Welcome to
Marriage Heart to Heart!
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We're Tom & Alane Waters
with Restoration International
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And we're excited to be together
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to share another
program on the principles
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that can make your
marriage heart to heart!
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Today we're gonna be
talking about managing money.
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Now this can be a
very sticky subject,
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a very uncomfortable
subject for many couples.
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But we found in our marriage
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that as we learned to manage
our money, that means budget
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we have found the
joy that it's brought in
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our own marriage.
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So we hope you have
your paper and pencil
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because we're gonna be
doing some budgeting today
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on this program.
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Well, whether we
have a lot of money
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or a little money
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managing money is crucial
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to reducing the
financial stresses
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that can happen in marriage.
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So that's what we
wanna talk about today
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and Luke 16:2
says that we need to:
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"give an account
of thy stewardship;"
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So how do we give an
account of our stewardship?
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What does that mean
in simple terms today?
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We have to know
where we spend the money.
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How much we have
and where it goes?
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That's right! And so, sometimes
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we have to look at
what our lifestyle is,
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what we are trying to
accomplish in life financially
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and some of those
dreams that we may have
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have to bee looked at in
accordance with the means
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that we have!
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Because many times is easy to
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let the ideas, the dreams
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the credit cards take us outside
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of the means and we
can't afford to do that
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if we're going to be faithful to
take account of our stewardship.
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Every principle that
God has given us in His Word
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only is there
to make us happier!
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- That's right! - And
if we're willing to take
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these principles into our
lives we find that our lives
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are happier,
especially as married couples!
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We don't have those
unnecessary stresses.
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And I remember when
we had set that goal
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of buying our first home
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newly married,
saving money, saving money,
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we were both working
full-time in our professional
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careers
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and we had looked forward
to getting our first home.
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And I remember the day
we drove over and we signed
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on that contract.
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We just got ourselves
into debt for the first time
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in our marriage! - Yes! And
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unfortunately they
had figured our incomes
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in however they do
that in qualifying us and
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we needed both of our incomes to
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make ends meet.
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That's what they told us!
They took our total income
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from both of us work
and said: "This is how much
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you can afford, in the
kind of home that you purchase,
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you know, this is
your level to go to. "
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And that's where we went!
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And then what have we found
out just a few weeks later?
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That our first
child was well on her way!
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That was a
little bit intimidating.
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And I think
realtor was the first one
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to know the news that
we were gonna have a baby!
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What are we gonna do
now? We've already signed
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down the dotted line.
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No escape!
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We'd already made
another commitment that
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was ahead of this commitment
and that was that you're
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going to pull back
from your employment
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when we had our
first little one.
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So, where does
that put us financially?
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That puts us down to
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a home that was
bought on two incomes
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with one income
to pay the bills.
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Ok! So kind of
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forced us to relook at making
account of our stewardship.
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It did! Because we
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we thought we
were pretty careful.
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And we were good
savers to get our down payment
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for that first home
but it was quite a struggle
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at the beginning to
have that mortgage payment.
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And we only had
one full-time income.
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That's right! It also
brought us into a temptation
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to
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kind of look at whether
we wanted to continue to
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put God first in everything.
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Now it was no question
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that we would
continue to pay our tithe,
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but you the little bit
of struggle we went through.
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Whether we were
going to continue to give
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our offerings on
the same commitment that
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we'd given to the Lord.
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And I'm thankful to say that
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we really put God to the test!
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He says: "Prove me!",
we talked about that in
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one of our other
programs: "Prove me
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herewith, saith the Lord"
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and we did prove Him
because we believe that
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He had shown us
over and over that
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if we trust Him, He will make
things work together for good.
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So, we did not go back on
our commitment to the Lord
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and that's been
over 25 years and
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we're thankful for that!
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And He's never let
us down! - That's right!
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And that's been an
encouragement to me!
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But, you know, we
had our second child
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and that only adds
more expenses here.
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Your life doesn't get
less expensive to live,
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every day, that you know,
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the economy
increases, you know, the
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it's just,
inflation is there! And so,
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when you add
children, your life becomes
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more financially complicated.
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That's right!
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Well, about that time
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you probably remember
that this big financial
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investment
councilor came to the hospital
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and we had a big
leadership meeting.
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All the leadership
personnel in the hospital
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came together and
we had this seminar and
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on investing and annuities.
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And each of the
leadership people
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had the
opportunity to meet with this
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councilor personally.
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Well, we had our
meeting together and
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you remember me
coming home that day.
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This man said to me:
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"You need to be
able to save at least
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25 dollars every pay period. "
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And I said: "Listen, you don't
understand our circumstances!
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I mean, we"
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And I share a little bit
with him of our circumstances.
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I said: "You know,
we're good money managers,
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but we can't afford
to save even 25 dollars!
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We're just,
that's how tight we are,
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you know, running our budget!"
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- Pay period to pay
period! - That's right!
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And
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I didn't really like
what he said to me but
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he turned to me and he said:
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"If you can't save
25 dollars a pay period
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then you have a
serious problem!"
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Now,
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I mean, I felt this
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self coming up inside of me,
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I didn't,
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I didn't, you know,
respond to him then,
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I didn't understand
some of the things we
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certainly understand today!
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But you remember when I came
home and shared that with you?
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Yes! I had some of that
same self reaction in me!
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Because for the
most part I was managing
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the money in the home!
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- That's right! -
I mean, you know, you
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bring your paycheck
home, and I worked, you know,
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on a very part-time basis
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but my income was very
insignificant according to our
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our living demands on us.
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And
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so when you said
that to me that night I
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thought:
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"This is, he doesn't know,
I mean, we bought this home
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when we had two
full-time incomes
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and I'm hardly even
working a day a week!"
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So you didn't
like it either did you?
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I didn't like it!
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Neither one of us liked it!
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But, it kind of
challenged us in a way!
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And so,
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we went back
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we relooked at our
financial situation
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and we really couldn't
see how we could do it!
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But here's the reason
we use this illustration
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we started looking closer
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and we started
taking account of the money,
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taking account
of our stewardship.
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And you know, we
challenged ourselves
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that we were
going to save 25 dollars
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every pay period.
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And you know, that proved
to be a huge blessing to us
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when we moved to our
country home in Montana.
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Yes! It provided
us the means to live
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when we made that transition
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because you went
from full-time employment
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and a leadership
position in a hospital
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to getting a commission only
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in your real estate
practice which the first year
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was extremely meager!
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- That's right! -
Way below poverty rates
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in the country!
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And so we lived on that savings
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because we ere willing
to be challenged that way.
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And, you know,
what you hear today may
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step on your toes,
you may feel challenged
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it may make you
uncomfortable, it may even
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want to make the
"me" in you raise up!
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But,
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we only share with you
what we have challenged
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and been
challenged with ourselves and
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you will see that
somewhere down the road
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it will be a blessing to you
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if you will, in your
managing of your money
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have a little
savings, because no one knows
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what is ahead and what
your circumstances may mean.
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And I think that the
part that's the so meaningful
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for us, especially
as we looked back at it,
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is that
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when we take that 25 dollars
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it seems
insignificant, even back then
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over 20 years ago it
seemed insignificant,
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we take that 25 dollars
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and if we hadn't just had the
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money taken out of our paycheck
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we never saw it.
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And we never missed it!
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And what that said to us,
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and I think that
what it says to you
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is that if we will have
a simple savings program
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that we won't
really miss that money!
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And a lot of times
people spend more than that
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in two weeks and they can't
even account for where it went
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just nickel and
dimming here and there!
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So, make the commitment
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to tighten the belt on things.
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Look at your lifestyle,
evaluate your spending
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look at your dreams and
really ask the question:
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"Am I living within my means?"
00:10:04.50\00:10:07.55
"Or am I forcing
myself into a position where
00:10:07.62\00:10:10.09
I have to make more
money and feel the pressure?"
00:10:10.13\00:10:12.57
And so for us, we began
to actually make a budget.
00:10:13.41\00:10:17.62
Because we knew we
had this much coming in
00:10:17.73\00:10:19.80
and we had to look at how those
dollars were gonna be spent,
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where are they gonna go;
00:10:23.98\00:10:24.95
to make sure we had
enough to cover our bills!
00:10:24.96\00:10:27.43
And we sat down
with a paper and pencil
00:10:27.66\00:10:29.66
very early on and we
started penciling it out:
00:10:29.86\00:10:32.98
"Ok, we have our
tithe, our first for the Lord,
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we have our offering and
we have our mortgage payment!"
00:10:36.10\00:10:39.11
And we put that down on paper.
00:10:39.73\00:10:41.42
A sort of absolutes!
00:10:41.45\00:10:42.74
Absolutes!
00:10:42.77\00:10:43.81
You know, and this sounds
00:10:43.95\00:10:45.17
maybe a little bit simplistic
00:10:45.47\00:10:47.46
to you but we have
found over and over again
00:10:47.78\00:10:50.31
as we have talked
to so many couples
00:10:50.34\00:10:53.48
that many times
00:10:54.10\00:10:56.08
if the money is there,
the money just goes away!
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I know I talked
to one man and he was
00:10:59.74\00:11:02.58
he was just bemoaning
00:11:03.22\00:11:04.88
the fact that if he could make
fifty thousand dollars a year,
00:11:05.03\00:11:08.66
this was back when I was
in my real estate practice and
00:11:09.04\00:11:12.19
he said: "If I could just make
fifty thousand dollars a year
00:11:12.77\00:11:15.35
then I could
really get buying life!"
00:11:15.69\00:11:18.74
And
00:11:18.90\00:11:20.22
I knew the way that
he was spending money
00:11:20.25\00:11:23.08
and the philosophy that he had,
00:11:23.11\00:11:24.57
tat even though
making fifty thousand dollars
00:11:24.90\00:11:27.33
at that time for him
00:11:27.36\00:11:29.08
would be increasing
his income considerably
00:11:29.12\00:11:32.93
that the reality of it was that
00:11:33.39\00:11:35.14
it wouldn't change
the fact that he'd still
00:11:35.18\00:11:37.02
be running out of money.
00:11:37.05\00:11:38.04
And within a couple of
years he was making that
00:11:38.68\00:11:42.00
more than fifty thousand dollars
00:11:42.03\00:11:43.94
and none of his
circumstances had changed!
00:11:44.12\00:11:46.46
None of his spending habits
had changed and his family was
00:11:46.86\00:11:50.40
still in the same
financial difficulties!
00:11:50.43\00:11:52.35
So, the issue here is
not how much money we have
00:11:52.66\00:11:55.68
it's how we manage and how
take account of that money!
00:11:56.32\00:11:59.64
So, as
simplistic as it may sound
00:11:59.67\00:12:01.61
to sit down
with a peace of paper
00:12:01.64\00:12:03.55
and start writing
down you will be surprised
00:12:03.84\00:12:07.08
when you write down all
the known monthly expenses!
00:12:07.27\00:12:10.60
You take that net
that you have after taxes
00:12:10.91\00:12:14.08
you put that to
the top of your paper
00:12:14.37\00:12:16.00
and then you begin to write
down all the known expenses
00:12:16.27\00:12:18.46
and really dig into it,
00:12:18.49\00:12:19.89
dig them all out, go
to all your resources
00:12:20.18\00:12:23.59
and they're gonna be surprised
00:12:23.75\00:12:24.99
at what they come up
with at the bottom line.
00:12:25.18\00:12:27.24
The blessing of this and
how it worked in our marriage
00:12:27.90\00:12:31.08
is that once we did that
00:12:31.55\00:12:33.50
we said: "Oh?
00:12:33.59\00:12:35.27
This is how much money we
really have to work with!"
00:12:35.31\00:12:39.24
This has to include our
savings and this has to include
00:12:39.55\00:12:43.59
our unexpected
necessary expenses,
00:12:43.89\00:12:48.22
some of those unknown things!
00:12:48.36\00:12:50.03
And so, now you
have a different picture!
00:12:50.38\00:12:52.56
We got a totally
different picture in our minds
00:12:52.60\00:12:54.78
about what we had
to really work with!
00:12:55.10\00:12:57.13
And that's one of the blessings
00:12:57.43\00:12:58.95
that sitting down
with a peace of paper
00:12:58.99\00:13:00.68
or you can do it on your
computer with a spreadsheet,
00:13:00.72\00:13:03.65
but to com up
with a bottom line.
00:13:03.68\00:13:05.19
That's right! So maybe
we should talk about those
00:13:05.40\00:13:07.95
known expenses, because
in talking with many couples
00:13:07.99\00:13:10.51
who have had financial
stress in their marriage
00:13:10.54\00:13:13.07
they don't even know what
those real known expenses are!
00:13:13.11\00:13:16.09
- That's right! - They don't
00:13:16.12\00:13:17.52
take account of them
00:13:17.55\00:13:18.81
because they don't
necessarily show up every month.
00:13:18.85\00:13:21.44
So maybe we should identify
00:13:21.47\00:13:23.06
these known expenses! -
That's right! That's good!
00:13:23.10\00:13:25.19
Well, we talked about
the tithe, the offerings,
00:13:26.36\00:13:28.74
the mortgage,
00:13:28.77\00:13:30.24
the car payment, the
insurance these are things
00:13:30.41\00:13:33.13
that are known expenses! But
00:13:33.16\00:13:34.59
let's take the car
insurance for example.
00:13:34.63\00:13:36.89
For us and I don't
know how it is for you,
00:13:37.53\00:13:39.88
but our car insurance
comes due every six month.
00:13:39.92\00:13:43.25
So, what are we gonna do?
00:13:43.98\00:13:45.58
One of the problems
that people run into
00:13:46.30\00:13:48.06
and we used to run
into this problem, is we
00:13:48.09\00:13:50.19
think about our paycheck
and we think about the net
00:13:50.22\00:13:52.67
that we have to work with
00:13:52.70\00:13:54.39
and so, here we are
in Wal-Mart or some store
00:13:54.66\00:13:58.53
and we see something that:
00:13:58.56\00:14:00.38
"Wow, this is
really great! I need this!"
00:14:00.42\00:14:03.02
And what can happen is we
can look at our check book
00:14:03.99\00:14:06.66
or we can look at
how much money we have
00:14:06.69\00:14:09.29
presently with us,
00:14:09.56\00:14:10.80
we can end up buying that,
maybe it's a camping tent or
00:14:11.19\00:14:14.84
you know, it's a new exercise
treadmill or something like that
00:14:15.41\00:14:18.81
we got the money for it,
00:14:19.13\00:14:20.19
but because we
haven't taken account
00:14:20.77\00:14:23.87
we haven't looked at
00:14:24.22\00:14:25.38
the fact that that six month
00:14:25.71\00:14:28.49
insurance bill
needs be reconciled
00:14:29.11\00:14:32.22
and accounted for every month.
00:14:32.25\00:14:33.91
So a peace of that
it's coming out every month.
00:14:33.95\00:14:36.21
What many people end up doing
00:14:36.53\00:14:38.09
is they come to the insurance
bill, the bill comes in the mail
00:14:38.13\00:14:41.36
and they go: "Oh no! "
00:14:41.39\00:14:43.74
"When am I gonna get
that six hundred dollars? "
00:14:43.78\00:14:45.82
or whatever it is
00:14:45.85\00:14:46.87
because they just went out
00:14:47.81\00:14:48.83
and bought the tent
two month ago, not thinking
00:14:48.87\00:14:52.40
that part of that money should
have already been set aside
00:14:53.29\00:14:56.79
for that insurance payment.
00:14:57.44\00:14:58.68
And the other thing that
the problem we have today
00:15:00.24\00:15:02.92
is the credit card,
that peace of plastic
00:15:03.18\00:15:05.72
that has made
everything so convenient!
00:15:05.75\00:15:08.26
And what it's made the most
convenient is go on to debt!
00:15:08.87\00:15:11.07
That's right!
00:15:11.10\00:15:12.07
And cause stress and
marriage fallen apart because
00:15:12.08\00:15:15.39
people can't, they just,
00:15:15.67\00:15:17.13
they're in fights and
arguments and blame and guilt
00:15:17.17\00:15:20.32
and so it just -
They can't even keep up
00:15:20.62\00:15:22.18
hardly with the interest on the
00:15:22.21\00:15:24.32
the card. - That's right!
00:15:25.00\00:15:26.50
So, what we chose to do
00:15:26.80\00:15:28.52
is to write down
these real expenses
00:15:28.94\00:15:33.59
that we know, and in
six month we're gonna have
00:15:33.63\00:15:35.77
our insurance
payment on the car,
00:15:35.80\00:15:38.04
on our home.
00:15:38.35\00:15:39.32
Some people have medical
policies or life insurance
00:15:39.51\00:15:42.59
all of these are
expenses - That's right!
00:15:42.62\00:15:44.29
that need to be
budgeted in every month
00:15:44.32\00:15:46.12
and those funds
need to be set aside
00:15:46.15\00:15:47.88
so when those big
bills show up in the mail
00:15:47.92\00:15:51.07
there's the
money to pay them off.
00:15:51.10\00:15:53.65
And then there's the utilities!
00:15:53.76\00:15:55.49
Which you can get
a pretty good idea
00:15:55.53\00:15:56.94
what that's gonna
be on a monthly basis.
00:15:56.98\00:15:58.89
And many of the
utility companies today
00:15:58.92\00:16:00.80
let you do a year plan.
00:16:01.12\00:16:02.99
So if you have higher
heating cost in the winter
00:16:03.03\00:16:05.92
and it's lower in the
summer, you can pay the
00:16:06.23\00:16:08.71
same amount every year
and they can estimate your
00:16:08.74\00:16:11.19
your monthly bills
on that. - That's right!
00:16:11.22\00:16:13.71
So it can be a
fairly well known expense.
00:16:13.75\00:16:16.21
And so you've
got your phone bills,
00:16:16.24\00:16:18.85
your heating bills,
your electricity, gas,
00:16:19.75\00:16:23.15
you know, sewer,
whether, all those things
00:16:23.18\00:16:25.47
that have to be
incorporated into that budget.
00:16:25.51\00:16:27.90
There's a few other
things that we wanna talk about,
00:16:28.67\00:16:30.86
but we need to
take a break right now!
00:16:30.89\00:16:32.57
We hope you'll stay with us
00:16:32.60\00:16:33.80
as we talk about how we
can truly manage our money.
00:16:34.38\00:16:38.20
There are many "How
to?" books available,
00:16:43.71\00:16:45.44
but there's one that's free
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00:16:48.74\00:16:51.14
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00:16:51.76\00:16:53.75
is given in a lighthearted,
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00:16:53.79\00:16:56.32
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00:16:56.35\00:16:57.86
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00:16:57.90\00:17:00.82
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00:17:00.85\00:17:02.37
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00:17:02.86\00:17:04.94
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00:17:04.98\00:17:07.79
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00:17:07.82\00:17:09.67
Welcome back! We're talking
about how we can really manage
00:17:15.65\00:17:19.38
our financial responsibilities.
00:17:19.84\00:17:22.05
We've been
talking about budgeting
00:17:22.16\00:17:23.93
and the importance of
that and we've talked of it in
00:17:24.29\00:17:26.61
very simplistic
terms. You can take it
00:17:26.96\00:17:29.54
and put it on your
spreadsheet on your computer or
00:17:29.58\00:17:32.24
the way we simply did
it as take a peace of paper
00:17:32.51\00:17:34.82
and write the net amount after
taxes and start working with
00:17:34.86\00:17:37.67
the expenses that
are known expenses
00:17:38.28\00:17:41.39
or just a couple
of other ones that
00:17:41.78\00:17:43.65
kind of catch
people from time to time.
00:17:44.24\00:17:46.23
And those are the
taxes, the property taxes,
00:17:46.27\00:17:49.18
the things that, you know,
don't come, you don't see them
00:17:49.22\00:17:52.58
every month.
00:17:52.73\00:17:53.95
And so, sometimes those
can be set out of sight,
00:17:53.99\00:17:57.01
out of mind and
then they pop-up and
00:17:57.04\00:17:59.33
they can be a pretty
huge expense at one time.
00:17:59.37\00:18:01.68
That's right!
00:18:01.71\00:18:02.68
The other areas
00:18:02.69\00:18:03.66
are professional licenses - Yes!
00:18:03.67\00:18:05.29
for people who have to
have continual education
00:18:05.58\00:18:07.87
or renew their
licenses every year
00:18:07.90\00:18:09.81
or even their auto-licenses,
00:18:10.12\00:18:11.61
that you know
the tags on the car.
00:18:11.65\00:18:13.64
They come once a year and
"Bang!" all of a sudden we
00:18:14.00\00:18:16.49
owe 400 dollars to the state.
00:18:16.52\00:18:17.82
Where are we gonna
get that 400 dollars?
00:18:17.86\00:18:20.24
- That's right! -
So, by identifying those
00:18:20.27\00:18:22.62
known expenses
and putting them out
00:18:22.65\00:18:25.09
and then budgeting every month,
00:18:25.12\00:18:26.73
maybe it's only 30 dollars
for this or 40 dollars for that,
00:18:26.77\00:18:29.62
when that bill comes
in we have the money.
00:18:29.75\00:18:32.21
- That's right! - And it's not
00:18:32.24\00:18:34.33
a pressure, it
doesn't cause a reaction.
00:18:34.37\00:18:36.94
That's right! And one of
the things that happens is:
00:18:36.98\00:18:39.70
if we're not really prepared
for that when it comes in
00:18:40.01\00:18:42.93
we live in such
a "debt orientated
00:18:42.96\00:18:45.45
leverage your
money " kind of society
00:18:45.49\00:18:47.95
that the
temptation then is to just,
00:18:48.27\00:18:51.51
you know, I'll put
something on the credit card
00:18:51.89\00:18:54.19
so I can free up some
money or I'll just, you know,
00:18:54.22\00:18:56.45
I'll take out a little loan,
you know, just a signature loan.
00:18:56.49\00:19:00.22
It's easier or I could
get a little bit of money here
00:19:00.25\00:19:02.66
with a little equity loan.
00:19:02.69\00:19:04.76
Those things had
become so accessible!
00:19:05.12\00:19:07.11
But what they do
if no habits change
00:19:07.56\00:19:10.73
if no account is
made of our finances
00:19:10.77\00:19:13.91
then that cumulates,
it keeps building up.
00:19:14.22\00:19:17.13
And there's maybe
somebody out there listening
00:19:17.44\00:19:19.04
and says, you know:
00:19:19.07\00:19:20.11
"Well, it's not an issue for me!
00:19:20.15\00:19:21.92
I don't even have to think about
00:19:21.95\00:19:23.69
my bottom line! I've
got all kinds of money!"
00:19:24.29\00:19:26.96
Ok? There are people like
that that may be listening
00:19:27.12\00:19:29.80
and that's a
blessing! Praise the Lord
00:19:30.03\00:19:32.33
that you have been blessed
with those kinds of finances!
00:19:32.65\00:19:36.14
But you're still going
to have to give an account
00:19:36.47\00:19:39.30
as a steward! So
00:19:39.64\00:19:41.66
whether you have plenty of money
00:19:41.74\00:19:43.23
and you forget about your
tax bills until they come due
00:19:43.27\00:19:45.98
and the money is
readily available
00:19:46.01\00:19:48.05
there's still an
accountability to God
00:19:48.09\00:19:50.06
for the blessing that
He's given to each one of us
00:19:50.10\00:19:52.48
in the funds that we manage!
00:19:52.51\00:19:54.67
So, maybe you can
have the inducement
00:19:55.03\00:19:57.93
to then be able to give
more to the Lord's cause
00:19:58.23\00:20:01.58
if you're a good
steward of those finances!
00:20:01.94\00:20:04.71
So we should look at
some of those unknown expenses
00:20:05.84\00:20:08.45
like food. I mean we
all know we need to eat!
00:20:08.74\00:20:11.07
We all like to eat!
00:20:11.10\00:20:12.26
But most people
don't have a budget
00:20:12.60\00:20:15.22
"This is what I'm gonna spend
00:20:15.25\00:20:16.25
on food every
month!" - That's right!
00:20:16.29\00:20:17.56
And going out to eat, and the
pets that we have in our home
00:20:17.60\00:20:20.99
and the home maintenance
needs to be done, and all the
00:20:21.02\00:20:23.31
miscellaneous
things we need to buy to
00:20:23.34\00:20:25.84
keep our home up. You
know, the toilet paper,
00:20:25.99\00:20:28.21
the paper towels, the Cleanixes,
00:20:28.24\00:20:29.83
all those little
things! - Even gifts then
00:20:29.87\00:20:31.80
you know, what we're
gonna spend on holidays and
00:20:31.84\00:20:34.42
birthdays and that adds
up! - Stamps to mail things!
00:20:34.45\00:20:37.00
I mean it seems
so insignificant!
00:20:37.03\00:20:39.40
But in reality it all adds up
and it makes a huge difference!
00:20:39.89\00:20:44.50
That's right!
00:20:44.53\00:20:45.50
It makes a
difference on that bottom line!
00:20:45.51\00:20:47.54
And it especially
makes a difference because
00:20:48.01\00:20:50.78
we don't have the expectation!
00:20:51.12\00:20:53.27
We haven't sat
down and had a budget.
00:20:53.31\00:20:55.29
So, it really makes an
impact if we think we've got
00:20:55.33\00:20:59.42
"x" number of dollars
00:20:59.45\00:21:00.78
because we have a
paycheck in our hand
00:21:00.82\00:21:02.75
and then all of a sudden
we realized that not only
00:21:03.38\00:21:05.83
do we not have all
that money we thought we did
00:21:05.86\00:21:08.28
after we go out and eat or
we go out and buy these things.
00:21:08.31\00:21:11.28
When we find out that it's
way less than we thought we had
00:21:11.71\00:21:15.62
and we need a large sum
of money, that's where again
00:21:15.65\00:21:18.43
that the debt comes in.
00:21:18.46\00:21:19.91
So, we need to take these
00:21:20.76\00:21:22.62
undefined areas,
the undefined amounts
00:21:23.37\00:21:26.39
and after having
put our net amount
00:21:26.72\00:21:28.76
at the top of our budget
00:21:28.79\00:21:30.01
what we need to do
next after we've identified
00:21:30.05\00:21:32.68
and put in the known expenses
00:21:32.71\00:21:35.05
we need to see how
much money has left
00:21:35.09\00:21:36.63
and then divide it in
these areas that are very real,
00:21:36.67\00:21:39.32
that we need from day
to day to keep living.
00:21:39.35\00:21:41.59
And determine how much we're
gonna spend in those areas.
00:21:41.91\00:21:45.37
- That's right!
- And this has been
00:21:45.73\00:21:47.05
a tremendous help to us! I mean
00:21:47.09\00:21:48.38
there was a time we
lived on 300 dollars a month!
00:21:48.73\00:21:51.56
And that was in the 80's.
00:21:51.73\00:21:53.18
So that's not a lot of
money and it can't be done.
00:21:53.22\00:21:55.92
You know, - That
was our transition time
00:21:56.73\00:21:58.10
from our suburban lifestyle
00:21:58.13\00:21:59.98
'cause we wanted
to stay out of debt!
00:22:00.02\00:22:01.65
That's right!
00:22:01.68\00:22:02.65
That was something
we agreed on, you know,
00:22:02.66\00:22:04.60
when we talked in the
previous program about
00:22:04.95\00:22:07.12
agreeing
together. - That's right!
00:22:07.41\00:22:09.38
That was one thing
we wanted out of debt!
00:22:09.42\00:22:11.76
We didn't want that
financial pressure on us!
00:22:11.79\00:22:14.10
So we were able to
make that transition
00:22:14.28\00:22:16.31
without the debt. We never
would've been able to do that
00:22:16.81\00:22:19.76
though if we had not agreed
00:22:19.79\00:22:21.77
to be
accountable with our finances
00:22:21.81\00:22:23.81
and have a budget!
00:22:24.15\00:22:25.45
So we looked at everywhere
those dollars would go.
00:22:25.81\00:22:28.60
And we didn't just drive
around for something to do.
00:22:28.97\00:22:31.74
We only used the car
if we had to go somewhere.
00:22:32.16\00:22:34.75
- Yes! - And, you know,
00:22:34.78\00:22:35.91
we were out in the country
and I walked to the mailbox
00:22:35.94\00:22:38.17
a mile away instead of
driving to the mailbox.
00:22:38.20\00:22:40.94
- Great exercise!
- Yes it was good!
00:22:40.97\00:22:42.65
And, you know, we wouldn't
00:22:42.68\00:22:44.13
necessarily pick up
our mail every day. I mean
00:22:44.17\00:22:45.82
these were areas that
we address because we knew
00:22:46.34\00:22:49.68
that we didn't
have those resources
00:22:50.04\00:22:51.75
and we didn't
wanted to go into debt!
00:22:51.78\00:22:53.25
Well, it was a
blessing too, because
00:22:53.28\00:22:54.72
we began buying bulk foods
00:22:54.75\00:22:57.35
you, know, we
started buying things and
00:22:57.38\00:22:59.41
you know, a 50 pound
bag or a 25 pound bag
00:22:59.61\00:23:02.69
and it was a huge savings!
00:23:02.72\00:23:05.28
And those kind of
things, and we knew
00:23:05.41\00:23:07.96
when we went, you know, with
you to go to the grocer store
00:23:08.11\00:23:10.64
or when we go to shop
for something we had an idea
00:23:10.67\00:23:13.06
of exactly how much
money we had to work with.
00:23:13.09\00:23:15.45
And so, our
children never knew it
00:23:15.90\00:23:17.33
but during that period of
our lives in that transition
00:23:17.37\00:23:20.35
we lived and ate pretty simply.
00:23:20.68\00:23:23.26
We bought, you bought
00:23:23.77\00:23:25.18
the vegetables and the
fruits that were on sale,
00:23:25.22\00:23:27.80
not just what our taste liked.
00:23:27.83\00:23:29.82
And so, it was a
good discipline for us
00:23:30.64\00:23:32.39
and it's really
proved to be a blessing.
00:23:32.43\00:23:34.15
That's right! And
cooking from scratch
00:23:34.35\00:23:36.21
that made a huge difference
because of that bulk buy
00:23:36.25\00:23:38.04
of that I mean you
can eat pretty cheap
00:23:38.08\00:23:40.05
if you, you know,
heat a pot of beans!
00:23:40.08\00:23:41.75
- That's right! -
Don't buy the beans
00:23:41.78\00:23:43.42
already done in
the can! Buy them dry
00:23:43.45\00:23:45.49
and cook them and then eat them.
00:23:45.52\00:23:47.67
You know, and you can eat
very inexpensively that way.
00:23:48.16\00:23:51.19
And those are some of
the things we did, besides
00:23:51.22\00:23:53.32
looking at second hand things,
00:23:53.72\00:23:56.39
which also helped us to redeem
00:23:56.51\00:23:58.68
you know, and
live within our means!
00:23:58.72\00:23:59.76
Because our means
was - That's right!
00:23:59.79\00:24:00.80
very meager!
00:24:00.83\00:24:02.22
Rather than to get a
plastic and go into debt
00:24:02.38\00:24:04.52
and have that constant pressure
00:24:04.55\00:24:05.89
because, you just
don't ever get unburied.
00:24:05.93\00:24:08.45
It just gets bigger
and bigger and bigger!
00:24:08.48\00:24:10.66
And it's very
hard to get out of it!
00:24:10.98\00:24:13.22
That's right!
00:24:13.25\00:24:14.22
You remember that
couple that actually called us
00:24:14.96\00:24:17.04
after we had done
meetings, they called us and
00:24:17.08\00:24:19.13
wanted to see if
we could come over
00:24:19.16\00:24:20.77
and help them
00:24:21.47\00:24:22.81
work through their budget.
00:24:22.93\00:24:24.49
It was really an
interesting situation,
00:24:25.10\00:24:26.58
we've done this with people.
00:24:26.61\00:24:28.10
Well, they just
didn't have any idea how to
00:24:28.62\00:24:31.12
how to go about this
and really make it work.
00:24:31.29\00:24:33.75
And so, we actually
sat down, we got out
00:24:33.78\00:24:36.01
a peace of paper and we
just pulled together everything
00:24:36.05\00:24:39.88
all their financial
information that they
00:24:39.91\00:24:42.63
could get their hands on.
00:24:42.66\00:24:43.79
These people had tried
and tried different ways to
00:24:44.22\00:24:47.17
you know, to beat their debt!
00:24:47.20\00:24:48.65
And their paycheck
always run out before
00:24:48.95\00:24:52.19
their bills were all paid.
00:24:52.22\00:24:53.54
And that night we
sat down with them and
00:24:53.85\00:24:55.83
we went through
this, we haven't gone
00:24:55.87\00:24:57.82
through all the details here,
00:24:57.85\00:24:59.29
we don't have
time. But we went through
00:24:59.41\00:25:01.37
every detail with them!
00:25:01.40\00:25:03.56
And when we got
to the bottom line
00:25:03.74\00:25:05.43
with their paycheck and
their bills, we actually had
00:25:05.82\00:25:09.36
what was it? 300 dollars? - Yes!
00:25:09.71\00:25:11.55
Between 200 and 300 dollars
00:25:11.58\00:25:12.90
extra! - 200 or
300 dollars extra
00:25:12.94\00:25:14.44
that was unaccounted for!
00:25:14.47\00:25:15.95
And they found
out, to their shock,
00:25:16.28\00:25:18.51
that they had just
been letting this money
00:25:18.55\00:25:20.30
sleep through their
fingers! - Yes! Every month
00:25:20.34\00:25:21.85
200 to 300
dollars was unaccountable!
00:25:21.88\00:25:24.11
- That's right! - You
know it was just spent
00:25:24.15\00:25:25.31
a little here a
little there, you know
00:25:25.34\00:25:26.51
quick fast foods,
00:25:26.54\00:25:27.84
I'll stop by Mc
Donald's - That's right!
00:25:27.87\00:25:29.05
and I'll do this and
I'll get this, you know.
00:25:29.09\00:25:31.51
And it was gone.
00:25:31.54\00:25:33.53
And so, we worked with
them and we did all this
00:25:33.57\00:25:36.24
in just one evening together.
00:25:36.27\00:25:38.38
We worked with
them and they called us
00:25:38.76\00:25:41.25
a few weeks later and they said:
00:25:41.28\00:25:43.23
"This is so amazing!
00:25:43.26\00:25:44.23
For the first time
in our married life we
00:25:44.24\00:25:48.28
are living on a budget,
00:25:48.31\00:25:50.68
living within our means.
00:25:51.09\00:25:52.97
Not only are we paying all
of the bills that we have to pay
00:25:53.31\00:25:56.80
but we have prioritized ",
'cause we kind of helped them
00:25:57.12\00:25:59.86
prioritize which
debts they should be hitting
00:25:59.89\00:26:02.17
first to get rid of
the higher interest rates.
00:26:02.21\00:26:04.46
They said: "We have
prioritized all these things
00:26:04.77\00:26:06.88
and we actually
have money to save
00:26:06.91\00:26:08.77
for the first
time in our marriage! "
00:26:08.80\00:26:10.63
And not only that!
00:26:10.66\00:26:11.72
They talked about how
much happier they were too!
00:26:11.76\00:26:13.91
- That's right!
- Because so much
00:26:13.94\00:26:15.15
of their time was spent on
the stress that the financial
00:26:15.19\00:26:18.41
burden was
causing. - That's right!
00:26:18.44\00:26:19.78
I mean they were at
each other, at each other
00:26:19.82\00:26:21.94
- Yes! blaming. And they had
00:26:21.97\00:26:24.06
that freedom.
00:26:24.09\00:26:25.43
So we wanna encourage you,
00:26:25.62\00:26:27.69
challenge you just
as we've been challenged
00:26:28.48\00:26:31.09
to meet the responsibilities
of taking account!
00:26:31.44\00:26:36.70
Be accountable as a steward
00:26:37.12\00:26:39.18
not only of the
paycheck that you have
00:26:39.22\00:26:40.99
but realizing that God is
the Giver of all these gifts
00:26:41.03\00:26:43.89
and we're His stewards!
00:26:43.92\00:26:45.65
So we wanna encourage you
00:26:45.80\00:26:46.99
to take account
of your finances,
00:26:47.15\00:26:49.31
have a realistic budget
that includes everything,
00:26:49.35\00:26:51.74
know what your means is
00:26:51.77\00:26:54.02
and know what your spending is
00:26:54.06\00:26:55.91
and encourage you to
live within your means
00:26:55.95\00:26:58.13
and then begin to work
diligently to reduce the debt!
00:26:58.54\00:27:02.51
And we can't do any of
this apart from the Lord!
00:27:02.68\00:27:04.95
So I'd like to just
close in prayer. Honey
00:27:04.98\00:27:06.90
do you wanna pray? - Sure.
00:27:06.93\00:27:08.71
Father in Heaven
00:27:10.08\00:27:11.65
thank You that You are
the Giver of all things
00:27:11.82\00:27:13.89
and thank You that
You will help us to learn
00:27:14.25\00:27:16.46
how to manage our money - Amen!
00:27:16.49\00:27:18.08
by Your principles!
00:27:18.11\00:27:19.56
And thank You for the
joy that that can bring us!
00:27:19.77\00:27:22.21
So help us to be faithful
stewards as we're praying
00:27:23.32\00:27:26.03
in Your Sun's name Amen! - Amen!
00:27:26.06\00:27:28.98
Well we look forward to
having you join us again
00:27:30.49\00:27:32.61
as we talk about
00:27:33.03\00:27:34.80
From Discord to Harmony!
00:27:34.84\00:27:38.01
We want you
00:27:38.04\00:27:39.43
to experience a
marriage that's heart to heart
00:27:39.92\00:27:42.85
with the Lord Jesus Christ!
00:27:43.44\00:27:45.55
Captions and translations by
Christian Media Services www.
00:28:26.31\00:28:30.20