I took the Personal Finance class offered by my church at the end of 2017. It really opened a new era of communication and tracking finances at our home. Previously it was something I tried to do but didn't do well enough to not feel a lot of shame and it was bad for our marriage. Now it's something we can work on together and that's good.
I decided to offer this class via chat room for my family and it's been good to be reminded of the principles and get back into shape. It's also been fantastic to get into the habit of a weekly chat with my family members that participate.
In the last 6 months I've been using the credit card a lot and then documenting my purchases in a notebook. I do think cash is the best method for me and that I buy more junk food when I'm using the card. So as February approaches I decided to go back to a cash system. The last two weeks I knew we didn't have much in the grocery budget left so we're being very thoughtful about what to buy. I hope in February to spend grocery money on paper first. I plan to do some Walmart pick up to get items I can't get at Save A Lot, without all the extra things we buy when we go to Walmart. I also want to do the same at Sam's club, doing a pick-up order rather than browsing.
It's interesting using a discipline not because there is not enough money, but because you want to use the money other places. I'm involving the children more in the accounting so that these practices of financial discipline can be part of their family tradition.
I hope that they can look back on their childhoods and remember awesome road trips, lots of reading, and chores. I hope they remember that church, FHE and scripture study were consistent. I hope they remember that service, and stewardship bring joy.
1 comment:
I started the year 2019 in reasonable control of my home environment after years of struggle. I wondered why it had taken me until I was growing old to finally turn the key to order and schedule. Then I realized that my transformation had been observed and imitated by several of my grandchildren who I employed to help me with a few household tasks. If they had grown up with me as I have become they would never have observed my progress from disorder to order. As 2019 begins I began to address another area that needed organization. It has not been of much concern to me. I am debt free and have a small amount of savings, but I am also dependent on a fairly limited income that has a fragile basis in several ways. It has been fun applying the same orientation toward making a project of needed behavioral changes to applying order to my financial situation. I have created and refined a chart that covers the complexities of my financial situation better than any existing apps or charts. I look forward to experiencing the same sense of peace and freedom that has come from overcoming my disorder.
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