A Winning Financial Game Plan

Comedian Milton Berle once said, “It’s amazing how fast later comes when you buy now!” Do you know the feeling?

When later hits you before you’re ready, you need a budget. If the word intimidates you, think of it as a plan to prevent overspending and to prepare you for emergency expenses. It’s not meant to restrict your spending, but a means to give you the freedom to spend correctly.

If you’ve delayed starting a budget, or fail to live by the one you have, then step out in faith. The first step can be the hardest, so simply take it a day at a time. Each day’s victories will give you the motivation to keep going!

In any sport, a coach has a plan. But adjustments are made depending on what happens during the game. Winning is the goal. So, he studies, strategizes, uses what he has to put his plan into action.

Likewise, a budget is your plan for winning. It requires time to review income and spending so you can make a plan that fluctuates with your circumstances.

You can find a helpful guide to create a budget at crown.org/budget. Start by tracking all your expenses over a month. This is a fundamental first step to build and maintain a budget. Print Crown’s free budget form  and keep it with you to record every dollar you spend.

We also offer an estimated budget worksheet to help you organize your monthly expenses by category. It’ll be a handy reference for you to track your spending through the month.

Paul wrote about taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. Our thoughts lead to actions. I hope that you will renew your mind on the benefits of a budget, so that you grow in effective stewardship of all God gives you.

If you need help creating a budget, call us at 800-722-1976 or visit crown.org/budget