By MARK MACKAY
As we come to the end of another financial years, it’s worth considering what role financial stress plays in our homes. And that stress doesn’t just arise out of debt stress.
We can disagree over how money should be managed; what should be spent and when; should we have a family budget and what should be in it; if we overspend in one area, what is the other area that has to go.
To be sure, in our current environment there aren’t many families who won’t have some measure of financial stress – especially given the way the cost of living seems to be going up all the time while wages stay pretty stagnant.
But, there are many areas of financial stress that are self-inflicted and, if we can get those areas under control, we can reduce so much stress in our homes.
The Bible is a wonderfully practical book that addresses those areas of our life that cause us stress, including finances.
One of the key points the Bible makes is that we need to have a healthy attitude in regards to money – For example, “Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income.” (Ecclesiates 5:10)
Money is a means to an end, not the end in itself and part of having a good attitude to money is knowing the end we are looking to achieve. I knew an older man once who lived basically and almost frugally.
But why?
Because he used the money he saved to be generous to others.
And when I conducted his funeral, I was stunned at the number of people who shared stories of how he had helped them financially and practically.
He knew that money was a tool to be a blessing to others!
So, from a practical point of view, here are some steps we can take in regards to money in our homes:
- A household budget is a good thing!
- We need to look at how we spend our money and evaluate whether we are actually spending our money in the areas that are important.
- Sit down as a family and talk about money – communication is always a good step to take.
