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Recently I've had discussions with some peers and youth about spending; why are they spending, what are they spending on or who, and how are they spending. The groups ages have varied and here's what the dialogue has sounded like:
Third grader to young adult
"Let's play a game similar to price is right. I'll give you a check for a certain dollar amount and allow you to pick items to purchase, fun stuff. Try not overspend, this is all the money you have."
Responses:
"Ok I've got what I need and I don't want to spend to much because I want to put some in savings"
"Ok I can just eat (these were groceries not a meal at a fast food chain) that and I need to put gas in my car"
"Ok I'm going to buy enough food to share and I'll still have money left"
36 years old to 51 years old
"Let's talk about your spending habits and why you haven't reached your goals."
Responses:
"I like to eat out and it costs"
"After I pay bills I can do what I want with my money"
"I don't have a savings account but I pay all my bills on time"
Here's the major difference in between those two sets of responses, the youth have the opportunity to get it right the first time and the older folks have got to start now.
Message for the older folks, you work everyday and receive the same amount of pay (net pay) every week and yet every week you overspend or your bills are late or you don't have a savings. Wait and now you're charging groceries that you'll eat in a week and pay back for a year. I'm not talking about anything that I'm a stranger to, reality is that we've got to make some hard decisions about our spending and set some goals. Clearly I'm not talking to the frugal spender who counts every penny and refuses to splurge and has a mint saved up, we could all take a lesson from that until the goal is reached-invest in yourself. Whatever you've got to do to change your spending habits for the better, be consistent and make it work.
Malachi 3:10 kjv
Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
