money

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What to get the Person who has everything

Are you a last minute shopper? Judging from the crowds in the stores and the never-ending ads on TV and radio, you have plenty of company. Usually, I’ve almost finished my Christmas shopping by now—at least for the “easy” people on my list. But it’s the proverbial problem—what do you get for the person who has everything?

It’s astounding that we can even ask that question, really. After all, how many people in the history of the world literally have everything they need and most of what they want? And how can I, with my strictly budgeted gift fund, possibly get them whatever they might lack?

The real eye-opener came earlier this year when, at my family’s request, I tried to make my own wish list for Christmas and my December birthday. It was hard. Aside from a few minor wants (certainly not needs!), I couldn’t think of anything. I finally wrote down a couple of CDs I would enjoy, some books I’d like to read, and a list of ways I’d like to spend time with each person. Then, at the top of my list, I wrote “chickens.”

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Here We Go Again

“Well, that’s the last paycheck for now!”

My husband handed me the deposit paperwork and smiled at me. “I’m excited. I wonder what God is going to do this time!”

Excited?

Yup, and actually, I am too. If I’ve learned anything over the last many years, it’s that God is faithful.

Being in full-time ministry, we have a very concrete understanding of the term, “non-profit.” If people ask, we usually say we’re “home-based missionaries on support.” Actually, our ministry pays Pete a salary… but only if there’s money in the account. Right now, the account is empty. Again.

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Cheap Fun

We sure complain about the high costs of health care, but did you know that the average American spends about the same amount (5.6% of their income) on fun? Yet no one complains about skyrocketing entertainment prices!

That’s right. According to Visual Economics, the average American earns  just over $50,000 per year. Of that,  around $2,800 goes to amuse ourselves. It’s nearly the same as we spend on healthcare (5.9%, almost $3,000) and much more than we give away to charity (3.4%, $1,700).

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Yet Another Scam…

I was sitting at my computer, catching up with a few friends on Facebook, when a chat window popped up. The name was one of my former students, someone I enjoy reading about, but not a close friend at this time in our lives. Still, I was pleasantly surprised—at first.

Apparently, this scam has been around for a few months now. You may have already been targeted. It’s just another reason to be a bit paranoid online (or in general).

At least this is an easy one to figure out. If the person knows you well enough to ask for a loan, they should be someone with whom you have some special shared memories. Just ask them some questions no one else could figure out.

Also, don’t forget to notify your friend that their account has been hacked. Time to change the password, at the very least!

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A Few Money-saving Tips

“We’re broke!”
“Our credit cards are maxed out, and I don’t know what to do!”
“I can’t sleep at night—I just lie there and worry about our finances.”

I’ve been hearing a lot of comments like these lately. Many of our close friends are at the end of their financial ropes, and the cords are fraying. While my husband and I are doing all right—we’re paying all our bills, at least—we too are feeling the effects of a challenging economy and several years of missing income.

I knew when Pete made the switch from commercial consulting to full-time ministry that our financial situation would change. We were used to being somewhat frugal—at least we thought of ourselves that way—but this would be on a whole new level. Sensing God telling me we needed to simplify our finances and learn to live with less, I sought counsel from older (and hopefully more mature) members of our church. And I was astonished that no one had any advice for me. All I heard was, “You’re doing fine!” Really?

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Paddle Your Way to the Best Travel Prices

Summertime is vacation time. Perhaps you want to go to the beach. Or maybe you’re committed to visiting that aunt and uncle who always pinched your cheek as a kid. Maybe you have a week off and just want to get away, anywhere, preferably cheap and romantic.

Pete and I have long been using an extremely helpful website to help us get the most for our travel dollars. Yet, as I’ve talked to friends and relatives, I’ve realized that no one seems to have ever heard of it. Don’t start with the airline, rental car, or hotel website. Don’t even bother with Expedia, Orbitz, Priceline, Cheaptickets, or the like. Rather, combine your searches at one site: www.Kayak.com.

The beauty of Kayak.com is that they search all those cheap sites mentioned above, and a whole lot more. They do the comparisons so you don’t have to bother. Then they summarize the results in an easy-to-read chart.

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Easy Money

You’ve seen the ads: makemoney-online

I always assumed such things were scams, and ignored them. Then an acquaintance got sucked in, and I decided to do a little research. Are any of these offers legitimate? Can you really make money stuffing envelopes, typing, or commenting on blogs? Thankfully, several well-known sites have done the research on these claims, so I didn’t have to. Here’s what they found.

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Supporting Short-term Missions

k at elephant temple

Karin at elephant god temple in Nepal

 

Dear Friends and Family,

  • Would you contribute to my ministry trip? I’m going to the Philippines this summer.
  • I need to raise $1500 to go to Afghanistan.
  • My church is sending a team to the Dominican Republic to build a church building—can you help?

Yup, the letters are arriving right on schedule, as both teens and older adults are making their plans and raising prayer and financial support. We always set some money aside in our giving budget to support these short term mission efforts, partly because we believe they will make a difference in the area where they will be working, and largely because it is a life-changing experience for the fledgling missionary. There is a vast gap between hearing about the world and seeing it with your own eyes.

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Spontaneous Generosity

Giving away money should be fun.

In 2 Corinthians 9:7, Paul says, “God loves a cheerful giver.” Cheerful could be translated hilarious. Yet, how often do we end up with a big smile when we drop our tithes and offerings into the plate? Most of the time, we give because it’s what we do as believers. We don’t put all that much thought into it. In fact, I know a couple who arranged for their tithe to be automatically deducted from their bank account. While that certainly simplifies things, it somehow lacks the personal involvement and excitement I believe God desires.

At the beginning of every year, my husband, Pete, and I sit down to figure out our giving for the next twelve months. We list all the ministries we want to support, starting with our local church. Then, we look at our projected income and budget. Of course, things can change, but you have to start somewhere.

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Budgeting Your Organic Dollars

There are two piles of apples in the produce section of my market. The first, at $2 per pound, are grown conventionally. The other pile, at twice the price, have been grown organically. Which apples should I buy?

Every time I go to the market, I have to make the decision whether or not to buy organic. If my food budget was unlimited, it would be easy. Organic farming is better for the planet. It’s better for the field workers. And it’s better for the consumer. But organic food is also more expensive. Given that our family is on a strict food allowance, I need some sort of criteria to help me decide when to spend extra and when to buy the cheapest available.

Happily, a bit of searching came up with a list of commonly purchased food items, and their average pesticide load when grown by conventional farmers. You can find it at the Environmental Working Group’s website.

Seeing that apples score among the highest produce items for pesticide load, I’ll definitely spring for the organic ones. Onions and peas, however, are traditionally grown without a lot of spraying, so I’ll stick to the cheapest ones I can find.

I think I’ll print out this list and stick it in my wallet for my next trip to the market.