Staying on Budget

What’s the most difficult category for you to stick to in your budget? Food? Entertainment? Miscellaneous?

We all struggle with different kinds of budget busters. Like budgetary “kryptonite”, they’re things that we push to the limit month after month.

A recent study from Varo Money defined these expenses as “guilty pleasures”. 87% of Americans admitted their guilt with the top 5 categories being:

• Eating out at restaurants
• Online shopping
• Ordering take-out and delivery
• In-store shopping
• Streaming entertainment services

Americans would like to spend less money eating and shopping. But, only 7% said they’d be willing to cut back on streaming entertainment!

The only way to keep from overspending is to keep your expenses less than your income. That means eliminating or cutting back on your “guilty pleasures” in order to stay within your budget.

God cares about how we use our time and money. In Psalm 90 he said, “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”

And, Proverbs 23:4-5 warns, “Do not wear yourself out to get rich; do not trust your own cleverness. Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle.”

When we surrender our time and money to His lordship, we find peace, freedom, and joy. But it requires self-control, a faithful heart, and disciplined hands.

So, see your guilty spending pleasures as an opportunity to exercise self-control. Ask God to give you a faithful heart and the strength to say “no” to things you want today to be able to say “yes” to what you need tomorrow.  

If you need help or encouragement with your finances today, call us! One of Crown’s staff members would love to speak with you. Our phone number is 800-722-1976 or you can find helpful resources online at crown.org