6 lessons from 6 years in Ft. Myers (part 3)

Here’s the third lesson that I’ve learned since I’ve been in Ft. Myers:

#3 I have to handle my money well

- Tell Every dollar where to go – When Annie and I were engaged, we sought out a couple who were well off financially and wise about it and asked them to coach us in our finances. That couple laid out a very practical template for our budget. Following our budget showed us how much money we were wasting, it’s allowed us to give more money away than we thought possible, and it has allowed us to save at least 10% consistently, and at times more. It is the guidelines for our financial life and it is amazing. If you don’t tell every dollar where to go and know where you’re spending your money, it just disappears. I learned that the hard way.

- Give (at least) 10% – As Matt says, it’s like Snickers. There’s no way to explain how awesome it is, but when you try it, you understand.

- God has blessed me so that I could be a blessing – By living in the U.S., owning a car, having no debt, making two incomes, and owning a home, Annie and I are in the top 25% (at least) in the world. Why would God put us there? It’s not so that we can get more and more and more and take and take and take. God has blessed us so that we can bless those who aren’t. I really believe that God’s plan to show the world that He is good is directly related to the people who are blessed giving to those who are not.

- Pay off my credit cards every month, and the first month that I can’t, cut them up – I cut up one credit card because I couldn’t pay it off one month when I was still single. If we couldn’t pay off a credit card now, we would cut it up. In my mind, I can’t accept paying someone so that I can spend my money. That just seems silly.

- Don’t loan any money unless you can live without it – If Annie and I choose to loan money, we have to make sure that if we never get that money back, we will be okay without it and we will be able to interact with that person that we loan money to in the same way as before. When you loan money that you need back, you change the dynamic of the relationship of the person that you loan money to. The Bible says that a “borrower becomes a slave to the lender,” (Proverbs 22:7), and I truly believe that that happens. So, we just decided that we don’t want that relational dynamic to change with the people close to us. Here’s what we know: Saying no to lending money is easier than asking for money that you’ve lent.

- Clearance racks rock! – I like nice clothes, but I hate the cost. So, when I go to stores, I really only look at the clearance racks. It’s great.