HOW YOU CAN SAVE MORE MONEY IN 2020
We are currently in the third month of the year
now, and gradually the year keeps progressing, a day in, a day out and before
we know it, the year is gone again.
Time waits for no one and that is why we must do
our best possible to make sure that the year just doesn’t leave us the same way
it met us, and this should something all encompassing; that means totaling
every aspect of our lives which our financial life is part.
I believe there is nothing great about being in need, as
covenant children of God, God is not against us having things, he just doesn't
want those things to have us.
The scriptures tell us that if He did not withhold His only
begotten son from us, would He also not give us all things.
Any part of the scriptures also said,
Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all
other things will be added unto you...
This is two scriptures that talks about things, not just things,
but things coming from God.
There are some things in life that we have absolutely no control
over, but there are also some things that we have the ability to control as
much as God helps us
The year is still quite young and so many of us have financial goals at the beginning of the year, some intend to have a certain amount in their bank account, for others it is to have
an increased investment portfolio, and for others it is paying of debt (I
sincerely think paying of a debt is a big deal, if you have reasons to owe someone, it
should be one of the plans you should have to be able to pay them as soon as
possible).
Have you ever read the story of Joseph and the interpretation of
dream that he gave to Phoroah which led to his upliftment?
Beyond that story
being about how God can lift a man, it also talks about the wisdom of God in
the way we handle our resources.
Do you also know that it wouldn't have been God's fault if the Egyptians didn't save up in during the seven years of abundance, and so they are also in lack during the famine?
For every man, there is usually a season of
abundance and either we want it or not, as it is with the natural where we have
various seasons within the year which comes and goes so also with the human
life. There is a season in life where it seems all is just working well, and if
indeed we want things to keep working well in our lives, then it depends on how
best we harness that season where all things are working out well to the best of our ability.
Are you in a seemingly season of abundance where it seems you
have more than you currently need, or do you belong to the class that didn’t
use their season of abundance well? Any group you belong to, I’m sure you’ll
find a tip that’ll be useful for you.
1. Check Where The Bulk Of Your Money
Goes To
To be able to move forward, we must be ready to access the past
well.
Create out time from your busy schedule and sit down to actually
monitor your cash flow. If you have a monthly source of income, calculate how
much you received per month and how much it totaled at the end of last
year. When you are through with this, then check how much went into
various things e.g. how much you spent on clothes, fuel/transportation to work,
the average amount you gave to people, how much you gave in tithes and
offerings, how much you gave to your parents e.t.c. The list can include more
depending on the kind of person you are and what you spend money on.
Let's consider Desmond
Desmond works with a pharmaceutical company and his monthly income
is #100,000
The amount that gets into his account every payday is #91,250
after pension and tax have been deducted.
So going back to the template that was earlier suggested
Desmond received the total of #91,250 at the end of each month in
2019 and the total at the end of the year is #1, 095,000
This will give us an idea of how much passed through his hands last
year.
It's interesting to note that even though over one million naira
passed through the hands of Desmond last year, it's possible that he might not
have up to #50,000 in savings and no kobo in investments as well.
While it's easier to laugh at Desmond and cast the stone on him
for not saving and how much of a spendthrift he is, but do you have your
finances all together?
2. Draw Up A Budget For Every Income
This is like saying tell your money where it should go so that
you don't keep wondering where all the money went.
Know how much will be going into your tithe and offering.
Know how much will go into taking care of your parents
Know how much you're allocating to saving as well as impulsive
spending/when you just want to enjoy yourself. A note of caution, make sure you
don't spoil yourself every day.
It might not be so wise to keep building your wardrobe every
other month, while this is not saying that you should not look great, but
drawing up a budget that does not have purchase of clothes on it every other
month will clear up space for better things like saving for fixed deposit or
putting money into money market.
3. Keep Limited Cash At Hand
One of the way to have no control over your cash flow is usually
when you carry too much of cash around.
While this is not saying that we should walk around with no cash
in our purse or pockets, but having a limited amount of cash at hand will also
be able to help you control the way you spend.
Try doing this after your next pay check, draw up a budget, and
calculate the amount you need on a daily basis, then take that exact money
and a little extra and see what it
does for you.
4. Have Different Accounts for Different Purposes
Having just one bank account in this age and time is not so
cool.
A sister of mine said something about how she was able to save
her money. She mentioned that at some point, she had to go open another account
that will be strictly meant for saving, she went a step further by making sure
she didn't have the bank's online application as well as the debit card, this
was geared towards making sure she was never tempted to go take out of the
money.
That worked for her and you might want to try that out
too.
You can decide to have two different accounts asides your salary
account, one should be purely for savings and you can adopt the method earlier
discussed, another one can be your emergency account. Life happens at times,
but one thing that is always constant is the fact that God is ever faithful,
have an account that can be used to treat any unforeseen things.
4. Utilize Automatic Savings And Money Apps
With the increase in technology came different
applications, and just like we have applications for games, bible study apps,
so also do we have some applications through which you can save your money
with.
I first heard about piggy
vest which is an online saving app that
automatically deducts your money from your account and credits your piggy
account. It’s a good way to save money as the money itself won’t even come into
your hands and the temptation to spend the money reduces. If you decide to try
this app for your savings, go to Play store and download the app, it’s quite
easy to navigate through.
Some banks also have options for target savings, you can ask your account manager for which plan your bank runs and how you can benefit fro this.
5. Always Have A Financial Goal/Project
Having a financial goal or project per time helps a lot.
It comes in handy when you're about to spend on frivolities, just remembering what you intend using your
savings for can help you put your debit card back into your purse when you are just
about to spend on something you can still do without for the now.
It also helps when you are about to pray to God, you can go to him in prayers telling Him what you're believing Him for and what your plans are.
Although you might not have a project that demands funds all of the time depending on the season of life that you are, but always having a financial goal will help you years from now when you eventually begin to need the money. It's always best to dig the well before you're thirsty.
Parting Words,
I strongly believe it is God's desire for us to live in abundance,
the God of the universe is our Father so it is high time our way of life begins
to show this to people around us.
Your wanting to save shouldn't stop you from being a blessing to others too.
Remember that it is the will of the Lord for his
children to be prosperous; God needs many more of his children to live in abundance.
Our living in lack does not in any way bring
glory to the name of the Lord. There are so many kingdom projects that needs
money to finance them, and God wouldn’t send money down as rain from heaven,
the money needed will have to come through the hands of a human, it might as
well be you and I.
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