Simple Money, Rich LifeSample

SPEND LESS WITHOUT EVEN TRYING

Did you know that livestock was one of the earliest forms of currency? Even before people used precious metals to buy things, they used chickens and goats.

We see this as early as Genesis 13:2: “Abram had become very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold.” Did you catch that? Abram’s wealth was first measured by his livestock, not his silver and gold.

Knowing that gives clarity to verses that we thought were only for shepherds and farmers, like Proverbs 27:23: “Know well the condition of your flocks, and pay attention to your herds.” This isn’t just sage advice for farmers. It’s an instruction about handling money.

Yet when it comes to our money, many of us are like a farmer who looks out the window into the field and says, “It looks like there are still sheep out there. Not sure how many or if they are healthy or if a wolf is eating most of them, but it looks like there are some out there.”

How often are you doing this with your money? Maybe you know it's there, but you have no idea where it's going or what you're spending it on?

Proverbs 27 also warns that we may not always have as much money as we do now. Just because you can pay all the bills and buy what you want doesn’t mean that you will always be able to do so.

So, the takeaway here is that we need to know what’s going on with our money! And the good news is that if you don’t know exactly where you are spending your money, you can find out in just a few minutes.

One of the easiest ways to do this is to create a free account at personalcapital.com or mint.com. When you connect your spending accounts (credit card, checking account, etc.), both apps will pull in a few months of past transactions. Within just a few minutes, you’ll be able to see exactly where you have spent your money for the past few months. (For more detail on how to do this check out chapter 4 of Simple Money, Rich Life).

Or if you’d rather use paper, you can get the same results simply by writing down every purchase for 1 week. I’ve read stories of people cutting their spending by up to 50% (without even trying) simply by doing this exercise.

Imagine the positive effects of tracking your spending—paying attention—even without trying to change your spending behavior. You could reduce financial stress, build a stronger marriage, grow in generosity, and know you’re making an impact for the Kingdom.

And here’s the thing, you don’t have to even try to cut back on your spending. The amazing thing is, simply by paying attention, we spend less, and our finances automatically start to improve.

If you aren’t taking this simple action with your money, let me be your coach in your corner encouraging you to do it today! You can do this!

God, help me to honor you with every dollar I spend. Help me to begin today by tracking and knowing where the money you have entrusted to me is going. Amen.