The church.

I have a big lump in my throat as I type this... not only is a little bit embarrassing to admit, but every time I realize what just happened I choke up and tears pour out of my eyes.

So here it goes.

This month has been a very tight one for us financially.  I did a horrible job of budgeting our gifts that we were buying others, and as much as I love to GIVE to people, I lost track of what was spent and once I realized it, it was too late.  We have a very small amount to get us through to the end of the month, but hopefully after that, we'll be back up on our feet.

Last night I was texting a close friend of mine asking her for CHEAP meal ideas.  I needed to go to the grocery store later that evening, and was trying to figure out how to feed the family for the week on a super tight budget.  She texted me back plenty of ideas, great ones at that, and trying to trust the Lord to provide and hopefully not eat junk all week long, I was finally ready to go to the store.

As I was putting on my shoes, she sent me another text.

"Don't go yet.  I have something I want to bring you."

Reluctantly, I waited.  And suddenly I started feeling bad, hoping by asking her for cheap meal ideas she didn't suddenly feel pressured to do something to help us.  I knew we'd be fine, and I didn't want her to take on our burden, you know?

About a half hour later, her and her husband walked in with BAGS full of groceries, easily a weeks worth of food.  Not only did she get us essentials, but she knows me so well she brought my favorite coffee creamer, Starbucks coffee, homemade treats, and extra food for the freezer as well.  She knows my boys so well that she knew what they like, and avoided any foods with red dye.

I had to hold back the tears, as I didn't want to be a blubbering fool in front of them, but as soon as they left and I started putting it all away, I just broke down.

THIS is what the church is.  People who love, serve, and give, without hesitation.  Without second thought.  Friends who stand in the gap for you... who pray you through tough seasons of life.

These friends of ours allowed the Lord to use them and provide for us in a tangible way.

What a great God we serve.  And what great friends we have.

And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in 

Christ Jesus.

Philipians 4:19

And now I look for a way to pass it on.  Open your heart this Christmas season to hear from the Lord and listen for ways to bless someone else... believe me, they will forever be grateful.

The B word: budget.

Tyler and I have been very fortunate since we've been married and have been, for the most part, pretty secure and comfortable in our finances. We have been blessed and God has always provided for us in some way or another. So when we sat down with our Pastor a few weeks ago and started talking about working towards our goal of me being able to stay home, he asked what our budget looks like. Tyler and I both looked at each other and kinda chuckled at the thought of a budget. Not because we're all high & mighty and don't need a budget, but because we have never developed one. So the search began for some sort of money-saving system that we could use and that would actually work.

After talking with some of our friends from church and hearing about "The Envelope System" by Dave Ramsey, we have decided to give it a shot. Here's how it works: In order to figure out how much to put in each envelope, you first look through the previous 2 months worth of your bank statements and figure out how much you spend on different things such as groceries, eating out, clothing, gas, etc. Then you subtract it by 25% (or more!) and put money from each category into a different envelope. So we have an envelope for groceries, one for Tyler's lunch meals, one for my morning drinks, one for Jaxon's needs such as diapers/clothes/etc, one for gas, and then a "misc" envelope for each of us -- we can spend that "misc" money on whatever we want during the month. The concept is simple: once the money is gone, it's gone... no adding to the envelope throughout the month if you run out. Obviously there are exceptions to the rule, for instance, if you're at the grocery store and brought $100 with you and accidentally calculated wrong and your total is $110... in that case, you would swipe your card for the remaining balance and once you get home, take the $10 you spent above your budgeted amount and deposit it into your bank account the next day. Debit cards don't put you into debt, but they can definitely cause you to over-spend!

We've been doing it for 2 weeks now, and already I can see the impact. If nothing else, it has made us so much more conscience of where our money is going, and how much we spend on DUMB stuff! It is so much easier to just swipe your card, even if it is for a small amount, because you know there's money in your account... you don't see the long-term effect and how it's really affecting you even though it's only a few dollars here and there. However, when you have an envelope that only has $20 in it and it's all you have for the month for your your coffee drinks, then you learn to spend wisely and cherish those yummy drinks so much more. Or when you're out for dinner with your family and only have $15 with you, you literally can't spend more than that -- no matter how freakin' bad you want that diet coke or that piece of cheesecake!

The only things you can't include in your envelopes are bills that are paid each month, whether by check or automatic debit. Just remember to keep enough money in your checking account to cover those neccessities. ;)

Anyway, so that's where we're at budget-wise and how we're working towards me staying home. What about you? Any good money saving tips you'd like to share?