~ This month's topics: Budgets, Once-a-Month Cooking and Frugality ~ July 21, 1999 ~ Hi everybody! I apologize for the delay in posting my July update. I did sit down to write this up about 2 weeks ago, but once I started I was led to create a couple of more webpages as a result of my personal focus this month .... the dreaded "B" word .... BUDGET!! I borrowed The Family Budget Workbook ($5.99 from Book CloseOuts) by Larry Burkett from a friend and it proved to be a valuable tool for determining areas in which we were over budget and needed to cut back. I look over our family budget on a monthly basis, but July is always the month when I focus most heavily on it for several reasons .... My husband gets his raise in July, our equal payment plans for the utilities get adjusted in July, our insurance payments come due in August so we get the bills in July and usually the amounts are different .... and so on! In looking at our budget which has felt way too tight lately, I determined that we needed to cut back and try and find an extra $100 or more a month to put away in savings. The only two areas I could do this in were the phone bill and the food bill. The phone bill is easy; I just have to stay off the phone :-) The grocery bill is a bit more of a challenge, but I knew we'd been spending too much on food in the past few months and so I sat down to tackle this budget-busting area. In doing so, I was led back to the area of Once-a-Month Cooking. I then searched the web for more information on this topic and came up with enough information to create some new webpages on the subject. To view these pages, click here! I also began looking for more information on saving money, or "frugal living." This again led me to enough information to create some webpages on this topic. I finally searched Books.com to compile my "recommended reading" list of books on Simple and Frugal Living. I also searched the net for websites and books that have good information which will help me stretch my hubby's hard-earned dollars! To view these pages, click here! Of course, reflecting on our budget and our finances has led me to send a prayer of thanksgiving to the Source of all of my blessings, my loving and caring Heavenly Father! Over and over again this month, I've been led to the following scripture, Philippians 4:11-13: for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well-fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Him who gives me strength." I know that no matter how tight our finances on paper appear, my Heavenly Father will provide for us. I struggle constantly with giving up control in this matter to Him and find it very difficult to trust in Him completely. I heard from a visitor to my site the other day on the topic of tithing which I mentioned last month. She wrote me saying, "Not to seem nosey, but God's word tells us to tithe 10% first off of our harvest that he Provides then pay our bills, debts and luxuries, then whatever is short he will provide our needs? I am going to pray for you. Tithing is to be a joyous thing that we do first not when we look at our budget and see if it is feasible?" I want to respond to this publicly for two reasons. First, I am not sharing my story so that others can judge me or my beliefs and practices. I am being open and honest about my new-found life in Christ, sharing with you my joy as a Christian in hopes that any non-believers may see how content I am becoming since asking Christ into my life. Not many of you know me on a personal basis, so you can't see the changes in me since March when I became a Christian. But I have changed and still am changing (my husband and mother can attest to this!). The topic of money or finances is a very touchy subject, but it is a big part of my quest for a simpler life so I am sharing my family's struggles and triumphs in this area of our life in hopes that I can inspire others to do what they can to worry less about money and possessions. Tithing is a very personal matter and I would not pass judgement on anyone because of the amount of money they do (or don't!) give to their church and I ask the same consideration of you. I know that as long as I give what I can cheerfully and with a loving and giving heart, then God will accept my offerings. I pray every day for God to help me turn my need for control over the finances to Him totally. He is working in me and I know that I am learning how to rely on Him in every aspect of my life! It is truly a "freeing" feeling and I highly recommend it to anyone :-) I hope that you find the new webpages on OAMC and Frugal Living helpful, especially if you are trying to find areas in your budget to cut back expenses. I will add to these pages as I find more information so please bookmark them and check back every now and then to see what else I have found on the net in the areas of once-a-month cooking and frugal living. I promise to try and not take another six weeks to post an update here. I'm not sure where my quest for simple living will take me in the next few weeks, but I know I'm feeling more contentment with my life as it is now then where I was at the beginning of this year! To view Finance & Budget-type books written by Larry Burkett and available at Book CloseOuts, click here!  WHERE DO YOU WANT TO GO?
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