Being a Good Steward

I too lived with "Thrifty Tam" although I used to refer to her as "Cheap Tam". As I look back now, I see that for my mother, it wasn't really about being thrifty at all. It was about being a good steward of the things that God had given her. As stewards we have a responsibility to use what we have been given wisely. Whether it's our money, our gifts or simply our time. The Bible talks about stewardship in Matthew 25:14-30.

In the Parable of the Talents, a master gave three servants money (called a talent--approximately equal to about $1,000). They were to manage it while he was gone. The first servant received 5 talents. He worked hard, made wise decisions, and doubled the money. The second servant received 3 talents, but he too worked hard and made wide decisions to double what he was given. The third servant received 1 talent and buried it, achieving nothing with it. He did not make wise decisions with his talent. The master was happy with the first two, and they received increased responsibility and blessings. The third was chastised for his laziness.

As Christians, if we understand that, “the earth is the Lord’s and everything in it,” (Psalm 24:1) we can see that we are merely temporary stewards of the things that He owns. It doesn't matter how much or how little we have, what matters is that we make wise decisions with what God has given us.

What kind of steward are you when it comes to your money? Ask yourself these questions:

-Am I being a good steward of what God has given me?
-Am I making wise financial decisions?
-Do I use the my money to help those in need?
-Am I planning for my future?
-What do I do on a daily basis to make sure that I am making good decisions with my money?

Being thrifty is just one of the ways we can be good stewards of the money that God has so graciously given us.
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I wanted to end this blog by giving you some useful tips on saving money, so I went to the thriftiest people I know...the teachers I work with. Here are some of their great ideas.

-Take at least one day to pray over any large purchases. Pray about it and sleep on it before making a large purchase. Allow God to help you make decisions on how you spend the money that He has allowed you to earn.

-Eat out less. Cook at home and pack your lunch.

-Participate in a food (produce) co-op. You get a laundry basket full of fruits and vegetables for 15 bucks. It would cost 50 to 60 bucks at the store. Really nice quality, enough to feed a family of four for two weeks.
You pay online and pick up Saturday mornings. The site is http://02b8ce3.netsolstores.com/producebaskets.aspx.

-Create a budget and live within that budget

-Did you know that anything you have plugged in is using electricity? Your toaster, cell phone charger, hair dryer, etc.--all those things you use only briefly--are driving up your utility bill? Only wash clothes and run dishwasher on offpeak hours.

-My friends and I (who have younger kids of different ages) rotate our kids toys that they either don't play with or aren't the right age for anymore. This saves us from buying a bunch of new stuff and since we're always swapping things for a few weeks my girls never get bored with having the same old toys in our house.

-Clip coupons...favorite ones are the Grocery Game and Coupon Sense.

-Use the library instead of buying books, instead of having a gym membership hike, bike or swim in the pool.

-Instead of planning your meals and then going to the grocery store...go to the grocery store and then plan your meals around what is on sale.

-Save money on insurance by having your home and car with the same company.

Here is my favorite quote from one of the wonderful ladies I work with that helped put things into perspective.

"Remember...you are rich...so am I....I just don't have the money to spend! We are blessed with wonderful girls, precious husbands and many good friends...who could want more!"- Mary