly to them. It’s your money. You should have complete access and be able to make withdrawals at any time.
7. Consider a Christian Company. Faith-based companies often take a more ethical approach to business and may be more likely to look out for your best interests.

Have questions or want to know more? Click here to receive a free quote and consultation.