One of the deep, abiding and most delightful passions of my whole life has been the running of the family budget. (I know, I know, I need to grab a life) One of my earliest childhood recollections was of my father writing on a piece of scrap paper his monthly income, minus groceries, minus heat, minus gas/insurance, etc = 0. The light went on. I could see first hand cause and effect. I was probably 6 or 7 at the time but it started a passion that I would hold for the rest of my life.
Fast forward to a newly married couple and a few children and lean times again. My husbands salary had been cut by 1000.00 per month and what was already tight, became impossible. Somehow, since I was the major spender, (interpret that major provider of material goods and food items) I had to make that cut in pay work. I read every book, studied budgeting programs, and worked every cash system there was until I had perfected my own. I loved it. It gave me a rush to have conquered, to have mastered circumstances instead of circumstances mastering me. We not only stayed out of debt during those impossible times but almost completely paid off our mortgage (we moved about three months before the final payment!)
That was a few years ago now and we have well recovered from those lean times. However, one of the wonderful overflow benefits has been that passion made me teach my children everything that I was learning. I made sure my children had financial intelligence and responsibility before they left home. They knew how to run a budget with a zero balance, knew the dangers of debt and I saw them operating a system with self control before they went out in the world.
Today, I am proud of them all (the grown up ones as well as the two still at home) In fact, so much so that I want to feature an article that my own sweet tender little boy wrote. Um, well OK, so he is 27 and married now but he's still my sweet tenderhearted little boy who loved his Mommy so much. He now loves his wife and his children so much and is full of Biblical and financial conviction. (And a little tip, ladies. You do not loose a son when he gets married, you gain a daughter-in-law, and then she gives you sweet babies as well, as a heritage! Oh, what a blessing!)
Take a look at this post on my daugher in law's blog, Keeper of the Home about a wonderful BUDGET SOFTWARE PROGRAM that my son and daughter in law use.
Ooh, I'm feeling tingles up my spine. Someone must have mentioned the "B" word.
