Spending or Saving: Two Habits We Practice

Sun is pouring into the farmhouse and it is sure to be fleeting, so let's enjoy this brightness together, yes?

We've been slowly, steadily, and hopefully wisely making our way through a series about finances.  It began a long time ago when I presented this info to a local home school support group, and then realized it would be valuable to capture these ideas for my ongoing benefit, possibly theirs, and I hope the farmkids.  You can read about it here, as well as catch up with the other posts in the series.

The last habit I shared is one of several our family practices, and today we're gonna press on with two more that Weekend Farmer Husband and I actually apply with some measure of consistency.

We try to have as many multiple use items in our home as possible. It just makes sense to us that we would cultivate a pantry, medicine chest, and cleaning closet that cross pollinate. (One of my favorite phrases from Marie!)  For example, you probably know that vinegar is great for adding a bright flavor to sauces, salad dressings, and soups.  Apple Cider Vinegar in particular has amazing health supporting properties and can fix what ails 'ya on many levels.  White vinegar is a great cleaning agent, and although stinky, my spring cleaning routine includes throwing open some windows and cleaning off the panes from all their winter grime.

Vinegar is one of but many multiple use items we keep handy. The list keeps growing, but this is what we currently keep around:
Castille Soap- bar and liquid
Baking Soda
Hydrogen Peroxide
Coconut Oil
Raw Unfiltered Honey
Some Essential Oils (lavender, tea tree, peppermint, rosemary)
White Distilled Vinegar
Apple Cider Vinegar
Green Tea
Spices (cinnamon, cardamom, turmeric, cayenne pepper, cumin, black pepper)
Witch Hazel
Garlic
Lemons

The list is in no particular order and if you'd like to read more, please click here to access some of my Pinterest boards with links that explain a little more in detail. ("yes" - I've at least tried most of what I've pinned, and many I've adopted.  They remain pinned either because they were successful, or I believe I can tweak them to work more effectively for us.)

If you google, check Pinterest, or read blogs that feature these items, you'll find that a number of them can be blended together so you can make your own cleaners, health and beauty products, and of course, many of them you commonly use for food preparation.  So, naturally, you find yourself figuring out if you can make it yourself before you dash off to the store to buy it.

Yup, that's another habit of ours.  It's a natural extension of being a DIYer, so I make my own cream based soups, shampoo (if necessary - oftentimes we just use baking soda with water, rinse, follow with vinegar), laundry detergent, cough syrup, vapor rub, to name a few.

We don't use mixes for baking, or items like bouillon cubes.  I just make it.  It's maybe just a smidge more time, but it's almost always as economical.  And, in the event that it costs a little more, I make the trade because we're cleaning up our diet and it's beneficial to know the ingredients in our food, and to be able to avoid the multiple additives and preservatives found in much processed food.

It's true.  Sometimes I fail to plan, and have to come up with a crazy substitution, but so far I've not had any epic fails.  Just don't ask me for the recipe.

One last thing on multipurpose items and making things ourselves: Young moms especially ask me how I "do it all" or alternately, "how did you figure this all out?"  I join the ranks of thousands of bloggers, women, mothers, and professionals who do.not.do.it. all. Ever. Just like you, I keep trying.  Sometimes it works out great.  Others - well, you know.  As far as figuring things out, who doesn't love the internet?  And, since I'm youthful but no longer young, (read "old school"), I do find myself heading to the library more frequently than to a Wikipedia page!  It begins with a question or a need, then some reading, then some considering how to implement incremental change, and then layer upon layer a habit is formed.

I'd be thrilled if you added to my list!
What obvious thing am I missing?
What common but surprisingly adaptable item do you have in your cupboard?

xoxo,
Laura

Spending or Saving - One of our Habits

Howdy y'all - time to get back in the saddle and on the trail of this little series I started about handling our finances.

You've been so gracious about waiting for me to get back here and get on topic, so let's see what we can get nailed down today, okay?

We've been talking about habits to cultivate, and I've up to this point shared what I think are general ideas.  The following, (and final), habits are some that Weekend Farmer Husband and I have personally adopted.

I've only got a few minutes so I think I'll only get to one...
(And, pssssst - today is Weekend Farmer Husband's BIRTHDAY!  I'm gonna scuttle away from the computer really quick like and help my little farm chicks make their daddy breakfast in bed. Awwwww.)

Be Healthy.  Honestly, this is something we didn't pay much mind to until our post 40 bodies demanded it.  Suddenly there were aches, pains, noises, mild injuries, ailments, and energy drain that seemed to come from nowhere.  And, they were chronic.  They got our attention.

We changed a number of our practices - exercise, food, supplements, reducing toxins in our food and environment, began learning about essential oils, and overall became our own health advocates. Not only are we doing this for ourselves, we're including the farm kids.  They tease that I'm a little too out there when I suggest for example that we might try rubbing some essential peppermint oil on their temples and neck when they've got a mild headache rather than offering a  common pain reliever, but once they get the initial thrill of ribbing their mom, they're respectful participants.

And, you know what?  We all feel better.  True story.

Although we cannot see into the future, and we can't know what health threats we might encounter, we've decided to pursue a slow but steady progression of stewarding our health day to day rather than singularly having a well funded medical savings account.

Specifically, we've increased our food budget and decreased our medical expenses budget.  Understanding food as medicine, we pay our grocer and our farmer more, and we participate in our local health food center's buyer discount. And, when necessary, we visit our pediatrician, chiropractor, and other health care practitioners.

We started by reading blogs, newsletters, journals, books and talking to folks who are ahead of us in adopting and integrating these practices.

As I've said before, the changes we've made have been incremental. We're a strong willed highly opinionated bunch, so changing everything all at once was not only financially too complicated, I think I would have had mutiny on my hands.

So, if this is of interest to you I'd suggest picking an area or two that seems "right" for your circumstances to research and then apply your findings.  And, then pre-plan how it will impact your budget so that there aren't surprises to the bottom line.

The little chicks are barely able to contain their excitement - off I go to scramble up some super healthy eggs from our hens and whip up some sort of spicy and potent warm drink.  I think something with chocolate is the way to go - what do you think?

xoxoxo,
Laura

Spending or Saving: Part 7 (4 More Habits to Cultivate)

Welcome! Thanks for joining in this series about financial literacy, finances, and our spending and saving habits.

If this is your first visit - wow, thanks for spending your time here.  Please stay awhile. I'd so enjoy getting to know you.

And, maybe you'll want to click here and check the bottom of the post to find the other parts of this series.

I'm stealing a few quiet moments away with a steamy, smoky, and spicy cup of coffee to keep pressing on keys and chronicle some habits we can cultivate to achieve both short and long term financial goals. Whether it's to have more money than month, take a special vacation, a kitchen remodel, or a great pair of shoes we all have things that we want to afford.  And, we all have things we need to afford.

I think this next set of habits will help.

Dave Ramsey  says, "Cash is King".
Really, is it any surprise that in general consumers show more restraint when using cash to make purchases?  There's something physical, visceral even, in drawing bills out against the sides of an envelope or billfold and using our senses to understand that there is such a thing as empty.

Talk to anyone who's used a zero based budget and a set of envelopes filled with cash for purchasing fuel, clothing, food, home goods- you get it, whatever, and they'll tell you it works.  They may no longer be using a cash envelope system, but I bet they'll tell you it was a valuable reset if not total revamp of their budget.  In a good way.

Weekend Farmer husband and I are slowly changing our practices to use more and more cash.  
Yes, it means more trips to the bank and more careful planning, but in our case that's exactly what we need.
Two changes in particular have been to purchase prepaid bank cards for specific events like Christmas or my occasional but important trips to IKEA.  And, as there is no particular incentive or savings to have Weekend Farmer Husband's paycheck direct deposited, we've elected to receive it in the mail (he works from a home office in one of our outbuildings), thus requiring us to bi-weekly at least pay attention to what's coming in, and you got it, what we're spending!

I feel like I risk insulting you when I write the next tip, but it seems like our culture has moved in such a way that this next habit is particularly challenging.  So at the risk of offending and or overstating.-

Save. (duh.) 
I'd venture to say eleventy billion words have already been written about this habit.  But, I cannot imagine what stress and suffering our family would have endured during Weekend Farmer Husband's season of unemployment if we had not had the sense to ask the question , "What will we do if we are suddenly without income?".  So, we were a little bit ready (if there is such a thing in relationship to trauma), and had a three to six month plan loosely formed for such an event.  It was messy and we disappointed ourselves, and our plans didn't cover our lifestyle and perceived needs as well as we anticipated.  But, phew, although we're set back a ways in saving for the future, we didn't incur debt.

If you read nothing else please read this:
God mercifully and abundantly provided for our needs, taught us gentle lessons about His character, exposed idols, ministered to our hearts, and gave generous gifts from family and friends.  
Although I would not choose it, I would not trade it.

This is pretty simple stuff actually.  There are expenses you can predict like insurance, taxes, gifts, monthly prescriptions, etc. that logically fall under the umbrella of savings.  Short term savings that is.  You know you're gonna spend the money, so put it aside or plan for the expenditure.  No surprises.

Sometimes surprises come.  I've lost track of the number of times I've had just enough savings stored up to purchase a new sofa, or a pretty light fixture, or a better set of pots and pan, and boom - time for a new transmission, or a hospital stay.  God's providence has always preceded us and we've often had just enough to meet the unanticipated.

But, that's not really what I'm advocating.  I'm storytelling.

What I want to make a better habit of is growing a small savings account that is specifically set aside for this type of surprise.  My understanding that this account should have about $1000 dollars available quickly, liquid.

Other savings include down payments for homes, vehicles, vacations, orthodontia - again, it's a spending plan that begins with saving.

I think I'd also categorize an emergency fund that covers approximately 3-6 months of living expenses as yet another savings plan.  When trauma comes, and it always does, this is intended for spending to meet needs and relieve at least a portion of the financial assault that loves to piggy back on trouble.

And, I must tread lightly here- I have mixed feelings about long term savings.  I have to admit that there's a tremendous amount of common sense that accompanies retirement accounts, IRA's, 401k's, annuities, etc.
But, here again, I tip so easily over into false gods and the idol of perceived security.  Weekend Farmer Husband and I try our darndest here, and a healthy portion of each year's income is deposited into long term accounts, but speaking for myself, I am too often confident of what our portfolio should look like in 30 years (r-i-i-i-i-ght), than I am what my heart should look like.  Do I depend entirely on my gracious and generous God for every good thing?  Or, do I work a little harder, tighten my belt one more tug, and place my trust in my works or man made structures more than the God of the universe therefore "allowing" myself to dabble in excessive work (or not challenging Weekend Farmer Husband to moderate his work) in order to self righteously prepare for whatever the future is?

What's the line between responsibility and trusting in things that will pass away?

Am I alone in this?

Credit cards?  Best advice - avoid 'em.
Some of you probably do very well with using credit cards for targeted purchases, perhaps taking advantage of incentives, and pay your balance off monthly.  That was never us.

If you've read this far and stuck with me until now, I would advise you to ask hard questions about whether or not you really do have the capacity to avoid the easy pitfalls credit cards present.
Some folks suggest they keep them for emergencies.
Ok. I can relate to that, but to me they add the potential for more trouble.
I like to keep cash/liquid assets for emergencies.
Emergencies are trouble enough without adding debt.
Sometimes it is unavoidable, and I've signed on the debt line enough times myself to understand being between a rock and an empty bank account.
May I present this to you as a non judging habit to practice?
Unless you can not love brownies, baby bunnies, unicorns, and all manner of awesomeness this life presents, it's likely best to shred the plastic as we were made to love and worship, so something is always pulling on our hearts, and often our bank account.

Learn how to wait.
Make do.
Find a substitution - shop the house, barn, garage, or closet first to see what you already have that might fill the gap.
If you have to buy now, buy used.
Life without craigslist and rummage sales would be very bleak indeed.  And, I'd probably still be sitting on my father in law's favorite couch from 1965, generously donated to our home some years ago.  When springs and sticky out metal parts began to threaten our legs and send us running for band aids after every story time, it was time to replace it.
We waited until we had enough to purchase a new couch up front.  And we put band aids on the old couch's poky parts so it's couldn't grab us every time we got near.
In our nearly quarter decade of marriage I can find 5 furniture items in our house that we bought new aside from mattresses.
Most of our clothes are from swaps or thrift stores.
All but one of our vehicles was used when we purchased it.

Not only can you find a great deal if you're patient and wait for the right amount of finances and opportunity for making a purchase, you have opportunity to discern if what you're pursuing is truly a need, or might it fall into a want category thereby giving you opportunity to evaluate if this is where your limited resources are most desired and best channeled.

None of these are too hard for us are they?
They're hard, but not too hard.
I'll tell you what I tell  myself and my farm kids.

Laura, farm girls are tough.  You can do it.
Fairy princess farm girl, farm chicks are tough.  You can do it.
And so on.

Friend, you are tough.
You can do it.

Practicing some Frugal Habits: Sick Days (Part 6a of Spending or Saving- A Series)

I interrupt this series to bring you an update:

If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook you know we're responding to illness in the family, and it doesn't seem to matter, younger or older, it requires almost all my attention and energy to meet the needs of bodies sprawled on beds and sofas.

Looks like we're just in the thick of a respiratory virus.

I've lately been a little bit of an "Amish", hippie, granola, edgy, alternative momma to varying degrees.
If something occurs naturally in the created world, and has centuries of anecdotal and now research validated effects for the relieving of symptoms and aiding in healing, I'm certainly reading up on it, and possibly adopting the practice at our farm.

That's not to say that I don't use modern pharmacological helps as needed.

But, this time, as my stash of supplements, essential oils, and ingredients for healing foods has incrementally grown I have the resources to respond "naturally" to what ails us.

And, it appears that most of these remedies will prove more frugal than a trip to my nearby health, beauty  and seasonal decoration store.

Some of them are working great.  I'll write about those later in our series about spending and saving cuz' I think they're gonna be keepers.

Others? Meh.
Comme- ci, Comme ca.
There you have it - my occasionally francophile moment, lacking proper punctuation as I've yet to manipulate my settings to accommodate this occasional flakiness.
Now you have to search my archives to see how often I do it!

Spending or Saving: Part 6 (My Top Three Habits)

Happy Tuesday dearies!  Thanks for stopping by.

This post is part of a series that explores the ideas, tensions, and practices surrounding money, income, and our approach to thinking about and managing this part of life.

You can find the other posts here.

No, the photo doesn't have anything to do with what's written - I am just hoping that you'll enjoy and join in the winter scene that is my little place on this earth, the country road that runs right past our home.

As promised, we're gonna get into some practical stuff today.
You've been so generous about reading along and joining in the big picture elements of what I've called financial literacy.  My definition of that term is here.

Near as I can tell, I've got three posts in the works on habits to cultivate.

Some of these are saving habits - ways to conserve the black on the spreadsheet.
Spending habits of course make the same contributions.  The less you spend the more you've saved.
And, really, by the time I get to the end of the list, I wonder if they aren't a little bit of each.

Although these are not particularly in any order based on research or reading, I'm going to try and post the habits that have had the most significant impact on our current financial circumstance. Maybe they're the freshest in my frail memory.  Alternately, I've heard from so many of you who wish to live this agrarian dream, so in response to "how did you do it?",  by ordering these habits I am suggesting merit.

Numero Uno-
Become a committed, YouTubing, stacks of how to books from the library, DIYer.
There are four things we've hired help for in the last three years.

A plumber ran the waste lines for all the new bathroom fixtures in this old farm house.

A young man set up his carpentry shop in our barn and assisted with whatever we needed on an hourly wage basis, sometimes demolition, sometimes framing, a handful of finish carpentry projects, and some floor refinishing.  All of these things we are now more than capable of doing on our own, but he had tools.  We didn't.  We traded use of his tools for use of our barn.  When Weekend Farmer Husband was up to his eyeballs in 24 different projects I could hire this young man (with WFH's blessing) to build a set of bookcases, closet inserts, what have you.

We now have all the tools.  Sometimes we get less done because we're doing too much, and I remember with an odd fondness just writing a check, and J.J. would install whatever I asked in a much shorter time frame than we currently do.  No complaints.  Just a weird nostalgia.

We hired electricians to finish the hook up for our solar panel inverters right before inspections. Weekend Farmer Husband did all the figuring, hung the panels, ran all the lines, but the trade certified electricians were on site for inspections having just completed the hook up.

Most recently, we paid for two guys to help with the huge job of pouring a concrete floor in one of our outbuildings.  Although we could have done it, and WFH wanted to do it, we determined we didn't have enough margin in other areas of life together and hired it out.  You betcha bottom dollah we paid close attention...Won't be long 'til that fine farmer of mine is a DIYer at pouring concrete.

Otherwise, with help from friends and family, we've done every shred of demolition, renovation, rebuilding, and farm work ourselves.

You don't have to be "handy" to be a DIYer.
You need basic tools and plenty of extra time.
I'm not sure you heard me - plenty of extra time!
Our general rule of thumb as seasoned do it yourselfers with lots of tools, is to allow three times as much time as the "expert" recommends the first time through.
The learning curve is always the steepest the first time you try.

Examples of other kinds of DIY projects you can take on:
Haircuts, auto repair (oil changes and brake work being the top two), all manner of home repair and improvement including painting, flooring, plumbing, and even basic electrical tasks like wiring switches or outlets, basic carpentry ( raised garden planters, dining benches, cold frames,deck or porch repair, and even chicken coops).

Be Creative.
I'm not glue gun, scissors, sewing machine, get my craft on creative.
And although I enjoy the occasional craft, I'm talking about a way of thinking and approaching financial and practical issues.

If you're scared to death of doing your own brake work and becoming an automobile DIYer has you reaching for the brown bag, maybe you could trade time or services.  Perhaps your neighbor could use help with book keeping come tax season and he/she would love to monkey around with your brake fluid levels in exchange.  What skills or resources do you have that you can barter with or exchange for another's area of expertise?

Being creative includes how you use space.  Most of us are likely familiar with the idea of stockpiling - purchasing multiples of consumable goods when they're offered at the best price, and storing them from future use.  Let's say Yellow Cling Peaches are a screaming deal at the market but you're holding back because you can't  figure out where you're gonna put 24 cans.  Look at space in a new way.  Can they go under a bed?  Is there a tiny corner of your coat closet that could make room for a tower of yellow? It's your house and you steward its space.  Think outside the kitchen cupboards!

Creativity means looking at items beyond their labels.  I'll talk about this again later, but for example, if you want the most bang for your buck for home furnishing fabric, look at tablecloths.  They're not just for surfaces anymore.  They can transform into pillow covers, dust ruffles, in my case curtains, and I've even seen them made into floor cloths in Pinterest. (Yup, that's next on my list)

Freeing our minds to reconsider paradigms, to shake off our habits of "that's just what we do", a marketing label, or a particular set of instructions has allowed us to spend our dollars and time on acquiring tools and skills rather than paying to have something done, or having to use something in a manner prescribed by someone other than us.

Slow down.  Stay home.
My personal goal for this habit is to seek opportunities to be home for five consecutive days.
It's random.
But, it's almost unattainable.
Which is why I sometimes wonder if it's truly a random number, or some subliminal wisdom that corresponds with the difficulty of actually accomplishing this.

When we stay home we consume less.
Less fuel for sure, but also less energy that could be used toward menu planning and a prepared pantry rather than take out, fewer snacks for the road, the travel bag doesn't need constant restocking with hand santizer, and in my case, the Starbucks drive through has become a fuzzy and distant memory.

When we stay home we are more likely to resourcefully use the tools and consumable items that are already at our disposal or on the shelves.

If you have trouble being creative as I suggested, stay home.  You've heard the phrase "necessity is the mother of invention" right?  It's true. Certainly I've invented recipes, activities, comfort measures, and all manner of home redecoranging projects because I've slowed down enough to tap into what's right before my eyes.

Co curricular activities for families with school age children can be enriching, bonding, and downright fun.
They are almost always costly.Consider how many activities fit your family goals, and consider backing out of one or two, even if just for a short while.

Not only will you not spend on fuel (again), and the possible quick meals grabbed on the fly, but you'll not spend on the fees for instruction and or equipment that often accompanies co curricular activity.
You may discover that you had "extra" stuff in your schedule that clearly can be permanently off your plate, or conversely, you'll discover it's significant value to your family, and will resume committing time, financial and other resources to its pursuit with confidence.,

There you have it.  Our toe just in the waters of practicality.
What are your top tips?
Let's talk about it...

Spending or Saving Part 5

Hello! I’m so glad you stopped by and since in my neck of the woods we’re getting buried in Lake Effect snow, I’d love it if you’d put something warm in your cup, stay awhile, and join me in exploring some of the principles, practices, and tensions regarding  finances.

This is part of a series and you can find the other posts here. 

I've had a lot to say about the some of the big ideas and principles that come to bear on the matter.

Today we’re going to get a little more specific and explore six habits to cultivate for greater maturity in stewarding what we've been given.

Believe it or not, I have more suggestions on this topic than the preceding ones. Today we're still in the big picture. I promise - next time - specifics!

I've loved hearing from you – keep the comments coming.
They help shape where I’m heading next, and I pray that the direction I choose serves you well.

It’s important to distinguish that these six habits are concurrently actual things to do as much as they are attitudes to develop.

Ready?

Give.

Yup, I've already talked about this, but it bears repeating.

No budget is too tight to practice this habit.

For the believer it is more than habit.

It’s faithful, loving, and cheerful obedience to the direction scripture gives.

Whether it’s a regular percentage of your income given in a tithe to your house of worship, a charity, or another form of benevolent giving, open up your wallet and – be blessed. (Did you think I’d say give? I could have, but here’s the thing…)

You can’t out-give God.

How many times have you heard stories or experienced for yourself of having MORE money or exactly what you needed exactly when you needed it and there is no accidental correlation to how generous you’ve been?

The blessing of giving isn't always material of course.

But the principle of obedience always yielding blessing holds fast.

And, when we don’t obey, there’s trouble.

For the dear moms who heard this from me in early January, they got a firsthand account of how this has been the second biggest challenge for Weekend Farmer Husband and me. (The first is budgeting…but you already knew that).

We’re working on it – not by might, not by our power, but by His spirit.

Be Charitable.

Wait, I already talked about giving, so I must mean something else.

Is it ever difficult for you when you’re struggling to make ends meet to encounter someone reasonably close to you who with their surplus is doing something you’ve longed to do?  Or, maybe an offhand comment about finances or a purchase cuts you to the quick.  And you find yourself comparing.  The comparisons may tip into grumbling or forgetting to give thanks in all circumstances.  Might the internal dialogue turn personal and envy rear its unwelcome head?

Do you have plenty, possibly an abundance? Have you cultivated a meek and quiet spirit that is deeply grateful for what you've been given?  Are you approachable and in as much as you are able, humble?  In our times of plenty I can be so full of celebrating that I sometimes make the mistake of being too public about our blessings without considering how that might come across?

I’m trying to move us toward a responsible and gentle sensitivity.

If you lack and you compare, you are at risk of cultivating a root of bitterness.

Abundance easily deceives and tempts pride.

I’m suggesting we need to have charity in our hearts.

Really, it’s love one another. 

Quit comparing.

Give thanks.

Serve one another practically.

Be kind in word, in action, and maybe most importantly in your thought life.

Give Thanks.

Maybe this one is too obvious?

I’m of the mind to pay close attention to the things that are right in front of me as I’m most likely to miss those first!

If everything we have belongs to God, and if we deserved nothing at all any way, every little bit is something to be thankful for.

So, thanksgiving in your heart, on your lips, and in your thoughts is something to make habitual.

Sometimes this is hard to measure, so I try  to make it something that I can connect to my feet on the ground.

Consider, would you, when your mail box holds nothing but bills, grasping those statements tight and thanking God for the month of utility service you just enjoyed, the orthodontist who has the expertise to correct your tween's bite, and the garbage truck that came on schedule to take away your smelly trash? 

Thank him for whatever amount is in your bank account and for showing Himself faithful again and again and gently teaching you that He is our true provider.  Move your lips and thank him for teaching you to be humble, resourceful, and committed to managing His resources well.

Move your lips, or your pen, or tap out your thanks on a keyboard – whatever.  Do it for real.

It is scriptural, profitable, and makes the next habit more attainable.

Be content.

How is this different from being thankful?

You’re right, they are closely linked.

In my case, contentment begins with thanksgiving, and then develops in to a deeply rooted more permanent awareness of how good things really are for me. 

It also reminds me to guard my eyes (in particular) very carefully.

I need to limit my exposure to all the home improvement, house decorating, richly photographed, food glistening publications and blogs “out there”.  None of those venues are bad/wrong.  I simply need to keep strict limits on how much I let those images into my life.

When I spend too much time studying other people’s homes (and by default possessions and circumstances), I fail to recognize how much I have.

I miss the colorful, pretty, vibrant, well appointed home that I’m sitting smack dab in the middle of. I am in danger of coveting someone else’s closet (yeah, when I write that it is just as ridiculous as I thought, but it’s true… I've coveted a closet before).

Oodles of good advice, insight, and practical wisdom has been written about the practice of cultivating contentment.  I don’t think you’re missing the point.

So, next time I’m putting together my menu plan and I’m heading off to the grocery store I am gonna first give thanks for this amazing first world culture I live in, (helps me get rid of any false guilt I might experience for the privilege of God’s appointment to this time and place), and then I’m gonna decline to complain about rising costs at the store. 

Instead, I’m planning to approach the shelves with contentment and thankfully put the store brand item in my cart rather than the name brand, be content with another simple meal, and in my case go one step further and bless the Lord for another week of all my offspring gathered around our family table enjoying His good gift of food.

Phew – two more.

Practice hospitality.

When we intentionally and spontaneously serve others through the practice of hospitality, we equip ourselves to more easily cultivate the habits I’ve already identified.

And, it gets our eyes off of other people’s homes and circumstances and forces us to cultivate ours.

I am more apt to prepare space, seek and cultivate beauty, make ready the heart of my home, and follow through on my intentions when I am committed to serving beyond my immediate family.

May I encourage those of you with small homes to move beyond the perceived “need” to have more space?  Maybe this is the perfect time to reach out to elderly couples in your church, the single woman in your book club, the newlyweds next door, or the widower at work.  You don’t have to have lots of people over to practice hospitality.  You just have to be willing to open your door and yield your heart.

Delight in hard work.

What? 

Yes, I mean that.

None of these ideas over the last several posts are rocket science.

But they’re all hard work.

If we fail to understand that this is work we put ourselves at risk of expiring too soon.

When we commit to delighting in the work at hand we fuel our passion, inspire our actions, and more adequately prepare ourselves for the process of incremental change.

All these ideas staring back from the screen have the tendency to fool me into thinking that I can just read and then do.  It is not so.

I remember high school algebra so clearly.  The teacher would review yesterday’s lesson on the board, and then introduce the next concept or function.  And, I always understood what transpired on the board. 

When trying to complete my homework I was a mess.  I rarely could finish a problem because I would forget or misapply the functions necessary to solve the problem.

This is much the same for me.  I must commit to the hard work of doing my homework, dealing with my lack of understanding, and correct my mistakes.  And, I have to come to class every day.  I cannot ever assume I've mastered this.

What’s next?

I hope to put together a bullet list of habits that are “doable”. 

Yup, a checklist of sorts.

Help me, would you? What habits do you regularly practice to stay in the game?

Spending or Saving Part 4

Welcome! This post is part of a series about “financialliteracy”, spending, and saving.  You can find the first three posts, here, here, and here.

If you’re here for the first time because you clicked on my link over at Edie’s, thanks so much for visiting. I'm thrilled you stopped by!

I’ve  had a lot to say about several of the big picture ideas and principles that in my experience (and based on the reading I’ve done…) need to guide our thoughts and eventually our practices in regards to money.

We definitely can’t leave off without talking about this biggie – budget.

For some of you, you cannot even fathom not having a budget.  You know where every nano penny goes, you have your income spent on paper before a greenback leaves your wallet, and you might even use strictly cash for your consumable purchases as a further means of connecting you to the flow of money in and money out.  A budget is your lifeline because you know exactly how much you have (or don’t). 

I’m jealous. 

I think.

I don’t really know because no matter how many times we go to budget school we end up as the class drop outs.

Now, before you go judging on us simple farmers, consider this.

Our income has been generated on a 100% commission basis for as long as I can remember.  This means some months we’re rolling in it, and some months we have just enough to cover the pre tax commitments that are withdrawn from every paycheck, and then taxes.  Yes, we've had months when we could have made a downpayment on a house with a single paycheck. Conversely, we've had months (catch that - it's plural) with zero income. 

Obviously we've had to have some sort of budget in place in order to avoid debt and the lights being shut off! It doesn't fit neatly in an excel spreadsheet.

Everyone says you need to (should) budget.  I don’t disagree.  I just think that the “how” on this is highly personalized.

The budgeting process tends to root out all kinds of stuff – triumphs and trials.  I don’t consider it an easy process.  Perhaps simple, but challenging, for sure. 

So, here’s my guideline:

Everybody needs to the best of their ability (and with increasing maturity), talk about the obvious tension between income and what gets saved and spent.

How you do this is very personal.  You’ll discover all kinds of valuable insights about yourself, your spouse if you’re married, or maybe even for some of us our parents and family of origin as some of us may be in the sandwich years of caring for our offspring and our moms and dads.

Weekend Farmer Husband and I do this with varying degrees of success.  Some of our best discoveries have been the contrasts between us and how that impacts the bottom line.

He’s impulsive and emotional.

I'm often a penny wise and a pound foolish.

I’m a tough negotiator and at least a ½ full.

He’s spontaneously generous and I’m consistently giving.

We love the same ministries and easily agree on which to support.

And, in the end, we share common goals, which even if we do not meet them, we persist in working together in gratitude and contentment toward them.

This next one’s personal.  I mean to me.  

My experience has been to be frugal, thrifty, and resourceful. 

Oh how quickly that tips over into cheap. 

When that happens I have to check myself for false worship.  I puff up and become prideful about how money smart I am.  And, as my head swells, my heart shrinks, and I quickly tumble down the rabbit hole of scarcity.

Seek to cultivate a practical but personal understanding of the difference between frugal and cheap. 

For me it’s pretty simple. 

Give. Save. Spend.  In that order.  

When I follow that pattern I find that I am properly aligned with the principles I posted about here and the daily implications of responsible stewardship.

If I could have one do-over in this big picture perspective,  I’d ask Weekend Farmer Husband to at least annually if not more frequently have a sit down and develop and review a family financial manifesto.  Not only would we benefit from the face to face communication regarding needs versus wants and check progress on our goals, but we’d have the opportunity to connect on what tools we need to maintain or acquire to keep on rolling.

It came to us late that we would want to identify and work towards equipping our household intentionally to further our gospel, family, church, and community work.

Let me make this a little more down to earth

. 

The practice of intentional, authentic, heart changing hospitality has always been a shared commitment for my fine farmer and I. But, we rarely considered its impact on our food budget, the need to continually thrift for more dishes, investing in enough chairs, or sufficient drink ware, and more.

We have much greater clarity now on the true cost of hospitality, and we anticipate a full kitchen renovation this year (brown bag please, I’m hyperventilating…) as the farm kitchen that Libby offered when we bought her is quite literally rotting away.  

We don’t argue or fuss about the capital outlay to realize the remodel.  We talk about how the kitchen needs to function to serve the farm kids, the farm, and share the gospel in intentional and spontaneous hospitality.

Yes, we’ll lay down a wad of cash and we’ll labor long hours to realize this goal.  But, we’ll also seek to be wise, resourceful, and committed to building the infrastructure that supports the philosophy and practices of Liberty Farm and our family.

And now, the last of my big ideas and important principles. 

All this requires a commitment to incremental change.

None of us can do everything all the time.

We all have limited energy, opportunity, and resources to bring to any of these far reaching points.

And, if you’re already doing most if not all of these things well, I suspect you’ll want to do them better.  So, little by little, you tweak, you nudge, you adjust, and you realize incrementally you've achieved greater success.

If you’re in an swirl of too much month at the end of the money, review these ideas and prayerfully consider which needs the most attention.  Begin there.  Slowly gather strength and press on to the next, and the next, and the next.

You can do it dear one.

And before long you’ll want to take it to the next level of developing specific habits.

Spending or Saving Part 3

Welcome, this post is the third in a series.  You can find the first two here and here.

Before I type another word, well – okay, in my case we know it will be lots of words – I want you to know I’ve culled many of these ideas from a wide variety of sources.  The ideas and principles are not specific to any one author or particular body of work.  

And, it's important to me that you understand although my writing style tends to be definitive, I’m not the end all expert on these matters.

I’ve collected ideas that apply to Weekend Farmer Husband and me personally, and ideas that were consistently mentioned in the articles I read.  The widespread nature of this content leads me to believe these are big ideas and principles we all need to know.

Big ideas are often inspirational, directional, and sometimes a little too lofty.

Maybe they seem that way because our culture demands quick answers, and in an age of YouTube self education and Wikipedia easy answers we aren’t too often careful enough to consider the Why and the What before we get to the How.

Yeah, I can’t help myself – How Now Brown Cow? You hear it too right...? So many years of preschoolers in the home...(this book comes home from the library with some frequency)

We’ll get to the “how” grasshopper.

But, let’s try and build a solid foundation first, so that if a couple of our bricks get loose along the way our structure is still sound and we only have to make minor repairs since we know the big bad wolf sometimes comes along a tries to blow our house down!

It ALL belongs to and comes from God.

As master designer and sovereign creator of time and all that is, God has proper jurisdiction over the whole of His creation.  Our human experience is but a breath, and our numbered days reflect the generosity and abundant care of a loving God.  The scriptures tell, and our own hearts confirm, that we deserve no good thing, yet unbelievably, as one of God’s early acts of creation He blesses us. (Genesis 1:28) If we but dimly understand this, we necessarily acknowledge that anything we have received is a gift from the Father. (James 1:17) We are merely stewards of all He gives.

Everything we have is a GIFT.

This is true whether we have plenty or if we live in want.  Any and every condition our bank account reveals is for our good and God’s glory.

Most of us who come here have plenty.  I suspect most of us had and have enough to eat, clothes to protect our bodies, homes to shelter us, and abundance far beyond what we would consider basic needs. 

Yet, there are some of us who experience true want.  There’s more month at the end of the money, and bills pile up and more than collect dust they attract collection calls.  

Most of us have noticed our tax burden has increased with the onset of 2013, each paycheck comes to us with a little less and we stretch ourselves even more from paycheck to paycheck. 

Others of us have more than enough and we experience pleasure with the finances at our disposal.  Perhaps we are anticipating a great ski vacation at spring break or a shopping jaunt next weekend to the nearest urban center.  Maybe we have a book addiction passion and our shelves burgeon with the printed word. We have more than enough

All of us are likely somewhere on the continuum of just being shy of poverty to western wealth.  

The principle applies to all of us.

The apostle Paul testifies clearly in his letter the Philippians that he’s experienced both – he has had contentment and want.  And what is his determination and teaching for us from the counsel of his life and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit?  He has learned the secret of being content- He can (and by extension we can) do everything through Him who gives us strength.

Being hungry because there isn't food in the larder or money to get groceries is a hard gift. 

I pray for us, that none receive this gift to its depths, but I humbly submit that this kind of want is as great a gift as dollars in the budget to spend on luxurious food as you will. 

It is in our needy places that it is more likely that we’ll see God and His mercy and love, and make practical doing all things through Him who gives us strength.

When I lose sight of this idea, God often arranges circumstances to realign my view and I come to understand Him more completely as provider.

Or, sometimes, He in unreachable gentleness, puts the perfect song on my Pandora play list:

(Y’all make sure you come back after this…this is but the beginning of these ideas)

 ((Ahem- what I’m saying is there’s more to read after the video…))

We’re never done learning.

At least I hope we’re not as I’m easily bored (true story), and when bored my attitude sours and my actions head south.  

That’s more than confession. 

It’s understanding that if I don’t bring a long term commitment to bearing up under the responsibility of revisiting the practice of faithful stewardship, I’ll likely make unnecessary or frustrating mistakes.  

Life moves fast and circumstances change.  This is a vast area of practice, study, commitment, and feet on the ground doing.  Artists, athletes, business professionals, nurses – really, any professional engages in ongoing improvement and development if they’re seriously committed.  

Financial stewardship is no different.  In fact, that’s one of the motivators in writing this all down.  Even though I recently read up a bunch and put together a mini presentation, I am just as likely as anyone to forget any morsel of wisdom I've gleaned if I don’t review and reevaluate my practices in this area.  Our expertise seems to last only as long as our attention in matters of meeting financial goals.

Financial turnaround/success isn't based on income growth but on getting a grip on spending.

It is this principle that inspired my uninspiring series title.

I do like to be a little contradictory sometimes…

In most cases the single biggest challenge for an individual or couple trying to get control of their finances is NOT their income level.  It’s their financial literacy and their own awareness of the tension between spending and their end of the month balance.

So often I’m attracted to blog posts, podcasts, and book targeted at saving money.  Back to the how – I want to have specific things to do.  And, frankly, I’m pretty good at the saving money part.  I can stretch the dollars and do without and make do right along with all the experts. 

But, those practices seem to have very little impact on long term change.  They do affect the month to month bottom line and produce a little wiggle room when necessary, but they aren't the things that move us forward in most of our financial goals.

I used the term “financial literacy” above.  Here’s what I mean:

If I want my 3^rd grade daughter to become a good reader I give her access to books. 

There’s a big difference though between "Captain Underpants" and "Shakespeare's Storybook: Folktales that Inspired the Bard"

She’ll read both cover to cover, and yes, will enjoy both.

One will substantively increase her literacy.

One will keep her occupied for a short time and probably give her some ideas I wish she didn’t have. 

Although I don’t have a bias against “Captain Underpants”, I do have a bias that includes increasing reading literacy with books that include historical context, vivid (not base) language, complex story lines, and depth of content.

Do you see the analogy?

Our income went from adequate but shrinking to zero in one moment in May of 2012. Our literacy regarding spending was immediately enhanced.  Financial literacy is the awareness, depth of understanding, comprehension, and behavior that makes up the totality of a financial plan.

I think Weekend Farmer Husband and I have received some good teaching about financial literacy and how spending is the key factor to impacting the bottom line.I’m not advocating a lack of attention to saving – we’d have been in much deeper waters if there hadn't been some saving practices at play in our personal circumstances. 

But we spent our way through those savings, and it was our spending that had the biggest impact on our savings.

I can’t believe it either…I’m not finished.

Could there possibly be more to say?  I think so.

Let’s touch on budgeting, the tipping point between frugal and cheap, and a family financial manifesto soon. And if you would, chime in! 

Thoughts?

Spending or Saving: A Little Backstory Part 2

What I remember may not be wholly accurate.

Fortunately, my parents and all my siblings are willing and able to correct me. I wish to tell a story not expose skeletons or rub salt in wounds.  It’s all good family, ok?

My parents haven’t figured out how to comment here.  I bet my siblings will.

If I need correction, that is.

First of all, I’m the oldest and grayest of the bunch of aforementioned unruly sibling group.  

What? I hadn’t suggested unruly yet?  Well, it’s true.  

It’s also true that I have a faulty memory.  Some of that may be a result of self reliance introducing itself early on, and although it’s served me well over the years, I suspect my perceptions may have been grounded in my opinions rather than what was real. Certainly I lack all the details and we know those change stories.

My sense was that I grew up in a family of means.  We weren't the wealthiest in our peer groups, but we had a big house in a pretty tony neighborhood, newer vehicles, and abundance of clothes, took a nice family vacation every year, attended several years of private school, and my mom never failed to fill our cupboards, pantry, refrigerator and freezer.  And, there was lots of stuff.  Stuff for crafts.  Stuff called books.  Stuff called toys.  Stuff in the garage and stuff in the attic. And, yes dear brothers and sisters, lots of vitamins. *wink*

In spite of this abundance, I have a developed sense of scarcity from my growing up years.  I easily picture my father’s gray metal desk and his determined and strained look when he went downstairs to pay bills and balance the checkbook.  I remember business deals gone bad and bad people taking advantage of my good father.  Consumer debt coupled with business debt seemed often poised to crush my parent’s bank account.  My father was and still is self employed.  In hindsight I recognize the strained look perhaps had as much to do with meeting payroll as it was providing for his household.  He carries a heavy yoke.

Some of it is just the personality of the home.  There are some decided ½ empties in my family of origin.  I’m not one of them.  So, if perchance a ½ empty is in charge of family finances you can understand how he or she might evoke an atmosphere of caution that translates to scarcity.  This perhaps explains my conflicted feelings of affluence and scarcity.

I have very little memory of dedicated effort toward building  savings on my parent’s part.  That’s likely my memory problem.  My mother was especially gifted at gathering, and eventually hoarding, change and transforming full jars of coin into special purchases.  I have a sense that any unplanned and or major financial event was catastrophe just waiting in the wings.  I also remember dismissing that feeling as I believed my parents would just open another line of credit, apply for a new credit card, or borrow from a friend or family member to make it through.

Long before etsy and at home entrepreneurs were the norm, my mom began an at home business which demanded a great deal of her.  When things would be tight at my dad’s office I think she often helped to keep things afloat.

A mixed blessing of my growing up years was my father’s plan to teach financial independence to his offspring by the end of 8^th grade.  For good or for ill (mixed reviews here folks), he gathered my mother and me at the dining room table and outlined that I’d be financially independent beginning in 9^th grade.  He’d continue to provide room and board, I didn’t have to pay a share of utilities, but I was to be on my own for most everything else.  There are definitely more details, and although it may have been extreme, in the end it proved very valuable.

I came to adulthood with a developed work ethic, and capacity to find or generate work. It produced a can-do spirit in me.  A resourcefulness and creativity was born.  Finding a deal and developing adaptations became strengths. I don’t think I’ve struggled with entitlement.  Perhaps just the opposite.  That American ideal of rugged individualism was a pretty strong current in my financial paradigm.

It also means I came to marriage pretty established in my ways and assumptions.

 Weekend Farmer Husband is in many ways my opposite, and his financial background from his family of origin is markedly different.   Saving was the standard.  As employees, his parents were faithful workers and were able to consistently plan how to use their income.  I’ve never met more dedicated productive workers than Weekend Farmer Husband and his family, and they served their profession above and beyond what was expected of them. Weekend Farmer Husband speaks with humble gratitude and immense respect regarding his parent’s financial training and practices.

The first decade of our marriage was spent completing degrees and welcoming at least two “surprise” babies in addition to the “planned” baby into our family.  I was working in my chosen field, but for very little income.  Weekend Farmer Husband kept combining class schedules and work to meet our needs, and since we had avoided all but the tiniest of student loans, he and I both eventually graduated with two BA’s and an advanced degree between the two of us.

And, we established some financial habits.  Worry is one of our best skills.  Failure to communicate is a close second.  And, loading finances and financial decisions up with super charged emotional content is a highly developed skill set for us.  Our opposite natures – one being a planner and one being impulsive, have contributed to all the above.

Perfect combination for lots of error and misunderstanding.

But, in spite of us, (and isn’t this always the case?), God has been gentle to us in our shortcomings.

Slowly, in the last 4 years in particular, He’s been remaking us.

We have some catch up work to do involving medical debt.

Our move from the city to this Green Acres has been costly.

Just when our long term savings account seems to be trending in the right direction, we experience something catastrophic and we can’t save as aggressively as we’d like or we have to borrow from ourselves and our future needs.

But our hearts have been changed.

God has pointed us to the eternal truths about all we have and what our future holds.

Which means in spite of our mistakes, He has qualified us to share with you and our children on our next topic, Big Ideas and Important Principles.

Spending or Saving: Which is it? Part 1

Welcome! This is the first in a series of posts. You can find the others linked at the bottom.

Not long ago I had a special opportunity to facilitate a support group meeting for home school moms in my greater West Michigan community.  You’ve never met a more wonderful, kind, generous, and accomplished group of women.  The particular thread that weaves most of us together in this group is the large number of children given to each family.  Our family of eight can seem downright puny or at the very least just a starter size in relationship to several of these moms who spearhead homes with upwards to 12 children. 

As you might imagine, there are many topics near and dear to our hearts, and topics that always draw our interest. Home management, recipe sharing, family traditions, books, and much more keeps our ears open and our jaws wagging for hours once a month.  For our January meeting I was asked to offer all I could in the area of “money saving tips”.  Many of the families represented in the group are single income, and Weekend Farmer Husband isn’t the only one who’s had employment struggles, interruptions, or losses.  Income is sufficient but often stretched thin in most of these households.

There’s a spirit of inquisitiveness, openness, and teach- ability amongst these gals.  That made me more willing to say “yes” to the opportunity to share ideas, resources, and experiences with them. But -

Although I am seeking to cultivate a more consistent servant’s heart in this season of life, it was hard to say “yes”.  No, it’s not the public speaking part.  I love a crowd! It was the “I am the least among you” part.  Weekend Farmer Husband and I are continually challenged in the area of personal economics, and have a quarter decade worth of “guess we shouldn't have done that” under our belts.

Isn’t that what makes us the expert sometimes?  Our failures are often the best teachers.

Oh, I studied.  I searched the internet.  I read.  I prayed, prayed, prayed.  Got out my colored pens and took copious notes. 

And after my captive audience listened and encouraged me and one another, I realized:

·         I need to write this all down in a more formal way.  Not only do I need to reinforce and preach all this to my sister self, but I hope my farm kids will benefit from finding all these ideas, principles, and hard learned lessons in more accessible format than a colorful but ratty clutch of notes. 

·         I talked long and fast.  By the time I was up against the clock (and it’s no surprise is it that I went over?), I had only addressed about 2/3rds of what I’d prepared.  Now, those moms deserved a better time manager, but more than that, I hope to encourage and bless them – and a couple of them are readers here- (hi you sweeties! heart you)- by finishing what I started.

·         You come here for a reason right?  We connect in this space.  We have common interests, questions, desires, and some shared experiences.  Might I serve you well by translating my scribbles to this space?

Although I've yet to finish a series I've started on this lil’ol’ blog of mine, I’m undaunted in starting another one.  

I’m writing ahead this time, not just trying to keep pace with the days.  Unlike before, I actually have done a lot of the prewriting.  Let’s see if it makes a difference to start something with a plan instead of just starting.

Here’s what it’s gonna look like.

First I’ll give you a little bit of my story and experience in relationship to spending, saving, wealth, want, and resources in general.  If I can accomplish this I’ll be feeling really good – my notes are the sketchiest here! 

Gulp.

Then, we’ll talk about big ideas and important principles, followed by habits to cultivate.  I think I have a few surprises or maybe new ideas for you on that one.

Along the way, we’ll talk about couponing, health, insurance and services, home education, wardrobe building, and will even dabble in fashion and beauty.  Gulp, gulp.

Of course, the biggie, food, meal planning, groceries and supplying our households will show up.

I know the internet is chock full of posts like the ones I'm planning.  Sheesh, there's multiple websites, bloggers, and online services that you can use to increase mastery in this area.  Why come here?  

We already talked about it a few sentences ago, we're together here because of common interest.  If you’ll bless me with comments and questions along the way, we learn what our common needs are. When we dare to speak our needs we have better opportunity to be hospitable to one another, to understand our connection, and then ultimately, serve each other better with suggestions.  Better than suggestions however, we can pour out encouragement and in the astonishing way love works, find that we are filled.

Okay, back to the plan.  Ask me questions.  I'll try to answer.  Feed each other with comments, suggestions, and encouragement.  Finally comes La Grande Finale, where I’ll wow you with abundant links so you can continue your own growth in this area, and a Pinterest board that organizes a lot of this information in one place.

I’m starting to perspire. 

The pressure.

*wink*

Click on the links below to find your way to other posts in the series:
Part 2, Part 3,Part 4, Part 5,Part 6,Part 6a,Part 7,Part 8, Part 9