Mutual Finance

Our materialistic society promotes a model of the lifestyle that we are seemingly expected to achieve and maintain. Advertising in every form imaginable keeps our desire for things peaked causing us to become master consumers. Striving to acquire the things that help us live up to these worldly expectations most people spend all that they earn then borrow to obtain even more possessions. As a result we have become our possessions and MONEY has become the measure of man. Sadly even Christians evaluate others by how much they have and how successful they are in worldly terms.

The endless stream of marketing around us preys on our emotions. Pitching to us that we just don’t stack up unless we drive a certain kind of car, wear a particular pair of shoes, buy a special brand of soap, or take a dream vacation even if we have to mortgage the house to do it.

Little by little a pack of lies slip in. Over a period of time those lies are accepted as truth. Because of that we begin to develop money habits that conform to lies and we become a product of our environment. We develop a self-serving financial attitude. The world controls our thoughts therefore the world controls our finances.

Every day many good people with very good intentions suffer through financial problems. On the surface those problems may appear unexpected. But are they really? Usually a closer look reveals that current circumstances are a result of actions over an extended period of time. Our financial condition whether favorable or unfavorable is created slowly. If our condition is favorable then we should do a check up to make sure we are not headed some place that we don’t want to go in the future. If our circumstances are unfavorable we should not expect to change a situation overnight that took years to create.

Sometimes we have to look in the mirror and ask some tough questions. Is a job loss to blame for a financial struggle or has the job loss just magnified the much deeper problem that we didn’t establish a savings? Is a huge medical bill causing the problem or is it that instead of purchasing health insurance we directed our money toward something less important? Is our employer to blame because we are not paid enough or are we the problem because we don’t follow a budget?

Unless we want to spend our entire life repeating our current circumstances we have to work to solve problems instead of just continuously treating the symptoms of those problems. Symptoms of financial problems can be treated by a variety of quick fixes that society has to offer. Those quick fixes may provide temporary relief but they rarely offer a lasting cure. The permanent cure comes through having the right financial attitude.

What is the right financial attitude? The truth is that we are not the owners of our money or possessions. It all belongs to God. That is the attitude we should have toward money and things. We need to relinquish ownership of everything to its rightful owner, God.

We are only stewards of God’s property while we are here on the earth. He has entrusted us to use and manage His assets but we will never own them. It is God’s right to determine how our finances are used. It is our responsibility to be obedient and become good stewards of what has been entrusted to us.
“The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it” (Psalm 24:1).

This understanding puts money and material things in their proper perspective. It causes us to be open to receiving guidance from the timeless financial principles found in scripture. There are many programs available that teach technique and show us ways to accomplish what scriptures say is good for us. Making use of them helps us shift our attitude and realign our values.

Shifting our attitude and reeducating ourselves about money is the key to freeing us from the stress of an adverse financial situation now and in the future. Simply put money naturally flows toward those that can manage it and away from those who can’t.

Kevin Farrar is the author of the Wisdom For Your Wallet personal financial program. Go to http://www.wisdomforyourwallet.com to learn more about this life changing program.

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1. HAVE GUIDELINES.

Both partners must mutually agree on financial guidelines. Marriage is a partnership so both partners must participate and mutually agree on financial guidelines and budget making.

2. NEGOTIATE.

Nothing is set in stone. Your budget and spending guidelines should change just as your lives do. Both partners can negotiate and renegotiate when necessary.

3. KNOW THE DIFFERENCE.

Wants and needs are two very different things. Make sure the family needs are taken care of before entertaining the thought of spending on each others wants.

4. DON’T TURN ON YOUR SPOUSE.

Your spouse is your partner. When times get rough you and your partner must band together to develop a plan of attack.

5. MAINTAIN INDEPENDENCE.

Yes, a marriage is a partnership, however this does not mean that each person must lose their financial independence. Agree on a spending amount or ‘allowance’ for each person. The allowance is used as personal spending of their choice.

6. DON’T HIDE IT.

Don’t hide the money (income or spending) from your spouse. Trust plays a major role in successful relationships. If you have negotiated a budget that you both are abiding by there should be no reason to hide finances.

7. DON’T SPEND IT IF YOU DON’T HAVE IT.

If you don’t have the money at the time you are purchasing itchances are you can’t afford it.

8. TALK ABOUT IT.

Talk about buying big-ticket items. These sorts of purchases impede on guidelines so they too should be agreed upon before spending the money.

9. BE REALISTIC.

Fully understand your budget. Know how much your family income is and what your expenses are. Create your budget based on real numbers.

10. DON’T RENEG ON YOUR AGREEMENT.

Once you have agreed to something follow the agreement. Breaking it will result in lost trust, frustration and feeling disrespected.

11. BEWARE OF ‘WHEN’ THINKING.

Don’t get caught in ‘when’ thinking - “I’ll pay this off when I get my next pay.” Most of us are guilty of doing this at one point and many of us have realized that ‘when’ never arrives. Usually the money you thought could be used to pay for your
purchase has already been allocated towards the budget.

12. KEEP TRACK OF SPENDING.

Write down each financial transaction your make, groceries, bill payment, gas, entertainment etc. Visually seeing spending habits will help identify areas where money is being wasted. Note: online banking is a great way to keep track of your spending

13. DON’T BE DRIVEN BY EMOTION.

Don’t spend for the emotional high of it. Understand what drives you to spend and realize that careless spending can cause bigger emotional stress. Remember, emotional problems will not be solved with money.

14. BE INFORMED.

Educating yourself is crucial in helping make the best decisions possible. There are many laws and incentives impacting your finances that many problems can be avoided if both individuals had the knowledge they needed to make better decisions.

15. FIGHT FAIRLY.

Do not use money as a weapon to attack your partner.

16. DECIDE ON YOUR ACCOUNTS.

Joint or not to jointthat is the question. Couples have come to many different arrangements when it comes to this. Whether you keep separate accounts, a joint account or both separate and joint accounts it doesn’t matter, just as long as both people are happy with the arrangement.

17. REMEMBER YOU AGREED TO IT.

Don’t be resentful if things don’t turn out the way you thought they would. Remember, you agreed to it.

18. USE A SYSTEM FOR BILLS.

Who pays household bills should be discussed. Whether it’s one partner who takes on the responsibility or both people choose to pay them make sure that there is a system in place for bill paying.

19. REFLECT BEFORE REACTING.

Many times relationship problems mask themselves as financially motivated issues. Before reacting to problems that seem to be financial ask yourself what the
root of the problem really is.

Gina Goldenberg,

info@messmanagement.com

More Details about Home and personal financial management here. By Gina Goldenberg BA, Cert. Ed. -Mess Management http://www.messmanagement.com FREE Mess Management Idea-Pak and E-zine, filled with tips and information articles to help you organize your home or office and simplify your life.

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