Eagles have remarkable eyesight. They are capable of seeing four to seven times better than humans, with an ability to spot a small animal from over a mile away! This enables them to search for food as they soar high in the sky or perch at the top of a tall tree. When they attack, they dive at speeds up to 100 miles an hour! Eagles are at the top of the airborne predators. Their ability to see clearly at great distances, to adjust their flight path at high speeds, and their great power is a reflection of God’s great design.
As we continue to strive to soar like eagles in our financial life, we should also check our financial vision. Have you become so blinded by the day to day grind of paying bills, struggling to stay ahead of debt, and covering unexpected expenses, that it is difficult to see beyond your current situation?
As we begin to follow God’s design for our financial life, our perspective broadens and we can see further down the road, a little farther each day. We can see distant situations more clearly and make adjustments to meet the challenge. Let’s all improve our eyesight so we can soar higher as we look to Christ for his leadership in our financial decisions!
As you do your Spring cleaning, consider making some extra cash by selling items on Craig’s list or by having a garage sale. Don’t have enough to do a garage sale on your own? Make it a group effort and combine with friends, family, or coworkers. You could also take certain items to a consignment or resale store.
One excellent way to save on kids’ clothes is to shop at consignment stores such as Kid to Kid.
You can find name brand items such as Nike, Adidas, Gap, and Aeropostle for a fraction of the original cost. Most kids outgrow clothes long before they wear them out, so you are able to find items in excellent condition, and sometimes still with the original tags!
Shop for groceries Have you tried the new grocery store, Aldi’s?
My experience is that you save about 30% on their products compared to other grocery stores. It is the kind of store where the stock is displayed like a warehouse and you bag your own items, kind of like a "mini Sams". They carry their own brands with few major brands but the prices are excellent. Look them up to find one near you and give it a try. They only take cash or debit cards so you cannot use a credit card! (Thanks to one of our MoneyMatters clients for sharing this)
As summer temperatures rise, so do our electricity bills. Remember to regularly check to see if you can get better rates by changing to a cheaper retail electric provider. Go to www.powertochoose.org to compare rates and see if changing companies would be beneficial. As always, it pays to know your rate and know when your contract expires so you can go shop again. And talk to others about this to determine if you can save money down the road.
Also, remember to change out you’re A/C filters as we head into the summer. This will not only help your unit run better, it will extend its life and save you money.
If you know someone who could benefit from the MoneyMatters private coaching program, please refer them to us. The program can benefit a broad spectrum of people - from those just entering the workforce who need to get started on the right foot, to those who need help managing their debt and establishing a workable budget.
Yesterday Sunday May 20, our church, Parkway Hills Baptist Church in Plano, TX dedicated our new children’s building. This is a perfect opportunity to talk to our/your kids about how God uses the generosity of people to pull together to fulfill a dream. It wouldn’t have been possible without money made available through financial discipline of our church family, our local construction partners and a healthy dose of God’s continued blessing!
