How’s this economy affecting you? I didn’t think it was, until I took a closer look at our finances. I started using Mint (www.mint.com) to track all of our accounts.
It’s not pretty. I’m relying on God as always, but it’s time to start living below our income. We’re cutting expenses. We’re going to give up cable TV. We’ll reduce our driving if we can. I sold a vehicle I didn’t need. My wife is considering working (she’s been a stay-at-home-mom). We may even decide to sell our house.
The odd thing is I have a great job. My pay hasn’t kept pace with inflation though – especially the inflation in food and gas costs. Health insurance has also eaten up more of my salary.
What about you?
Well I’m single and just got a 65% increase in income with the new job, so I’d say pretty good, hehe. Although cost of living went way up since I moved here obviously, but so far so good. I’m pretty cheap though. One nickname in high school was “McCheap Ass” cause I’d only get $1 menu stuff and water.
My husband and I are cautious with money, and that served us well a few years ago in the last recession. We do enjoy travel, classes, dining out and such, but we can enjoy life without breaking the bank. I think this has been a problem in our society, trying to buy happiness, and it really doesn’t work. if there is something good that’ll come out of this latest financial crisis, I hope it’s that people learn to be content with less, remember to save, remember the important things in life.
well, here I return to your blog after a while, I wonder why if you guys will be talking about the effects of economy in small group, but anyways, personally, comgin from an area where people get by with 5% of what i have today, i tend to keep that perspective in mind that no matter how bad it looks , it still is worse for the rest of the world. This is one more argument to the statement that the just will live by faith and not by sight, because when we do that God’s kingdom becomes visible to the rest of the world.