It’s spring and more of us are heading outdoors as the weather gets nicer. (Well perhaps this week is not a great indicator with the snow and ice rain.) Nevertheless, we spend time cleaning up winter build-up in our yards, raking old leaves, and we start thinking about moving outdoor furniture from storage onto our patios.
Spring gets us moving, and certainly puts a spring into our steps. Even at More Than Enough, there is a shift into the busy season of spring house sales and taxes.
There is a definite shift in attitudes, as well, as we move from winter to spring. If we have the courage we can take this shift in seasons, to re-evaluate how well we are managing our finances. If you find you are not doing so well, this is the right time to get back onto the wagon of good financial habits.
In last week’s blog, we looked at the principle of returning to the first things when we have found our finances in disarray.
Remember what we did when our financial world was on track.
Repent by owning our mistakes.
Return to what we did at first.
It is an effective biblical principle (see Revelation 2:5) that we can apply to many areas of our lives, and can lead us back to some practical financial habits.
Return to intentional financial practises
When David and I find ourselves in financial stress, the first thing we do is ask ourselves questions about our financial practises. Are we meeting together regularly to talk about our finances? We call it a financial date. Even if you are single, you can set a regular time in your weekly calendar to look at your receipts, bank balances and pay your bills. And if you need accountability, find someone who can help you walk the journey to get you back on track.
Then, we track our spending. We take a look at where the money is going, as we aim to get back to telling our money where we want it to go. Often when we fall off the financial wagon, our money tells us where it will end up, and that place is often debt. Get back to the first things. Find out where your money is going and head it in a different direction.
Then, we create a spending plan. It is not a rigid budget, but a “looking ahead forecast” of what we anticipate spending in the next eight weeks.
Then, we do our best to stick to it! If there is debt, then we work out a payment plan. We also aim to put money away into a storehouse for future investment, but we also put money aside into an emergency cushion, so that “surprises” won’t get us dipping into credit lines and credit cards down the road.
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So what did you once do that helped you stay on track financially? Get back to those things. Remember the freedom of operating in a place free of debt-dependency.
Remember:
Communicate about where you want your money to go.
Plan what you spend. Spend what you plan.
Stick to it!!
As winter turns to spring, let the warmth remind you that there is hope. Financial freedom and good financial habits are possible.
If your troubles seem too far out of reach for you to handle on your own, the financial coaches at More Than Enough would love to help, by offering financial coaching advice, either during a one-time visit or a longer-term relationship.
At More Than Enough the hope of spring is in the air; the hope of spring that leads to the summer of freedom – financial freedom.
Rebecca van Noppen is a teacher, home educator, writer, intercessor, and More Than Enough blogger, who happens to be married to a financial coach. A lover of Jesus, she is on a journey of surrender, kindness, and generosity.