Money is My Carbohydrate!

I sit and watch Biggest Loser on Tuesdays....I know, I have exposed a nerdy fact. I like it for lots of little reasons. I enjoy observing human behavior for one. I also can't help but love the fact that they hit on the concept that being fat is not the problem, it is merely a byproduct of a deeper issue. I like to try and predict what that person's underlying issue is. My mind is always trying to figure people out...I like to know why people are the way they are. What in their past has made them like they are. Plus when these people go home, what will be their temptation? Will they always have to check themselves and be aware of their limitations (like an alcoholic must abstain totally from any alcohol)? The show is based on a byproduct of so many individual issues. I believe I have my own byproduct...trouble with money.

I have been working diligently since the first of the year to gain control of my money. I define control as the ability to know where it is going at all times, and to be able to say "no" to myself when I want something, I have the money, but it is not a necessary item at this time. I want to be able to plan appropriately for things. I want to save for things. I want to have a budget for home improvements, vacations, gifts, misc. items. But all of this is only a pipe dream until I figure out why this is so hard for me. Why am I disorganized (meaning in the way they are handled, not the timely manner in which I pay them) with my bills? Why don't I want to save more? When I know we are getting a lump sum of money, why do I immediately start thinking of things I want to buy? Why do I feel I need so many things in the first place? I get so angry with myself! Why can't I be content?

So this is where my money journey is taking me. I am on a self exploration to discover why I am not content. I know that I am blessed and I hope that through prayer and self reflection I will have the ability to discover the real issue. Because much like the contestants on BL have to do, I need to discover what got me into these bad habits while I learn what good habits I need to put in their place. I may not overeat, but I overspend. I overlook spending like they overlook calorie intake.

I am getting on the right track though. I am being frank and honest with anyone who reads this and that will keep me motivated to find the crux of the problem. Just like the brave souls who step on a scale every week (wearing less than I would in public), I am bearing my financial soul in hopes of truly changing who I am forever. I pray that God opens my eyes to my shortcomings and allows wise council to help lead me to a path of godly financial decisions.

"Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much" Luke 16:10 ISV

Low Budget Land

“Low Budget” is a song released by The Kinks in 1979. Those of you who know me know that this is not only before my time, but not my normal taste in music. However, the lyrics were catching enough to post on this blog as I open the topic of the month: MONEY

Cheap is small and not too steep but best of all cheap is cheap

Circumstance has forced my hand to be a cut price person in a low budget land

Times are hard but we’ll all survive

I just got to learn to economize

I’m on a low budget I’m on a low budget

I’m not cheap; you understand I’m just a cut price person in a low budget land

Excuse my shoes they don’t quite fit. They’re a special offer and they hurt me a bit

Even my trousers are giving me pain. They were reduced in a sale so I shouldn’t complain

They squeeze me so tight so I can’t take no more. They’re size 28 but I take 34

I’m shopping at Woolworth and low discount stores

I’m dropping my standards so that I can buy more quality costs, but quality wastes,

So I’m giving up all of my expensive tastes .Caviar and champagne are definite no’s,

I’m acquiring a taste for brown ale and cod roes Low budget sure keeps me on my toes I count every penny and I watch where it goes We’re all on our uppers we’re all going skint

I used to smoke cigars but now I suck polo mints

Art takes time, time is money Money’s scarce and that ain’t funny

Millionaires are things of the past. We’re in a low budget film where nothing can last

Money’s rare there’s none to be found. So don’t think I’m tight if I don’t buy a round

I look like a tramp, but don’t write me off, I’ll have you all know, I was once a tough

At least my hair is all mine, my teeth are my own, But everything else is on permanent loan Once all my clothes were made by hand, Now I’m a cut price person in a low budget land.

For those of you who skimmed down and didn’t want to read the entire lyrics (I can respect that). Here is a line that I wanted to reiterate;

“Low budget sure keeps me on my toes, I count every penny and I watch where it goes.”

That seems to be a timeless piece of advice. I have heard that from many people. In different terms of course, but the concept is not new. As a matter of fact I am sure I can find a Bible verse that supports the idea of watching where your finances go…

Drum roll please……………………..

Proverbs 27:23 (NIV)

“Be sure you know the condition of your flocks; give careful attention to your herds;”

You might be thinking this is a stretch, but stay with me on this one. As a shepherd, your sheep were your source of income. If you carelessly left them to roam freely and never took inventory, you would most likely find yourself “a few sheep short of a full flock”. (Which is also what people might be saying about you behind your back). But a shepherd who kept a diligent watch over his sheep and knew from day to day how many he had in his herd, would probably fair better in the end.

In the month of February I would like to explore the topic of money. I would like to start with my own personal journey. I am great with numbers. I love them. I have never been into Sudoku because I am afraid of becoming addicted to it. This in no way shape or form means that I am good with money. For some reason the money sign $ is like a mask on numbers for me. They become tied to my emotions when I see them hanging out with this guy $. I see stuff that I can and can’t have. Places I can and can’t go. Things that I do and don’t have to worry about. They are no longer numbers. They are the gatekeepers to my dreams…

I also think that money being a big deal in this world is no coincidence. God uses money as core curriculum in our everyday lives. He uses it to teach us hard lessons. He uses it to bless us…and allow us to bless others. Just think about a world with no money. Only goods/services could be exchanged. But what if you had no desirable skill? What if you live in an area where your good/service is not in high demand? So we should be thankful for money. We should respect it for all the good and bad it can do in the world. What should we not do though? Love it, hoard it, use it to influence others, etc.

This month I would like to explore money in our everyday households. I have been on a journey this month to trim my expenses and learn to use a loose budget. This has nothing to do with the economy. I feel that if we all trim back because of outside forces, we will be doomed to return to our bad habits when the economy returns. I am challenging you all to take the journey with me.

Here is a little background information on my situation. I am a stay-at-home mom that works outside the home for 3 hours a week. Thus, I make so little that we don’t even put my money in our spreadsheet. We live off of my husband’s income. It is a nice amount depending on where you live. For our area it is modest. We are bearing the burden of student loans and a house payment. We usually lean on our credit cards every couple of months. That being said I am proud to say that we do not have any credit card debt. On the flip side, our savings is laughable and just like the average household we are a few paychecks away from a bad situation. So this is the year to change that. “How?” you may ask. I am surveying that day by day. I am going to share what I have discovered with you. I hope to bring to light what keeps us from living within our means, and in the process, create a list of ways to “trim the fat”.

JANUARY 4

This was not a New Year’s resolution. I wanted to do it earlier, but with the holidays and stuff I just couldn’t get my act together. But starting in January I began balancing my checkbook. “What, you didn’t do that before?” Well, no. I looked online and saw how much the bank said I had, thought about any other charges that might be hitting my account, and then did some quick math to figure out how much I thought I had. Sound at all familiar? Oh sure, I bet I’m the only one. Well this habit was the first that needed to change. I merely looked at it like this. I check my email every day, my facebook every (hour) day; why can’t I check my checkbook everyday? So, I did, everyday, for a month. Now I check it almost everyday, but it is officially a habit. I can tell you in a matter of a few seconds how much we have in the bank. I make sure it balances to the penny. This is where those numbers loose their $ and become just numbers again. This way it is “fun” for me again. I like when they are balanced. I had no idea that this would change the way I look at my money. I feel in control of it (in a healthy way). See it is not about having lots of money or living on a shoe string budget. It’s about wisdom and knowing the condition of your money. Another verse that comes to mind now is this:

Proverbs 21:5

"The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty, but those of everyone who is hasty, surely to poverty.”

Being hasty to me means spending because you want even if you don’t have, or worse spending even when you are totally unaware of what you do or do not have. That was my approach. If I turn a blind eye to the truth, I can convince myself that I have the money to buy this…this thing. A thing that will be useless, worn out, or just plain boring to me in a matter of months. I bypassed all the textbook questions; “Is this a want or a need?” “Will it go on sale?” “Can I better afford it next month?” I would just go straight for “Do I want it now?” Which most of the time was yes.

At the beginning of my journey I am attempting to conquer two things; being totally aware of my “flock” of dollar bills, and truly exploring my reasons for buying. Just like someone who is attempting to loose weight has to explore why they eat in the first place, I have to explore why I spend. So this is my challenge to you. Take some time to really soul search this area of your life. Pray, journal, whatever helps you to explore your emotions about money. Does it scare you? Does it give you a since of security? Does it define you? Once you figure out your relationship with money, you can begin to find a balance. The other part of the challenge will be to balance your accounts. If you already do this then kudos to you, you are one step ahead of the game. If this is a new thing to you, make it a habit. Do it everyday during your email/social media website rituals. Next week I want to address the idea of being content. With that I will leave you with a portion of the aforementioned song.

Times are hard but we’ll all survive

I just got to learn to economize

I’m on a low budget I’m on a low budget

Until next week, enjoy the learning curve!

In the beginning...

So today is the first day of my very own blog. As I sit in front of this blank screen, questions come whizzing through my mind: What will my objective be? How often will I really write? Will anyone read this? Well, frankly, I don't know the answers to any of these questions. I know I have a lot on my mind and I know that if God is my guide, I will touch those whom I am supposed to and that is all that matters.

I have been blogging about my children for over 2 years now. I have a son Levi who turned 2 in November and a daughter Rachel, who was born in September. I enjoy recording their events for family and friends, but I would like to have an outlet to express what is on my mind as a woman, a wife, a christian. I, like so many of you, struggle to find my identity in this world. I want so many labels, yet I don't want one of those labels to entirely define me. So I imagine I will jump from topic to topic. One week might be about kids, the next about finances, the next about being a wife...and the list goes on. However, if you are a mom, dad, wife, husband, man, or a woman, you will probably be able to relate to a post from time to time.

In this first post, I would like to introduce myself. My name is Ashley Ferris. My simple story is that I have been a wife to Matthew for 4 years this June. We have two children as I mentioned above. We live in Fishers, IN which is a suburb of Indianapolis. We have attended Northeast Community Church for 5 years now and look forward to the direction that God is taking our church. I am a full-time SAHM (stay-at-home mom) with a very part-time job (one day a week).

A few fun facts about me: I use a midwife during my pregnancies and have my babies at home "au naturale". I am in fact a Colts fan (even before meeting my husband). I have always wanted to be a writer...maybe that will still happen. I used to do my Math homework for fun...even the stuff that wasn't going to be graded...geek, I know.

Where do I see this going?
Ha! This question makes me think of relationships. But in a way I guess this is a relationship. One where you, oddly enough, as the reader hold all the power. I hope to be brutally honest in this blog in a way that leaves you shocked that I would be that vulnerable, yet relieved to find that someone else feels that way too.

What will my first topic be?
That my friend will be revealed tomorrow. But if you want a hint, it is a topic that touches EVERYONE.