Money planning and the New Year

Now that the deadline has passed for charitable contributions to count toward 2018, the petitions for donations take a nosedive.

Throughout each December it seems everywhere I turn, people and organizations are sharing their financial need in hopes that we will open our check book or jump on their website and make a donation to cash in on tax deductions before the books are closed out for the year.

However, now (January) is the time to be considering these things. Here, at the start of a new year is when we need to make those plans. Don't wait until the end and scrape out whatever's left in your checking account.

God has been pressing into our budget a higher expectation in the area of giving this year. Through some great reads like The Treasure Principle, studying the Sermon on the Mount, and through a You Version Bible reading plan called Heartwork by Compassion International, He's been opening my eyes to give like never before. But, it can't wait until December. Right now we are figuring out how to free up every little bit possible to give more.

Here's how our budget starts.
 10 percent to save
10 percent to give
80 percent to live on.

Then, can we trim anything out of our living plans to free up more to give?

My husband got a raise this past year. So, the questions begin . . .
How much of that can we give away?
Do we need any of it in our liveable budget?
Or, could we continue to make do with what we have and donate it?

In Treasure Principle, Alcorn mentioned a few people that live on 50 percent of their budget. We are quite a distance from that, but I love the challenge to think we might be able to get there in a few years. Can you imagine being able to give that percentage away? Have that much kingdom investment each year?

It starts in January, or any time you have a pay increase or decrease, committing the full amount to His care and investing as much as possible in true riches. 

If we start now, careful throughout the year, how much more might we have to give instead of scraping it together at the end.

Praying for more to give.