Greedless Gain

“But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it”. 1 Timothy 6:6-7.
 
In this passage Paul provides the key to unlock the ever chasing and never satisfying pursuit of contentment; eternity. Contentment is a matter of perspective shaped by the relationship one has with God.
 
What is considered “great gain” in this world isn’t in God’s. According to the world, great gain comes from wealth, material properties, friends, power, children, a spouse, education; the list goes on and on. All of these things are sold to each of us as the ticket to contentment but leaves us wanting just a little more.
 
The accumulation of more is supposed to bring joy, peace, happiness, & contentment. However, Paul clearly exposes the waste of time this kind of pursuit turns out to be.
 
Great gain is “godliness with contentment”. This version of great gain should be the pursuit of our lives.
 
Amassing material possessions and great wealth is not a problem. In fact, God encourages a savings plan, building an inheritance, and owning property. When material possessions posses our emotions, then we’ve lost sight of eternity which is the breeding ground for discontentment.
 
Here are three ways to avoid discontentment

1. Re-define “Great Gain” & Pursue it!
2. Hope in God – The Giver of Life
3. Live Generously – Giving Away Time, Treasure, & Talents

 
Experience the liberation of godliness with contentment. The energy spent refocusing life around God’s priorities is worth it!
 
Reality Check
-    Write out 1 Timothy 6:6-7 – Read it daily for 30 days
-    Dedicate everything to God
-    Give away time and treasure this month
-    Oh yeah! Don’t forget to complete December’s budget (Pre-Spend all income, on paper, before you receive it)
 
We are available for you and your family. If you have any questions, needs, or if you would like us to address any specific topics, please contact us at financecoach@milestonechurch.com.    
 
May the Lord bless the work of your hands!
Garrett D. Craig

Reminders & Tips
-    Complete November’s budget (Pre-Spend all income, on paper, before you receive it)
-    Calculate your net worth
-    Start saving every month
-    Pray about giving financially to Milestone’s Journey
-    Christmas is only 9 weeks away – make it a debt free Christmas
 
We are available for you and your family. If you have any questions, needs, or if you would like us to address any specific topics, please contact us at financecoach@milestonechurch.com.    
 
May the Lord bless the work of your hands!

Garrett D. Craig

Jesus and his disciples were accused for not paying taxes. When approached about their tax bill, Jesus produced the necessary tax payment using his available resources.

To demonstrate his control over all things, a fish was used to pay their tax bill. Jesus’ response to this accusation also endorsed and modeled the ethical treatment of taxation.

Taxation and the debate over “To Tax or Not to Tax” is a huge topic, especially in this political climate. Taxation has always been a way of life and has never been popular. We are obligated to pay taxes.

To Win Financially, we must respond to taxes two ways:
-    Pay as little possible within legal limits
-    Pay what you owe on time

When asked by the Pharisees why Jesus didn’t pay taxes – he created the revenue and paid.

When asked if it was lawful to pay taxes, clearly a theological trap, his response was classic:

“Give to Cesar what is Cesar’s and give to God what is God’s” (Matthew 22:23).

Giving to God and paying taxes are both considered priority expenses. Be sure you give to God before taxes.

Oh’ yeah! Don’t forget to vote in your preferred tax policy!

Reminders & Tips
-    Complete October’s budget (Pre-Spend all income, on paper, before you receive it)
-    Consider a Year End Charitable Contribution
-    Don’t Give Up!
-    Take a Family Bike Ride

We are available for you and your family. If you have any questions, needs, or if you would like us to address any specific topics, please contact us at financecoach@milestonechurch.com.    

May the Lord bless the work of your hands!

Garrett D. Craig

May be you’ve heard them like this
-    It is more blessed to give than to receive…
-    Give and it will be given to you…
-    A generous man will be blessed…

Getting God’s touch starts with doing things God’s way.

Principles govern our lives. Principles impact our lives in powerful ways and God’s principles are dynamic, powerful, and eternal.

“God doesn’t have to re-write scripture every time congress changes a tax law” – Ron Blue

God’s principles about money are timeless, tested, secure, and eternally binding. It shouldn’t surprise us to know that God’s principles and the world’s are contradictory. Look at a few of God’s principles contrasted with worldly view points.

 The moment of truth… What principles are you living by? Not what you believe, but what do you DO? Actions reveal your beliefs.

Having a biblical worldview and allowing God to be the Lord over your life will radically change your outlook and outcome! God’s outcome is always the better option, regardless of how it looks.

Reminders & Tips
-    Complete September’s budget (Pre-Spend all income, on paper, before you receive it)
-    Plan your Fall activities
-    Budget your Christmas spending
-    Pray for God’s provision in someone else’s life – see what happens
-    Give someone an unexpected HUG

We are available for you and your family. If you have any questions, needs, or if you would like us to address any specific topics, please contact us at financecoach@milestonechurch.com.    

May the Lord bless the work of your hands!

Garrett D. Craig

This month’s talk will cover:
-    Back to School Planning
-    Reminders & Tips

It is amazing that the end of yet another summer is only a month away. This time next month, school will be back in session, rush hour traffic will once again be at peak levels, and normalcy will become the reality.

According to The National Retail Federation’s 2010 back-to-school survey, it is estimated that this year’s “Back to School” spending will be over $20 Billion. Start the new school year off using a budget, building a plan, and avoiding the sales gimmicks.

The Back to School sales season can be a fun and memorable experience for you and your family. Don’t make it horrible by making bad financial decisions.

Oh, yeah! Start early.

Better the planning, better the experience, & better YOUR bottom line!

If you have older kids, let them learn the lessons, of cost, savings, and rewards. No, I am not talking about credit card rewards. I am talking about real rewards.

Here’s what you do. Calculate how much money you will spend on their clothes. Let them keep any money left over as a reward for staying under budget. Allow your kids to feel as if they were spending their own money. Managed money goes further.

Finally, here are 5 things to do before starting your “Back to School” shopping:

1. Decide on how much you have to spend (Without Debt)
2. Make a list of “Needs”
3. Make of list of “Wants” or “Nice to haves”
4. Prioritize; Needs then Wants
5. Help another family in need

 Reminders & Tips
-    Complete August’s budget (Pre-Spend all income, on paper, before you receive it)
-    Cook homemade meals instead of “going out to eat”
-    Use cash – literally

We are available for you and your family. If you have any questions, needs, or if you would like us to address any specific topics, please contact us at financecoach@milestonechurch.com.    

May the Lord bless the work of your hands!

Garrett D. Craig

It’s inevitable that when my wife asks me to do the grocery shopping for the week I head to the store, grab my shopping cart and almost immediately my stomach starts growling.  Not again…the smells and flavors start affecting my olfactory senses and taste buds.  It’s happened again, I’m shopping for the family with a limited grocery budget for the week and I’m hungry.  Now, everything in the store looks good to me.

This is almost the worst thing about grocery shopping within a budget, but is only a close second to Shopping without a List.

Before taking a trip down the aisle in a grocery store make it a habit to take along a shopping list that contains all the essential items for that particular period’s grocery needs – be it weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly.  Using a list will bring into focus the needs to make up your weekly dietary needs and nothing more.  The result will be knowing exactly how much money you have to spend and exactly where it will be spent (if you’ve been budgeting, this will sound familiar).

Additionally, it will be more efficient and give you more time when preparing your family’s meals.  A bit of preparation in making the list (before you head to the store) will also ensure that you are thinking clearly in your meal preparation and not be tempted by the sultry smells of the guacamole point-of-sale display.

Finally, another benefit to meal planning and Shopping with a List is – your pants may like you more as well.  By shopping with a list will help you avoid unhealthy snacks and foods by showing discipline and purchasing only what is on your list.

If you want to take it up a notch and make a slight investment in your grocery list creating – there may be a resource for you.  Visit www.e-mealz.com for help in meal and grocery list creation.

To Review:

1. Know exactly how much you can spend.
2. Pre-plan your meals for the period.
3. Write a grocery shopping list.
4. Don’t go shopping hungry (or without the list).
5. Only buy what’s on your grocery list.
6. Utilize the extra money you’ll save throughout your spending plan.

Reminders & Tips

-   Complete July’s budget (Pre-Spend all income, on paper, before you receive it)

We are available for you and your family. If you have any questions, needs, or if you would like us to address any specific topics, please contact us at financecoach@milestonechurch.com.    

May the Lord bless the work of your hands!

Written by Josh Wall.
Josh serves as a finance coach on the stewardship team at Milestone Church in Keller, Texas.

This month’s talk will cover:
-    The Rat Hole
-    Reminders & Tips

Chances are, you’ve heard it said that renting is like throwing money down a rat hole.
This obviously refers to wasting money and throwing money away when you could do something better with it. Renting a home isn’t the only thing that is considered “throwing money down a rat hole”.

Consider for a moment how buying a home, when you are not prepared, has the same affect. It is recommended not to purchase a home until all personal debt is eliminated and at least 3 months of expenses have been saved.

The long term financial benefits of renting a home while getting into a better financial position isn’t throwing money into a rat hole, it is a wise decision.

Purchasing a home without an emergency fund and while being in debt is too risky and costly. Buying a home is not always better than renting. When making the decision to buy or rent ask yourself the below questions.

-    Are you out of debt?
-    Do you have a fully funded emergency fund?
-    Do you have a substantial down payment?
-    Do you plan on staying at least 5 years?

If you answer “No” to any of the above questions, then you shouldn’t buy a home.

Although renting a home will never build equity, those who have purchased homes spend more of their discretionary money on their homes. Owning your home requires regular maintenance costs, HVAC repairs or replacement, roofing, fencing, water leaks, major plumbing, etc… It is estimated that homeowners spend approximately 1% – 2% of their home value annually for regular maintenance and repairs.

These additional costs limit your ability to accomplish the 3 essentials to financial success.

The 3 essentials to financial success are:
1.  Having positive cash flow
2.  Having no debt
3.  Having a minimum of 3 – 6 months of expenses saved as an emergency fund

Buying a home prematurely, in the long run, will cost you more.

“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it?

Luke 14:28
 

Reminders & Tips
-    Complete May’s budget (Pre-Spend all income, on paper, before you receive it)
-    Avoid using credit cards – you’re overspending!
-    Cook homemade meals instead of “going out to eat”
-    Use cash – literally

We are available for you and your family. If you have any questions, needs, or if you would like us to address any specific topics, please contact us at financecoach@milestonechurch.com.    

May the Lord bless the work of your hands!

Garrett D. Craig

Do you want to have more money? Do you want to make wise financial decision? Do you want to begin paying yourself, instead of paying everyone else?

If any of the above questions are appealing, then making one “hard” change can change your financial future.

Make a choice to pay cash for your vehicles! This is one of the most difficult decisions to make, but pays the best return. Probably the biggest financial myth in existence is, “You’ll always have a car payment.” This is a myth and encourages people to do what? Always have a car payment. 

The average car payment in America is $378 a month. If “you’ll always have a car payment”, then over the course of your life you will spend over $181K dollars to drive vehicles. This is $181K you will NOT have.

There are three ways to purchase a vehicle; lease, finance, or own (pay with cash). Leasing is the most expensive way to drive a vehicle primarily because it is the equivalent of “Rent to Own”, only you never actually own. After the lease, to avoid the balloon payment, guess what… The dealer mysteriously has another lease ready for you. Sign on the dotted line and drive away, Gotcha!

The best way to drive a vehicle is to actually own it. Pay cash for the vehicle, then pay yourself the $378 a month.

Always having a car payment is a myth. However, owning cars is a difficult thing to do and depending upon how much cash is available to buy a car your cars may not be the nicest. Don’t worry, you’ll have cash! Would you rather have a nice car and be broke, or a less than desirable car (temporarily) but have cash?

Here are the steps to escaping the “Auto Debt Trap”
1.  Pay-off your current car
2.  Decide to drive it for at least 3 more years
3.  Save the car payment to yourself
4.  Pay cash for your next car (Word to the wise – Don’t spend all over your $13K)
5.  Decide to drive your next car 5 years
6.  Repeat

This requires a change of perspective and ultimately a new definition of “affordability”. Affordability is no longer, “Can I afford the payment”, but a new definition, if you want to have money, is “Can I pay for it with cash?”.

Unless a lot of cash is available, the first few cars purchased with cash may not be the quality you desire, but breaking the auto debt myth and following the above steps will eventually pay off. Nicer cars are in sight, without payments. Can you taste it? It is harder, smarter, and builds wealth.

The best part about this process, you no longer allow your car identify you! You are not want you drive, you are who God says you are. So buy used cars and build wealth. Try it!

You can always go back to making everyone else wealthy.

Reminders & Tips
-    Complete June’s budget (Pre-Spend all income, on paper, before you receive it)
-    Save hundreds a year by making your own laundry detergent
-    Combine errands to reduce gas expenses
-    Personal Development Tip – Select 2 Non-Fiction books to read over the summer

We are available for you and your family. If you have any questions, needs, or if you would like us to address any specific topics, please contact us at financecoach@milestonechurch.com.    

May the Lord bless the work of your hands!

Garrett D. Craig