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Welcome to our new
subscribers this month!
You are now a part of a growing group of people receiving tailored
solutions to common budgeting concerns. Feel free to share this
newsletter with anyone you wish. Your email address will not be used
for any other purposes.
Enjoy!
Ericka Young
How are you managing
your resources?
God
has given everyone resources to manage. It may seem like a little or
a lot, but you still have some. The question is what are you doing
with it? Do you constantly wish you had more? Do you have a lot to
manage, but are not doing a great job at it? Take a close look at
the money that has been given to you and be real with yourself. Do
you fit the definition below of a faithful steward as described by
Dr. J. Victor and Catherine Eagan in their book Dominating Money?
Faithful
stewardship includes:
· Proper budgeting
· Eliminating debt
· Faithfully handling money and possessions
· Maintaining excellent care of the money and possessions under your control
· Not attempting to manage more than you are currently prepared to handle
· Maximizing or increasing the money or possessions under your control
That last point;
maximizing the money under your control, is easier than you think.
Read on and find out what you can implement immediately to maximize
your financial flow.
Get Real…
One of
the things I often ask my clients when preparing a budget plan is:
Are you really eating all of the groceries you buy? Many times we
have the good intention to eat a certain way or buy certain foods
that are good for us, but in reality our lifestyles cannot support
preparing all of the foods we just bought. We have events, meetings,
or are too tired in the evenings and because of this we don’t always
want to nor do we have the time to cook. Be realistic with yourself
about categories like groceries, dining out, and clothing. This is
the key to maintaining a good budget. You must be able to accurately
determine how much you spend on groceries and if it is realistic for
your household. For one month, add up all of your grocery receipts
and see if it is higher or lower than you expect.
How much is your 14%?
Timothy W. Jones, a professor at the University of Arizona,
estimates that American households throw away about 14% or 1.28
pounds per day of the food that we buy. This estimate does not even
include plate scrapings! In my household of four, this amounts to at
least $56 being thrown away each month. I don’t know about you, but
I have better things to do with $56 per month than throw it in the
trash every month. In one year, that adds up to nearly $700! Let’s
stop fooling ourselves by thinking we are healthier than we are just
because we purchase fresh vegetables and fruits. Purchase only what
you know you will eat. Right now I have two containers of yogurt in
my refrigerator with last week’s expiration dates and I feel bad
that they must be thrown away. Take a look in your refrigerator and
see how much is being wasted and choose to… |
February 2006
“Small things are small things but faithfulness with
a small thing is a big thing.”
- Hudson Taylor
Ways to Save Spotlight
OK so when you really don’t want to cook & don’t want to spend a
lot of money eating out, go to
restaurant.com. You can
purchase dining certificates for reduced rates.
Get out on me!
For
every referral that results in a new client for Tailor-Made Budgets
I am offering 2 movie passes. So get the word out and enjoy a night
out on me.
If you
would like to continue receiving e-newsletters like these each
month, be sure to
check out my website and sign up.
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