I was talking with a friend this weekend and I shared with her a question a good friend of mine, Marcie, asked me a few years ago when Autumn was only a year and a half old. She asked me what I was doing for me--to keep myself interesting, so to speak, so that I wouldn't lose myself in the process of raising my kids. That question has always stuck with me.
Often my husband will tell me all we talk about is the kids, money, and the house. We lose sight of our marriage and ourselves. But, that's when I remember Marcie's question and the advice implied in her question =). Don't forget to take care of you--and in the process indirectly take care of the ones you love.
So, now I read and blog, and write book reviews =) among other things.
Over the past two days, I read a really good book--it's an easy read, but very worth the time.
The book is called Money Strategies for Tough Times.
In the course of the recession, I have come to realize that there are things that I have always done--but that not everyone else does. For example, we've always drank only one glass of juice at meals and then water. We enjoy that juice, but otherwise you can end up guzzling and not really enjoying it. That may sound extreme, but this book is realistic and not extreme in the financial advice that it gives--I think the author would even be surprised by my approach to juice. =) And yet, all that to say, this book does encourage the reader to spend wisely and to really assess what they need to spend and don't need to. But, even more than that--and the biggest reason why I love this book--is that the author treats finances not as a compartment of our life separate from our faith, but as a part of the foundation of our lives that God is entirely a part of.
The book is published by NavPress and Matt Bell. Bell is a part of the Good $ense financial ministry at Willow Creek. The first chapter is all about walking with God through life and how our finances are a part of that. Financial books do happen to be an interest of mine. I get a strange enjoyment from budgeting and talking about finances when people are in debt and want to get back on track. This book is great because this book is not geared towards men or women but both. I have been disappointed in several books I've read about budgeting, but this one really gives a good perspective on how to do that. He talks about debt--unsecured and secured as well as how to get out of debt. None of his ideas are crazy or even extreme--to me. He's very realistic. In the end, he talks about saving--the if savings (6 months of bills), when savings (for when things you know are going to happen do), and why savings (for your dreams). I thought that was a great way of identifying what to save for.
This book is biblical and grounded--not extreme and not a "seeker-sensitive" type of book that waters down the need for accountability. The one tiny point that I disagree with is that when he encourages accountability--and he really does encourage it, he encourages a person to ask another to give them encouragement and support but not advice. I think that there is a time for advice, but I understand the caution on that because sometimes the person you go to only gives advice instead of listening and encouraging.
My very favorite part of this book is a quote that I will likely relate to many of my friends. Bell talks about how we have gotten so messed up by the consumer culture we live in--when what we really need to remember is that our worth is not based on what we own. Owning more does not make us more. We need to "learn how to be children of God again."
I think every newly married couple should read this book--before they find themselves needing it. I also think every newly graduated college senior should read it as well. This book is a really well rounded honest book about finances and what budgeting is all about--and the need to be realistic about it. There are a lot of people I think would enjoy this book--if you can enjoy a book about finances =)
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