1% change, FINANCE

This is Kelli. She is precious. 

She has a wonderful blog on great money 

saving tips and I am so thankful for her!

1% Change- finances

Hi everyone! Don’t you just love Jessi, and this great community she has created here? I know I do, and I love how she challenges each of us to better ourselves, a little at a time. 


My name is Kelli and I am very excited about sharing a 1% change you can make involving finances, which in turn, can help us accomplish a goal with eternal benefits. Read on to find out what that goal is!  


I think so many times we get stressed out about bills, keeping up with the Joneses, pursuing the American dream, or whatever it is we want to do that our focus becomes severely egocentric. Anyone still with me? I would venture to guess we can all give up something, or change one habit, that will enable us to change by 1%- or even more! So. What are a few ways we can effectively cut our budgets? Here are just a few.  


1} How many of you LOVE to drive through Starbucks, McDonald's, whatever, and grab iced coffee? I know I'm raising my hand! But this can add up so quickly. I don't think you have to give up the restaurant coffee all the time, but set yourself a budget. Give yourself $10 a month in cash, and when it's gone, it's gone. Then, learn to make iced coffee (or whatever kind you like) at home. Then sit down and enjoy it instead of slurping it down in the car. :)  


2} Downgrade {or even cancel} your cable. Ouch. I know this can hurt. But do you really have time to watch 250 channels? Or need to? And if you have kids, do they need access to what is out there? Can I let you in on a little secret? My husband and I have been married almost 10 years and have never had cable. And I really don't want it! {except for Food Network- that would be nice!} And it is a treat when we get to go to a hotel and have cable! It makes watching the Food Network special for me. In the last year or two, we have also subscribed to Netflix. For only ten bucks and some change, you can have lots of movies and shows at the ready, for much less than a cable plan costs.  


3} Shop at "dollar stores." I have a blog dedicated to this very thing that can help you see what items you can purchase at these stores that are a good deal, and those that aren't. But just for a sampling, did you know you can get children's acetaminophen {generic Tylenol} for $1 at Dollar Tree? Or a great pair of sunglasses for $4 at Dollar General? Or even pregnancy tests? There are so many items we can get on the cheap if we just take a little time to research. Dear sisters, can I be lovingly honest here? 


If we are not being wise stewards over what God has given us, we are not only being selfish, we are being disobedient to his word. I think it is easy to slip into the mindset of this is "my money," and "my needs," but God reigns over all of it! And, he will bless us when we are faithful to obey him.  


So, now that we have discussed ways to help out our budget, and you've saved a little cash, what is this eternal goal that I speak of? It is to help others! There are soooo many ways to help out that I can't even begin to touch them all. Here are three that can get you going, though:  
◊ One way is to support a child through a great organization such as World Vision or Compassion. For just about $40 a month {hello there, 8 coffees, or 4 movies, or one pair of shoes}, you can help give a child clean water, food, education, and best of all, access to the Gospel. 
◊ I know that not everyone will be able to spare an extra forty dollars. It just isn’t there. But there are still ways to help! Jessi has a great idea about helping others here. Just taking a meal to someone can be HUGE.  
◊ Know any single moms? Take their kids out and buy them a pair of shoes. Give them a giftcard to Wal-Mart for groceries. If you can't do something financially, let her kids come over for an evening so she can get some stuff done. {and for you precious single moms reading this, you are in my prayers. You do SO much and I admire you. } 


If none of these ideas spark your heart, do some research. Look online, ask a minister at your church, or simply look around your neighborhood. Most likely, someone close to you could use some kind of help. In conclusion: Do I have this all down pat? Absolutely not. Are there days when I would much rather get a mocha Frappuccino (with whipped topping, of course) than to make my own? Absolutely yes. But I think the important lesson is to GIVE more than we are giving now. A little at a time. 


I would love to hear of other creative ways you have to save money, as well as to help others!
.................
thank you so much, Kelli.
I'm on board and super challenged.
Save the money so you can steward it, so you can give it. Amen & Amen.