What you have before you is a small quick to the point advisory on how to effectively manage your family budget. If you want to be the head and not the tail spiritually as well as materially, you will want to learn how to be a "saver." Mankind is born a "spender" first. You can see it in little children. "Daddy buy me this. Mommy I want that."

      There are parents who diligently require good financial management on the part of their children as they grow up, so the youngster with a job is able to brag to their buddies about how much they've got in the bank, but its really not their's to spend liberally. Their spending has to be approved by their parents, which is the right way to raise your children to become responsible financially.

       "MONEY ANSWERS ALL THINGS," according to King Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived. So it is important to have plenty of money on hand at all times so you will have an answer to every material need. Your handling or mishandling of money is however a spiritual matter. As you read "savers" v/s "spenders" you will find savers are responsible, sacrificial and temperate in all things while spenders are quite the opposite. One sure way of discerning another is their spending. As soon as you discover they are a spender, you have also discovered they are not spiritually balanced.

       "TO THEM THAT HAVE, TO THEM MORE SHALL BE GIVEN," is a Biblical principle that can be applied to your money supply as well as other factors in your life. If you have plenty of money available for your use, you will ind it easier to profit in money matters. Many opportunities pass the impoverished by, but those with money on hand are able to avail themselves of opportunities. If you wish to learn how to become a saver, meditate very carefully on the comparison between the two. Perhaps you will find things out about yourself that you did not know.

      We are speaking in generalities when we say, Those who are "spenders" presume income is the answer to their financial success. They try to grab hold of the quality of life by spending. They lack control over fleshy appetites. If they see something they like, it's possible they will go so far as to buy it, even when the purchase leaves them nothing to work with financially til their next pay check. The spender is often in such a hurry to buy quality of life, they do not realize their errors. The management of a budget requires skill and time. It is very much like being the captain of a vessel at sea. Budget managment involves navigating your budget vessel to your financial goals.

       One of the reasons credit is popular is its ability to allow spenders to by pass good financial management which is what merchandisers want you to do. Incomes in American often are greater than the cost of necessities, so it seems convenient and even necessary to many Americans to build up their credit by spending. You will hear "spenders" who have overloaded their credit cards groaning under the oppressive weight of it when they realize they not only cannot keep up with their payments, but have ruined their credit. Many borrow at high interest rates to maintain their credit accounts. The interest they pay amounts to an exhorbitant price tag they pay for credit. Much income is lost to out of control "spenders" who learn their lessons too late. Quality of live is improved by disciplined budgeting practices. We are not saying you do not need credit. That is for you to decide. If using credit has produced financial burdens, you will certainly want to reconsider whether or not you need credit personally. Remember the Biblical command is: OWE NO MAN ANYTHING, but love.

       Hopefully you will be able to learn from these comparisons between "savers" and "spenders."

The saver usually has money, the spender spends theirs as fast as they get it.

The saver puts aside money by diligent financial management while the spender lacks temperance.

The saver would be more inclined to set aside money from one income rather than go to work at two jobs to increase their income whereas spenders are inclined to work more than one job to answer their financial needs.

The saver makes long term plans and often achieves them through diligent budgeting practices and self restraint while spenders make plans and are unable to restrain themselves from spending to achieve their goals.

Savers walk into a store and shop their list diligently seeking the best deals while spenders are easily taken captive by store displays and the lusts of their flesh to buy things impulsively.

Shopping for necessities is a duty the saver carries out carefully while shopping is fun for the spender.

The saver understands they need $1500 to $5000 cash on hand at all times just to manage their responsibilities whereas the spender tends to set nothing aside at all for emergencies.

The saver plans to save, but the spender plans to spend.

The saver watches the prices of necessities while spenders pay little attention to what items cost.

The saver budgets against projected income while the spender simply spends the present paycheck. Once a saver has saved money from the incoming paycheck, they consider that money untouchable; but a spender has no such restraint.

A saver's possessions are precious, but a spender is wasteful.

A saver can carry money without spending it, but a spender's money is not safe even in the bank.

A saver is sacrificial but a spender has to have things right now.

A saver is able to retain wealth but a spender squanders their inheritance.

A saver looks for a way to not spend to solve problems but a spender immediately thinks of spending to solve their problems.

A saver is content with inexpensive passtimes but a spender attempts to purchase happiness no matter what the cost.

A saver keeps an ongoing tally of spending while a spender's main concern is how much money is in their pocket to spend.

Savers are usually most likely to succeed financially. They will usually avoid squandering their financial successes. But spenders usually do not have money to invest, and should they attain finances, they usually squander them.

The saver takes a lesson from the ant who stores up in summer, purchasing a good stock of items when they are reduced for sale, so as the items go back up in price; they are using them at the lesser cost. The spender is not inclined to shop deals or stock up.

The saver is more likely to keep their vehicles and properties maintenanced whereas the spender is inclined to put things off until there is such a backlog of work they are burdened by it.

The saver "ponders the path of his feet, that all his ways might be established," but the spender is not living a well managed life.

The saver "holds fast to that which is good," but the spender squanders it.

       The WEEKLY BUDGET BOARD is where the war is actually fought. Every necessity, every loose end financially, every bit of future planning financially, every financial account, every bill, everything pertaining to your financial well being goes onto the budget board some where. Write it down onto the budget board when you think about it. Don't trust every detail to memory. When planning day comes around weekly, your daily notes will help your planning.

       You should also have an annual forecast of expenses no matter how small or unimportant you may think these expenses are to the whole, it helps motivate you to save if you know expenses are coming in. Vehicle registration, insurance, utilities, rent, mortgage, taxes, ....anything you can think of ought to be forecast by the month so you can prepare for it.

       Those with children who are going to go to college are budgeting ten to fifteen years ahead. Those with high incomes ought to remember the seven years of famine in Egypt and store up. Human life is fragile. Tomorrow is not promised to you. Make provisions for every contingency.

       Remember the Scripture: "PONDER THE PATH OF YOUR FEET THAT ALL YOUR WAYS MIGHT BE ESTABLISHED." Only the planners can expect to balance their budgets for now and the future.

       Your WEEKLY BUDGET BOARD is your THINK TANK. Its where you plan daily as well as weekly. Its where you target closure on any and every unnecessary entanglement. Its where you provide yourself with the present BIG PICTURE of what is going on in your life. Its where you plan to get the most out of every errand in an attempt to save time and cut fuel and maintenance and all other transportation costs.

       Learn to map out your errands to take care of everything in a neighborhood while you are there. Keep a sharp eye open for any means of saving money while stocking up on consumables and necessities when you find them marked down.

       Make up forms to fit your needs. And stock them up. You are in this for the long run.

       Get THE WEEKLY BUDGET WAR in place diligently so you can save money, pay your bills on time, and win each individual battle that seems to fly at us unannounced in this unpredictable world, and once you become the head instead of the tail, you will find your marriage and your friendships, as well as your business matters will all balance into your life so much better. God will be with you as you are with Him, and you will discover material balance goes hand in hand with your spiritual balance.