Ross and I were interviewed last month on the internet radio program "Healthy Wealthy and Wise". The show shares with listeners how to be physically, financially, and spiritually fit.
The segment that we participated in dealt with the financial realm of health (surprise, surprise :-) We share about why we made the decision to get out of debt and the emotional issues that occurred along with that decision. May the Lord use our words to grow His Kingdom.
Healthy Wealthy and Wise (finances)
Saturday, December 14, 2013
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
Lost and Found
Over the Thanksgiving break we went to my in-laws home to celebrate the holiday with family. It is always an enjoyable occasion as they truly sacrifice their time and their home to our family so that we can have some R&R.
In spite of their hospitality and my excitement about going, I always tend to leave for the trip holding my breath. Leaving our normal family routine of chores, little to no t.v. viewing, and regular bedtimes can cause all of us to become a little selfish. I'd like to think that it's just the kids fighting over the remote or absentmindedly leaving dishes lying around. But Ross and I can overindulge in laziness just as easily as the kids. I feel like we become lost...looking for what we can get rather than looking for what we can give.
Our family rotates holidays between two sets of grandparents which means we will not be with my in-laws for Christmas. Therefore, we have a tradition of exchanging Christmas gifts during our Thanksgiving time with them. This year, we each received $100 from them to spend as we wanted--a huge blessing.
We went shopping on Friday. I took Morgan to look at some clothes in one of the department stores and Ross took the boys to go and look at some items in another department store. We met back about an hour and a half later. Looking at Ross I could tell that he was upset. Morgan and I were late in arriving, but his face conveyed that this was not the entire reason he was angry. My eyes scanned the rest of the party for clues as to what had happened. Hunter had a shopping bag and seemed fine. Then I looked down to Blaise whose face was downcast. Instantly I knew what had happened, but asked the question anyway.
"Why does everyone seem so down?"
"Because someone lost his money," my husband retorted.
Right on cue Blaise came over to me and buried his head in my stomach. 'Oh, no,' I thought. 'How do we handle this?'
We let Morgan and Hunter go off by themselves to look around the mall while we stayed with Blaise. Ross recounted to me what had happened, the places they had already searched, and the frustration he was understandably feeling. Blaise is a kid who does whatever he does with gusto. Somehow in the midst of him doing something his money got lost. An accident, yes, but unfortunately one that came at a big price! After talking about it, we decided that we would handle the situation this way: anyone in the family who wanted to could give Blaise $20 of their money. But only if they wanted to do so. Ross joked with me and asked, "What if he only gets $20?" "From who? You?" I joked back.
After finishing up at the mall, we walked out to the van, got in, and Ross shared with the kids what we had decided. Immediately, both Morgan and Hunter, piped up and said "Okay" and passed their money forward. Immediately. Not begrudgingly, not with an attitude, not with a comment or question. Almost instinctively. I cannot express how proud I was in that moment to be the mom of my kids.
Right then and there my heart rested in knowing that what I thought was lost had been found.
In spite of their hospitality and my excitement about going, I always tend to leave for the trip holding my breath. Leaving our normal family routine of chores, little to no t.v. viewing, and regular bedtimes can cause all of us to become a little selfish. I'd like to think that it's just the kids fighting over the remote or absentmindedly leaving dishes lying around. But Ross and I can overindulge in laziness just as easily as the kids. I feel like we become lost...looking for what we can get rather than looking for what we can give.
Our family rotates holidays between two sets of grandparents which means we will not be with my in-laws for Christmas. Therefore, we have a tradition of exchanging Christmas gifts during our Thanksgiving time with them. This year, we each received $100 from them to spend as we wanted--a huge blessing.
We went shopping on Friday. I took Morgan to look at some clothes in one of the department stores and Ross took the boys to go and look at some items in another department store. We met back about an hour and a half later. Looking at Ross I could tell that he was upset. Morgan and I were late in arriving, but his face conveyed that this was not the entire reason he was angry. My eyes scanned the rest of the party for clues as to what had happened. Hunter had a shopping bag and seemed fine. Then I looked down to Blaise whose face was downcast. Instantly I knew what had happened, but asked the question anyway.
"Why does everyone seem so down?"
"Because someone lost his money," my husband retorted.
Right on cue Blaise came over to me and buried his head in my stomach. 'Oh, no,' I thought. 'How do we handle this?'
We let Morgan and Hunter go off by themselves to look around the mall while we stayed with Blaise. Ross recounted to me what had happened, the places they had already searched, and the frustration he was understandably feeling. Blaise is a kid who does whatever he does with gusto. Somehow in the midst of him doing something his money got lost. An accident, yes, but unfortunately one that came at a big price! After talking about it, we decided that we would handle the situation this way: anyone in the family who wanted to could give Blaise $20 of their money. But only if they wanted to do so. Ross joked with me and asked, "What if he only gets $20?" "From who? You?" I joked back.
After finishing up at the mall, we walked out to the van, got in, and Ross shared with the kids what we had decided. Immediately, both Morgan and Hunter, piped up and said "Okay" and passed their money forward. Immediately. Not begrudgingly, not with an attitude, not with a comment or question. Almost instinctively. I cannot express how proud I was in that moment to be the mom of my kids.
Right then and there my heart rested in knowing that what I thought was lost had been found.
Friday, November 1, 2013
Car Talk
Our car is getting older. It is a 2001 model. Needless to say I've been thinking about the next vehicle that we might purchase and exactly how we would purchase that vehicle.
We have savings enough to cover expenses for at least three months if Ross were to lose his job. We are consumer debt-free and don't want to go back into debt to pay for a new car. So in October we decided to create an additional savings account for a vehicle.
So far there is just about $100 in the fund. It seemed almost embarrassing at first to have an account for a car with so little money in it. But God reminded me that no money will be saved if I do not open an account in the first place. So I did my job of opening it and I'll let God do his job of filling it up.
Today I went into the bank and saw the guy behind the counter working that had waited on me the last time I made my deposit into our "car fund", which is how it's labeled. I secretly hoped that he wouldn't be the one to wait on me again as I made my meager deposit of $20 into the account. But wouldn't you know it, "I can help the next person in line," he calls to me.
"I'd like to make some deposits," I say as confidently as possible. I had some other money to put back into the bank as well. I plug in the numbers for my account as his eyes scanned the screen.
"Ah, yes, the car account, I remember," he said knowingly.
"Yep, we're saving up for our next car."
"You know we can help you reach that goal in less than 24 hours. Have you seen our interest rates lately?"
"No I haven't," I answer politely.
"2.99% for any loans up to 3 years."
"We don't want a loan. We want to buy a car with cash," I answer with a smile.
He nods and doesn't press the issue. Surely he saw what I did. Only $100 in the bank...But isn't it just like God to bring about such a conversation with this particular teller so that He can be glorified in seeing what only God can do.
We have savings enough to cover expenses for at least three months if Ross were to lose his job. We are consumer debt-free and don't want to go back into debt to pay for a new car. So in October we decided to create an additional savings account for a vehicle.
So far there is just about $100 in the fund. It seemed almost embarrassing at first to have an account for a car with so little money in it. But God reminded me that no money will be saved if I do not open an account in the first place. So I did my job of opening it and I'll let God do his job of filling it up.
Today I went into the bank and saw the guy behind the counter working that had waited on me the last time I made my deposit into our "car fund", which is how it's labeled. I secretly hoped that he wouldn't be the one to wait on me again as I made my meager deposit of $20 into the account. But wouldn't you know it, "I can help the next person in line," he calls to me.
"I'd like to make some deposits," I say as confidently as possible. I had some other money to put back into the bank as well. I plug in the numbers for my account as his eyes scanned the screen.
"Ah, yes, the car account, I remember," he said knowingly.
"Yep, we're saving up for our next car."
"You know we can help you reach that goal in less than 24 hours. Have you seen our interest rates lately?"
"No I haven't," I answer politely.
"2.99% for any loans up to 3 years."
"We don't want a loan. We want to buy a car with cash," I answer with a smile.
He nods and doesn't press the issue. Surely he saw what I did. Only $100 in the bank...But isn't it just like God to bring about such a conversation with this particular teller so that He can be glorified in seeing what only God can do.
Thursday, October 10, 2013
The Bottom Line
For the past year I have been mentoring a woman in managing her personal finances.
I first met her during a talk that I gave to young adults. She is a middle-aged woman but was invited to the talk by a younger friend of hers. After I spoke, she asked if we could meet individually so that I could review her current situation and see if there was anything she could do differently. I have to admit that I was kind of intimidated. During my talk she interjected on several occasions to discuss tips that she was already implementing to save money. From what she shared, it seemed like she was doing plenty to cut back in spending. What did I possibly have to offer her?
We ended up meeting about three months later, about a month into the new year. She told me what her monthly expenses were, showed me what debt she owed, etc. Then she told me that she had just received her income tax return.
"That's great," I said after seeing that she had received a little over $3,000. "What do you have left?"
"Nothing," she replied. "I put it all towards the bills."
"What did you pay?" I asked.
"I paid off my rent for the next four months and paid off some of my debts."
My heart sank. I was thankful that she had a mind to pay bills, but how unfortunate that she had made paying her rent in advance a priority. Let me explain...
Rent does not have interest. When someone rents, that bill comes around every month. It doesn't go away unless the person moves. Debt (i.e. loans) do have interest and do go away once they are paid off. The interest on a debt can make paying it off cost more than the original debt itself. Therefore, when there is an opportunity to put a large chunk of money towards a debt, DO IT!
My friend equated security with having the roof over her head taken care of for a couple months. Also, it was her largest monthly bill. So in her mind she probably felt some peace in knowing that this big payment was taken care of for a while. She was thinking in the present rather than in the future.
Last month when she and I met, we discussed the upcoming income tax payment that she is expecting to receive. We did an exercise where each of her debts were listed on a piece of paper and she said which ones that she would pay with hypothetical amounts of money given as a refund. Before declaring what money would got towards debt and spending, we first made sure to calculate what the tithe would be.
It always amazes me the difference between what a person is saying about what they do with their money versus what they are actually doing with their money. I am not judging because I can be a culprit of this paradox as well. The bottom line is we all have lessons that we can learn about how to be better stewards of the money with which God entrusts us.
I first met her during a talk that I gave to young adults. She is a middle-aged woman but was invited to the talk by a younger friend of hers. After I spoke, she asked if we could meet individually so that I could review her current situation and see if there was anything she could do differently. I have to admit that I was kind of intimidated. During my talk she interjected on several occasions to discuss tips that she was already implementing to save money. From what she shared, it seemed like she was doing plenty to cut back in spending. What did I possibly have to offer her?
We ended up meeting about three months later, about a month into the new year. She told me what her monthly expenses were, showed me what debt she owed, etc. Then she told me that she had just received her income tax return.
"That's great," I said after seeing that she had received a little over $3,000. "What do you have left?"
"Nothing," she replied. "I put it all towards the bills."
"What did you pay?" I asked.
"I paid off my rent for the next four months and paid off some of my debts."
My heart sank. I was thankful that she had a mind to pay bills, but how unfortunate that she had made paying her rent in advance a priority. Let me explain...
Rent does not have interest. When someone rents, that bill comes around every month. It doesn't go away unless the person moves. Debt (i.e. loans) do have interest and do go away once they are paid off. The interest on a debt can make paying it off cost more than the original debt itself. Therefore, when there is an opportunity to put a large chunk of money towards a debt, DO IT!
My friend equated security with having the roof over her head taken care of for a couple months. Also, it was her largest monthly bill. So in her mind she probably felt some peace in knowing that this big payment was taken care of for a while. She was thinking in the present rather than in the future.
Last month when she and I met, we discussed the upcoming income tax payment that she is expecting to receive. We did an exercise where each of her debts were listed on a piece of paper and she said which ones that she would pay with hypothetical amounts of money given as a refund. Before declaring what money would got towards debt and spending, we first made sure to calculate what the tithe would be.
It always amazes me the difference between what a person is saying about what they do with their money versus what they are actually doing with their money. I am not judging because I can be a culprit of this paradox as well. The bottom line is we all have lessons that we can learn about how to be better stewards of the money with which God entrusts us.
Bus Stop
Coming in this morning from my second grader's bus stop, God reminded me of something I take for granted. All of the families who are regulars at are bus stop are believers in Jesus. It is not uncommon for us to have conversations about the goodness of God, share about what He has been teaching us in our lives, as well as pray for each other right there on that corner.
Including ours, their are a total of five families represented at the bus stop. Our kids play together in the afternoons and see our faith lived out as we encounter life's difficulties.
During our conversations while we wait for the bus, our kids are playing, laughing, but also listening. They hear the prayer requests, they know the struggles, they sense the problems. Then later down the road they hear of the triumphs, see the successes, and witness the miracles. They are getting it.
On more than one occasion I have lamented over the fact that I have not been consistent in training my children to read the Bible for themselves. But today I am reminded that actions can speak louder than words.
Including ours, their are a total of five families represented at the bus stop. Our kids play together in the afternoons and see our faith lived out as we encounter life's difficulties.
During our conversations while we wait for the bus, our kids are playing, laughing, but also listening. They hear the prayer requests, they know the struggles, they sense the problems. Then later down the road they hear of the triumphs, see the successes, and witness the miracles. They are getting it.
On more than one occasion I have lamented over the fact that I have not been consistent in training my children to read the Bible for themselves. But today I am reminded that actions can speak louder than words.
Saturday, August 31, 2013
Joy in the Mist
I absolutely love being a homemaker. Nothing makes me feel more complete than the work that I do to care for our family. One of my favorite tasks is grocery shopping.
Some may think I'm crazy. But I get such joy out of writing up my grocery list during the week of our payday and then going out and tackling that list, at the end of the week. I am like a cat ready to pounce on the deals, bargains, and sales that out there for the taking.
My first stop this week was Karns. I got their 10lbs of ground chuck for $2.79 and their 10lbs of boneless skinless chicken breasts for $1.99. Of utmost importance is knowing what the going rate is for these staples. I was sharing with a friend once that just because something is a BOGO or is on sale does not mean that you are getting the best price, in particular at the mainstream grocery stores. I know that I can get chicken breasts for $1.79 at the lowest on sale at Karns or Price Rite, so I'm okay with $1.99. On one very occasion I happened upon ground chuck on sale for $1.99 at Giant, but the going rate is anywhere from $2.69-$2.79, so I am fine with the price I paid at Karns. There are times when I'll shop for the yellow tag meat (mentioned in a previous post). In this case I wanted to stock up and I had a coupon for $5 off a $50 Karns purchase. Buying the meats helped me to reach that amount.
Other deals they have this week are five 8oz. chunk or shredded Kraft cheeses for $10 minus an additional $5 off with a coupon in their weekly circular which can be picked up in the store on found on-line. In other words, I got 2-1/2 lbs of cheese for $5 which amounts to $2/lb! This is an amazing price for cheese! The best part is that I can go back and get the deal additional times. Fabulous!
Lastly I picked up a loaf of Sara Lee bread that was on sale for 2 for $3. I only got one--do you know that if something says "2 for $5" or "10 for $10" that you don't have to get that amount? I thought this was common knowledge but my sister questioned me about this once so apparently not everyone does know this. If you have to buy a certain amount it will be listed. For example, Karns' Turkey Hill ice cream was 3 for $6 and it said in the ad "must buy 3". Otherwise you can buy whatever amount you want and figure the price by what you buy. So, I bought one loaf of bread, used a $1 off coupon from a newspaper that I don't pay for which a kind newspaper lady regularly brings to our house, and my bread costs me 50 cents! I'm lovin' it!
My final grocery stop was at Sharp Shopper in Middletown. I cannot say enough about this store. The prices are insanely low and you can always find what you were never looking for but cannot live without :-)
On this trip some of the highlights were bags of granola for 69 cents/lb. I wasn't looking for granola, but I can certainly use granola. Trail mix, yogurt parfaits, muffins...the possibilities are endless. They also had Helluva Good mozzarella chunk cheese for 79 cents/lb. I picked up three of those puppies. Cheese is a staple in the Webb household (hence the need for a return trip to Karns mentioned above). Their Kraft Macaroni and cheese is 3/$1.00 which at that price I will pick it up every time. I just cannot see paying $1 for a box of mac and cheese that feeds 1-1/2 people in our family. Mayo was on my shopping list and I picked up a jar of Miracle Whip light for 99 cents. Sharp Shopper is a store where there are certain staples that are sure to be there, past items that have made a brief appearance never to return again, and definite surprises awaiting shoppers with each visit. For these reasons, it is my favorite grocery store.
James 4:14 says,
What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.
When I think about the joy I get out of being a homemaker, it floors me to realize that there is going to be an even greater and lasting joy in being eternally in the presence of my Savior. In the time being, I am finding joy in the mist.
Some may think I'm crazy. But I get such joy out of writing up my grocery list during the week of our payday and then going out and tackling that list, at the end of the week. I am like a cat ready to pounce on the deals, bargains, and sales that out there for the taking.
My first stop this week was Karns. I got their 10lbs of ground chuck for $2.79 and their 10lbs of boneless skinless chicken breasts for $1.99. Of utmost importance is knowing what the going rate is for these staples. I was sharing with a friend once that just because something is a BOGO or is on sale does not mean that you are getting the best price, in particular at the mainstream grocery stores. I know that I can get chicken breasts for $1.79 at the lowest on sale at Karns or Price Rite, so I'm okay with $1.99. On one very occasion I happened upon ground chuck on sale for $1.99 at Giant, but the going rate is anywhere from $2.69-$2.79, so I am fine with the price I paid at Karns. There are times when I'll shop for the yellow tag meat (mentioned in a previous post). In this case I wanted to stock up and I had a coupon for $5 off a $50 Karns purchase. Buying the meats helped me to reach that amount.
Other deals they have this week are five 8oz. chunk or shredded Kraft cheeses for $10 minus an additional $5 off with a coupon in their weekly circular which can be picked up in the store on found on-line. In other words, I got 2-1/2 lbs of cheese for $5 which amounts to $2/lb! This is an amazing price for cheese! The best part is that I can go back and get the deal additional times. Fabulous!
Lastly I picked up a loaf of Sara Lee bread that was on sale for 2 for $3. I only got one--do you know that if something says "2 for $5" or "10 for $10" that you don't have to get that amount? I thought this was common knowledge but my sister questioned me about this once so apparently not everyone does know this. If you have to buy a certain amount it will be listed. For example, Karns' Turkey Hill ice cream was 3 for $6 and it said in the ad "must buy 3". Otherwise you can buy whatever amount you want and figure the price by what you buy. So, I bought one loaf of bread, used a $1 off coupon from a newspaper that I don't pay for which a kind newspaper lady regularly brings to our house, and my bread costs me 50 cents! I'm lovin' it!
My final grocery stop was at Sharp Shopper in Middletown. I cannot say enough about this store. The prices are insanely low and you can always find what you were never looking for but cannot live without :-)
On this trip some of the highlights were bags of granola for 69 cents/lb. I wasn't looking for granola, but I can certainly use granola. Trail mix, yogurt parfaits, muffins...the possibilities are endless. They also had Helluva Good mozzarella chunk cheese for 79 cents/lb. I picked up three of those puppies. Cheese is a staple in the Webb household (hence the need for a return trip to Karns mentioned above). Their Kraft Macaroni and cheese is 3/$1.00 which at that price I will pick it up every time. I just cannot see paying $1 for a box of mac and cheese that feeds 1-1/2 people in our family. Mayo was on my shopping list and I picked up a jar of Miracle Whip light for 99 cents. Sharp Shopper is a store where there are certain staples that are sure to be there, past items that have made a brief appearance never to return again, and definite surprises awaiting shoppers with each visit. For these reasons, it is my favorite grocery store.
James 4:14 says,
What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.
When I think about the joy I get out of being a homemaker, it floors me to realize that there is going to be an even greater and lasting joy in being eternally in the presence of my Savior. In the time being, I am finding joy in the mist.
Monday, August 12, 2013
Praise Him
During praise time in my prayers, I try my best to stay focused on God rather than me. My intentions are to let Him know how I admire His character and not just what He does for me...I am struggling with doing that this morning.
God is doing an amazing work through my book. I see and hear about that work in the testimonies of those I come in contact with on a regular basis. Yesterday, a friend came up to me with a big smile on her face wiggling her fingers in front of me and excitedly declared, "I didn't get my nails done!" Not too long after that a man approached me to talk about how he now realizes that he needs to get his whole family involved in when he sets up his budget. A woman spoke to me of how she caught her husband's attention because she was reading my book (she is not an avid reader like he is). He is not a believer and he asked her if it had "spiritual stuff" in it. She said that yes it did. Since that time, she has seen the book mysteriously relocating to various locations in the house without her laying a hand on it. Several people I spoke to have been challenged to take a second look at their grocery spending to see how they can shop smarter. And these are merely the stories that have been shared with me. There are many more that I may never hear.
Beyond the testimonials of others, God is developing a testimony out of me. My confidence is growing. God is so evident in my life right now that I struggle to doubt Him in anything. For so long I wrestled with whether Personal Finances Personal Freedom would amount to anything. But God has been bringing about opportunities that I never dreamed would be possible. Father, I praise You for Your undeniable work in my life. Thank you for the privilege of fanning my gift into flame!
God is doing an amazing work through my book. I see and hear about that work in the testimonies of those I come in contact with on a regular basis. Yesterday, a friend came up to me with a big smile on her face wiggling her fingers in front of me and excitedly declared, "I didn't get my nails done!" Not too long after that a man approached me to talk about how he now realizes that he needs to get his whole family involved in when he sets up his budget. A woman spoke to me of how she caught her husband's attention because she was reading my book (she is not an avid reader like he is). He is not a believer and he asked her if it had "spiritual stuff" in it. She said that yes it did. Since that time, she has seen the book mysteriously relocating to various locations in the house without her laying a hand on it. Several people I spoke to have been challenged to take a second look at their grocery spending to see how they can shop smarter. And these are merely the stories that have been shared with me. There are many more that I may never hear.
Beyond the testimonials of others, God is developing a testimony out of me. My confidence is growing. God is so evident in my life right now that I struggle to doubt Him in anything. For so long I wrestled with whether Personal Finances Personal Freedom would amount to anything. But God has been bringing about opportunities that I never dreamed would be possible. Father, I praise You for Your undeniable work in my life. Thank you for the privilege of fanning my gift into flame!
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