Thursday, July 19, 2018

~Frugal Goals~

I've spoken in the past about the journey I am on to learn to be a truly good steward with the money that is entrusted to me.  When I do my prayer journal one of the prayers that I asked for myself was to learn to be better with money.  For years and years I was a spender, even though I always admired those who were not.  My husband has always been good with money, and I know that my lack of thriftiness had to have caused him to shake his head a time or two.  I never really thought I was spending too much, but a little here a little there, can add up very fast.  Today I want to talk about some of the things I have learned that has transformed me from a spender to a saver.  The first and foremost thing I've learned is that the money that we have is a gift and a resource from God and should be viewed as such.  Also that it is far too easy to let material possessions become an idol and replace God in our lives.  When I changed how I thought about money, that is when I wanted to change how I handled money.   For the last year or so, I have been on a journey to learn to handle money in such a way that it is put to it's best use.  
One of the main things that I have learned is to tell myself and my children no.  This has been no easy task for me, because I like to spend money on my children and myself as well.  Learning to really budget and telling every dollar where to go has made a difference for me.  Also understanding that every dollar matters, because they add up very fast.  I have learned to stretch my dollars and now my household money account covers all sorts of expenses for the children that I always thought had to come out of our main account. 
I think it is such a blessing to look at your life and be grateful for what God has provided for you.  It is the norm in our society to always think we need the next big thing.  I truly believe that it blesses our lives to live beneath our means, and have a heart of gratitude.  It's like the saying goes, "gratitude turns what we have into enough."    It is important to praise God for what we have, and not complain that it is not enough.   When we change our hearts, that is when we can change our lives.  Learning to meal plan and use left overs, so that we don't waste food, truly stretches our dollars so very much.   Giving our children allowance and teaching them to budget it, instead of just purchasing them things they want, will be a greater gift to them long term.  Learning that the moments we share are a greater blessing than anything we could buy with money, is a gift.  We don't have to spend money to spend good quality family time.  Also, good quality family time can be spent inside of your home.  It does not have to be elaborate.  I have a picture on my wall that says enjoy the little things.   Those moments that seem so simple, just may be truly where  happiness lies.  Learning to see each day as a gift from above and being the best stewards of our time and money and energy, can transform our lives.  
I hope you are all doing well.  I am slowly recovering from being very sick for weeks now.  However, when I am fully healthy again, I can tell you that I will feel truly blessed.  Making dinner won't seem like such a task, but rather a blessing that I can do.  It is though hardship in my life that has caused me to grow as a person the most.  So when I go though life's challenges, I always try to keep that in mind.  Thank you for stopping by my little space.  Hugs.  ~Juli

4 comments:

  1. I am so sorry you have been sick. I wish we were close so I could help. Your place is darling.

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  2. Great post. I am trying to get a handle on spending and it is not easy.I want to be a better steward of the resources the Lord has provided.

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  3. I hope your health continues to improve.
    The only good thing from being sick is once you are well, you really appreciate feeling good.
    ❤️

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  4. Love this for I need to do this myself.

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