There are lots of reasons to get (or stay) in shape. One that isn’t always at the top of the list is the fact that fitness is good for your wallet.
In general, healthy people have fewer health care costs. They aren’t in and out of the doctor’s office as often, and they aren’t shelling out tons of money on prescription drugs for preventable health problems. Continue reading
I’ll admit, I don’t typically spend a lot of time in the book of Exodus. But the other day I wound up there, and a particular story really struck me.
Just one month after God rescued the people of Israel from a life of slavery in Egypt, they were journeying through the wilderness and grumbling the whole way.
Have you ever prayed and prayed for God to give you something—or take something away—and when it finally happens, you rejoice for a whopping 24 hours before finding something else you’re dissatisfied about? Continue reading
What comes to mind when you hear the word “investment”?
A 401(k)? A business venture? The New York Stock Exchange?
If you associate investments with money, you’re tracking with the traditional definition of the word, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But there’s so much more to investing than just money. Continue reading
The term “living paycheck to paycheck” is used to describe any financial situation in which there is no reserve money between pay periods. This can create quite a stressful situation, especially when unexpected expenses pop up. For some families this can be disaster. One emergency can send the budget into a tail spin which cannot be easily recovered from.
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Christian debt management is all about making changing in the present. In order to get out of debt major spending and behavioral changes must take place in your heart and mind. Every dollar you spend must be considered and accounted for in order to make a Christian debt relief program work. You may find your mind swirling with information and choices every day and all of these things are focused on right now, changing things right now in your financial life. While you are in the throes of this major life adjustment you will see commercials are hear people talking about “planning for the future.” These moments may have you thinking, “I’m just trying to survive right now! I can’t think about the future!” You may not realize it, but if you have sought out Christian debt help, you are securing your future in more ways than you might imagine.
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If you are in the trenches of a Christian debt consolidation program, the last thing on your mind might be helping the needy in your community. You might very well be feeling as if you yourself are the needy one right now. However, the Christian obligation toward the needy is a relevant financial issue and as you continue your journey toward financial freedom you will have more disposable income with which to give. The question for many individuals is not should they give. Most Christians understand the giving principals and want to keep blessings flowing their way by giving to others. The question is to whom do we give? And how much of our own personal prejudice gets in the way of our giving to others?
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We talk about money a lot around here. Like it or not, the way money is managed (or mismanaged) has a profound effect on just about every aspect of life, from relationships to physical, emotional and spiritual health.
But as we prepare to celebrate Easter, we are reminded of one gift that money could never buy.
More than 2,000 years ago, Jesus chose to leave his perfect home in heaven and become one of us. He could have entered the world as a king in a palace. Instead, he took the lowly position of a carpenter’s son, spending the first hours of His life in a feeding trough for animals. Continue reading
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.
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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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 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 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.
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.
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.
