Money Margin

Thinking more about money margin today...Richard Foster has some points to ponder in his chapter on Simplicity in "Celebration of Discipline." I was considering them Saturday as checkpoints in my own life. Why not look at these and rate how well you're doing:

(Adapted from Celebration of Discipline)

___ Give generously. The more difficult it is for me to be generous, is usually an indication of how much I love money and want to spend it on me.

___ Spend less than you make. Yes, there may be seasons when this is necessary and you have to dip into emergency cash. But consistently spending more than you make is the prelude to poverty.

___ Build an emergency fund. DR recommends starting with $1000 then move to minimum of 3 mos personal expense. Average job loss lasts one year.   
___ Buy things for their usefulness rather than their status. When you buy, ask yourself, is this about usefulness or prestige?

___ Reject anything that is producing an addiction in you. Learn to distinguish between a real psychological need, like cheerful surroundings, and an addiction. Any of the media that you find you cannot do without, get rid of. If money has a grip on your heart, give some away and feel the inner release. 

___ Develop a habit of giving things away. If you find that you are becoming attached to some possession, consider giving it to someone who needs it. De-accumulate! Masses of things that are not needed complicate life. They must be sorted and stored and dusted and resorted and restored ad nauseum.

___ Don’t fall for the propaganda regarding the latest modern gadgets. Most gadgets are built to break down and wear out and so complicate our lives rather than enhance them. Usually gadgets are an unnecessary drain on the energy resources of the world. Environmental responsibility alone should keep us from buying the majority of the gadgets produced today.

___ Learn to enjoy things without owning them. Owning things is an obsession in our culture. If we own it, we feel we can control it; and if we can control it, we feel it will give us more pleasure. The idea is an illusion. Enjoy the lake without feeling you have to buy a piece of it. Borrow books. Enjoy libraries, zoos, parks, the lake, the beach.

___ Reject all ‘buy now, pay later’ schemes. They are a trap and only deepen your bondage. Certainly prudence, as well as simplicity, demands that we use extreme caution before incurring debt. 

___ Shun anything that distracts you from seeking first the kingdom of God. It is so easy to lose focus in the pursuit of legitimate, even good things. Job, position, status, family, friends, security—these and many more can all too quickly become the center of attention.