The Beginning of Budgeting and the Start of a Better Lifea. Where to Start – The Starting Point** Fear vs. Faith – The Monster in the Closet b. Dealing With Mail** Mail, Mail, and More Mail – Surprises in the Mail c. A Plan for Filing** A Finance Binder – Binders, Files and the Battle of the Sexes d. Setting Up Your Binder** Labels – A Plan for Freedom** Organizing Your Binder – A Place for Everything** Finishing Your Filing – Finishing Things and All things considered… Setting Up Your Budgeta. Expenses**Expense Categories – Finding the Holes**Average Spending – Learning …
Lessons From my Dad
All three of my children adore my Dad. He doesn’t even have to pursue them, because they pursue him. It doesn’t matter where he is, if they know Papa is around, they are looking for him, “helping” him, and climbing on him. My Mom is the outgoing lively one, and they love their Nana so much. But for some reason, especially for Luke, Papa is it. If Papa is around he just has eyes for him and wants to sit on him and to have his full attention. We are so blessed to get to live close to my parents …
A Cure for Deprivation
When my husband and I returned from our European adventure after having the most amazing month, we never really left the “vacation” mentality. We had pushed ourselves for so long to save what we needed for Europe, and when it was all over and we were back, we found ourselves without a purpose for our money and needing a financial rest from the pressure. But we didn’t just “rest” from extreme saving, we spent. We had been in deprivation mode for so long that, even though it had been our choice so that we could go to Europe, we felt …
A Question: Salary and Commissions
A friend of mine emailed me this question concerning her budget that I wanted to share with you today: OK, if you feel like you have just read a math question on the SAT’s, so did I. However, there is always a way through. So let’s just take it slow and I know this is going to help many of you who have a more complex pay scale. Basically my friend’s income is set up in two ways. Most of it is a fixed salary income, just paid weekly, and even the “fixed bonus” should just be considered to be …
Amazing
This just totally blessed me today, and I thought I would share. Nothing to do with budgeting, but just incredible.
A Night Off :)
Hello budgeting friends, I took the night off last night! I’ll be back tomorrow, but for today I’m not going to try to squeeze in a blog… I am just going to have enjoyed my night off.Have a really wonderul day and I will be back tomorrow with a fantastic question from one of my friends which I think may really help some of you in your budget.God bless,Tracy
Decisions…
The other day, Noah was drawing pictures at our kitchen table. “What should I draw Mommy?”, he asked me. I made some suggestions like a car, or a house, or a transformer (he loves transformers). No, none of those were right for him. Finally he looks at me and gives a great big sigh, “Mommy, I am very good at doing lots of things, but I’m not very good at making decisions.” I just burst out laughing, because Noah and I have so many things in common, and once again I was reminded that he exactly my son. In one …
The Way of Life
Deuteronomy 30:19-20 says this, “I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days, and that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.” So much of the reality that we currently live in has been determined by our choices. In fact, every …
In Too Deep
Have you ever watched a child playing in a pool whose abilities didn’t quite match their confidence level. My darling Noah, when he was first learning to swim, he would always want to be in the pool without his floaties. He felt so confident swimming with them on that he was sure he could do it without them. Even now, he thinks he can do anything and so he will confidently march into a situation that I know he will quickly get in over his head in. I love his courage and his spirit and yet, as a Mom it …
The Whole Elephant
I had the opportunity to go to a Bible Study last Tuesday night led by my lovely friend, Scarlet Pepin. She has such a vibrant relationship with Jesus, and it is just refreshing to be around her. What she shared has so blessed me all week and I want to share it with you today. A few years ago, Scarlet was working in her garage and just thanking God for her family. She just felt grateful that everyone was doing OK. Her kids weren’t on drugs and she still loved her husband, everyone was OK. In that moment, she saw …