Probably one of the most requested posts by my friends is this one! When you live on very little means, like my family, a budget is crucial to keeping our household running. I am going to give you all of my tips for making our household operate on VERY little!

I was working during the time we moved to Louisville until my daughter was born. I was working many hours to make money and since my husband was very busy with school and I did not want to sit at home and be bored. I did make lots of money, and I was able to save a lot if it for after the baby was born as my safety net.

The funny thing is, we had saved up so much money in our money market account that I felt very comfortable quitting my job to have my baby and not worry about working for several months. I did have the option to return part-time if I wanted to. Josh and I felt very strongly after we held our baby for the first time that I was not to go back to work. We knew this was what God was calling us to do. We were really put to the test when our daughter was just a couple months old we had a transmission blowout in our car and immediately we lost three thousand dollars from our savings. The very next week we had a major air conditioner problem with our unit in our home and it was a hot ninety-five degree day in July. The baby and I had to spend the day at our neighbors’ house in order to survive until the man returned with the right part to fix it. These types of expensive, unplanned events kept on happening until we were left with barely enough in our savings for a minor emergency!

These things caused us to question what God really wanted us to do about finances. Josh being a full-time student and living on a part-time pastors salary is NOT enough to pay the bills and eat too. We knew God had not changed His mind, right?? Circumstances NEVER change God’s will for our lives. They can play a big part, but they do not change it!

I cannot give you an exact formula, but we needed roughly $800 to $1000 dollars more per month just to make ends meet and eat too! This excludes clothes, eating out, extra gas for trips, expensive brand diapers, and all luxuries of life! Josh started up a web design company but his time was very limited with school and the church. Each month we just took it one week at a time. I remember at the end of each month Josh would say, “Well, that was one more month you got to stay at home with our daughter.” God kept providing each month with enough jobs for Josh to make the bills. Now it has been two years and if I add up our salary plus the bills, we should NOT be paying the bills. We do not make enough money! I can honestly say that we have never payed one bill late, nor have we skipped a meal, we are not naked, and we have never borrowed money from friends or family! This is how God works. He chose to not show us ahead of time how he would provide, but rather each day at a time He met our needs AFTER we took that step of faith!
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1
Now, to the subject of me being able to stay at home, first we had to make DRASTIC changes in our lifestyle. No fancy foods at the supermarket, no new clothes for a long time, no expensive cosmetics, no nail salons, etc…… We became glued to a budget and have still been sticking to it. We decided to make many sacrifices to get through these school years until Josh can make a full-time salary. After Josh graduates the church still may not pay full-time, but Josh will be able to work more at the web business. We have lived like this for nearly two and a half years and we make less money than one full-time salary. When we know of couples that have two full-time salaries, we know how well-off they are living compared to us!

The top of the list is PRAYER! Without prayer and God providing our budget would never be met. I strongly believe that many couples lose their homes over simply mis-spending their money. I pray everyday that God would guide and direct us on how to properly spend our money. Does this mean we never make mistakes and spend it selfishly? If you believe that I have some beach front property here on my farm in Kentucky I will sell to you!

Here are some tips I have learned from being so tightly wrapped around a budget:

I sit down once a month for about an hour and make out a menu for the entire month. I make a grocery list for every two weeks, or twice per month from all the items needed to make each meal. I also add to the list extras such as toiletries, breakfast, lunch and snack items. During times we have been on a very strict budget it has actually benefited our health because many items such as juice is a luxury- man can live on water and not juice, colas, lemonade and tea! Snack items add up also so we no longer buy chips, dips, pastry snacks, etc.. Not only are we eating healthier, but it is very budget friendly.

I also save up on baby food the entire time I am pregnant. I buy about four or five jars of baby food, more if it is on sale. Not only does it add just a couple dollars to my grocery bill, but by the time my baby is several months old and eating it, I have almost a full supply on hand. You can also do this with diapers and it helps to spread out the expenses over time.

I make a list, check it twice, and stick with it! I make a list according to the menu items plus extras I have thought we will NEED and after I have my list I add up an estimate of the cost of each item. I total my estimated bill and it is actually a game to me when I get to the store to see how close I come without going over. I would be a sure win on “Price is Right”. I have actually come as close as two cents before.

Well, to sum it all up, God will provide for us if we are living according to His plan. He has showed us that so many times that we actually have it tattooed to our foreheads. We have doubted and He has provided, we have fallen short and He has graciously provided. The trouble comes when we are NOT following Him.

1 Timothy 6:6-10 “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into [this] world, [and it is] certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.
But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and [into] many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”