I'm learning a lot about money this summer. My family isn't rich by any stretch, but (even with all of my college loans) I never felt restricted in my day-to-day life. Until now.
God has truly been stretching me this summer with my finances. I'm pretty much broke, haha. My internship pays (praise God), but not much. And even with an amazingly cheap housing situation, I'm still pretty much broke. Tonight I was really bummed because I couldn't go out to a movie with some of my friends. I simply can't blow $10 plus the gas to get there.
But I'm realizing that this is probably good for me. I have a budget, which I try to keep as best as I can. I've learned how important keeping a budget is. Like I said, I'm interning at McLean Bible Church this summer, and I had the chance to sit in on a personal financial management seminar for new staff. They talked about the idea of Matthew 6:21, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." And I realized that one fact is always true, whether you're into the God-thing or not. Our money is a direct indicator of our heart. So as a follower of Christ, how I spend my money is a really big deal.
You should try it! Make a budget for July and then keep track of how much you spend. There are easy ways to do this: 1. charge everything on your credit or debit card, 2. keep a notebook with you and write down every penny you spend, or 3. just keep all of your receipts. Then evaluate it based on your budget and make some changes (either to your budget or your spending habits).
I guarantee, it'll change the way you live your life. It has mine.
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