Financial thoughts discussion

I just finished reading a great post on financial goals on Money Saving Mom's blog. Not only is she almost a week overdue with her baby and still throwing out these amazing posts, (I think I shut down the week BEFORE my baby was due) she again has given me a new perspective and insight as to why people are frugal.

Eric and I have been blessed in the last year to get out of debt all except having our house paid off, and we are building our food storage every month spending less money than we did on groceries previously. When my husband got a pay cut a month ago this was a little stressful because we have been making our little budget work for us, but we didn't really have any excess spending we could cut out to compensate for the difference. However we do have a savings, and I have been blessed to earn a little bit of money on the side that has kept us from our savings so far. We are not overly stressed though because we don't have a car payment or credit card payments that would make it more impossible to keep up with.

I spent just under $200 in April for all of our groceries and household expenses including presents and eating out. This is now manageable for me, and although it has taken a few months for me to feel comfortable with it, but I am glad to finally be here. I hit this mark in February (well I only spent $70 that month to see how low I could possibly go!), March and April. This was one of my new years resolutions to have 3 months in a row that I would spend less than $200 on groceries and household supplies in one month, and I made it!

My family has been counseled by my church leaders to get out of debt, live within my means and have a food storage and emergency savings for 3-12 months. While learning how to do all of these things WAY better through coupons and sale matchups as I have just stated through the past two paragraphs I think I have been focused on just those goals, while Crystal has a vision that much surpasses mine.

She talks about that the free meals at restaurants and saving money on coupons is great, but it's always been there with the end goal in mind to be able to better give to others. As Dave Ramsey says LIVE like no one else (get out of debt, have a savings and live far below your means) so you can GIVE like no one else. I get a high saving money, receiving $40 of groceries for $5, getting something free with a coupon, and seeing my food storage pile up, but I think it has been focused on just me so far. Living on a humble budget it sometimes is hard to see how you will ever be able to give more than just a little bag or box of food to the food bank every month and I want to get to the point where one week I get $130 worth of groceries for $20 and donate ALL of it to people in need like Eric's grandmother did while she still had children at home. And now that she is older that is one of her greatest joys being able to give to ANYONE she sees in need, whatever amount she wants to.

Although my frugal mentality has served me well in getting deals and saving money, it has made money harder to give up because I don't think someone else could use that $10 as well as I could. I know it's incredibly selfish. My husband is far better at giving than I am and I know I have a lot to learn from him. But I need a mentality shift. Yes it is important to care for your own family so you can be independent and not have to rely on the government or anyone else to take care of you- but what else is life for except to give to those around you. The prophet Joseph Smith once said "A man filled with the love of God, is not content with blessing his family alone, but ranges through the whole world, anxious to bless the whole human race." Am I really anxious to bless the whole human race? Or just my family? Now I can't and shouldn't run faster than I have strength, but as Crystal pointed out her end goal in saving money and being frugal is to be able to bless other people like no one else can! That is what life is about, and that is now my focus as to why I'm saving money and creating a food storage - to be able to bless others' lives.