30 Day Money Reset
Your one month challenge to develop healthy, biblical financial habits.
DAY 13
INDULGENCES
Most people don’t get up in the morning and say “I’m going to indulge myself today.” No, this attitude is much more subtle. In fact, most of us probably wouldn’t say we indulge ourselves often…but if we take a closer look at our bank statements, they may say otherwise.
An indulgence is almost always rationalized as being a need, but in reality, it is something that has little or no long-term utility.
The only way to reverse this trend in our lives is to recognize what indulgences truly are. Emotional shopping at Target, online shopping, buying more than you planned just because you have coupons or a rebate, and going through the Chick-fil-a drive-thru all qualify as indulgences.
So to prevent this, you have to be extremely intentional about how you spend your money. Before you buy anything, identify the need for it, allocate the money for it, and find the best price for it. You should also ask yourself if that purchase honors God. You’re using HIS money to pay for it!
God often allows us to have more than our basic necessities, of course, but leave the door open for Him to bless you. Don’t run ahead of Him and miss God’s best.
Today’s task has to do with identifying some of these little indulgences that easily sneak into our budget. To some, it may seem impossible. But for others, it may not require you to change much at all. No matter where you fall, commit to follow through and give it 100%.
Today's action item:
Today, commit to ONLY drink water when you go out to eat at a restaurant. It's up to you to decide if you'll continue this habit once the reset is over, but calculate how much money you save by doing this. Write down your commitment and the amount you'll save in your journal or 30 Day Snapshot.
If you’re like me and always want bonus points, take the extra step and also stop buying coffee/tea/soda out. Make it at home or at work and skip the drive-thrus. Don’t even buy it along with your groceries!
If you tend to work in coffee shops throughout the week, find a different productive workspace that doesn’t require you to spend money (check out your local library!).
Cutting out these little indulgences will help you recognize them when they come up and save money as you focus on creating financial margin and becoming a faithful steward.
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