beautiful money manager

(from my fb notes, March 27th 2010)

I guarantee you won’t like what I am about to share this time.

As I mentioned on my previous note, I love Elizabeth George’s books. Yesterday I started reading one of her best sellers “Beautiful in God’s Eyes”. She dug deeper about the treasure of Proverbs 31 woman, a kind of woman I believe you and I really long to be.

Proverbs 31:10-31
I’ve read the passage so many times. I heard so many versions of its interpretation. I even did bible studies about it with several different groups of girls.
Have I ever get bored? NO! Coz, I always learnt something different every time I spent my time to explore about it. Amazing, yeah?

I was encouraged once again, to be reminded that this woman is real. She is a real flesh-and-blood woman. You and I can be this woman-not just admire her-, but be her.
She may seem untouchable,
# she has a powerful mind : pure- honest- industrious- thrifty- strong in character- kind- wise – holy AND a powerful body : she works willingly with her hands – those willing hands plant a vineyard- they also operate a spindle and distaff- she works from early morning until late at night- she nurses the needy-she weaves the cloth for her family’s clothes, for her household needs, for her own clothing, and for sale as a professional – never idle# ,
an ideal we can’t possibly attain, but she isn’t! FIIIIIUUUUHH ~~~~!!! :D

I was reminded once again to be a woman of MENTAL, EMOTIONAL, PHYSICAL, and SPIRITUAL strength!

I have just read this book ‘til chapter 6 (Proverbs 31:13), and for only 4 verses discussed, the words related to MONEY popped up so many times! *uuuuh*
# manage money-make money-save money-give money away- thrifty- debt free- spending wisely #

Yes girls, money management’s skill is one of characters we need to have as a beauty. In God’s eyes, wise money management is a virtue. It’s one part that we need to learn to have self-control of! Money management is a ministry to our husbands (hahaha, for singles, seriously, let’s learn about it from now on!!)

How do we start, though?

Deborah Adamson, in Los Angeles Daily News, made an article titled “Building Your Nest Egg”,
1. Keep track of your expenditures.
2. Cut back on spending.
3. Shop wisely.
4. Stay out of debt (especially credit card debt).
5. Save six months’ worth of living expenses for emergencies.
6. Set aside money each month for savings and investments.
7. Invest aggressively.
It’s quite a list, huh?

Let me share what I had:
Last year on January I made commitments, for 6 months:
-No buying any magazines
(I used to buy 3 magazines each month that wrote about same stuffs all the time, tempted me to buy more stuffs promoted on the magazines).
Mr. Hodgkinson in his book “Freedom Manisfesto” wrote this, to give up reading magazines was partly money – saving exercise, but it had the happy result of removing ourselves from the temptations of a million things. It’s so true, coz u know what, I did it! Since then, I never bought a magazine! I enjoyed reading magazines for free while getting my hair cut at salon, or at Gramedia! haha..Not only I saved money for the magazines, but I was tempted less!!
-No buying perfumes and nail polishes.
-No getting manicure, pedicure at salon.
-No buying shoes and bags.
-2 is a limit for new clothes each month.

Why 6 months?
‘coz I didn’t want to push myself too hard, I wanted to learn to control myself for, at least, those 6 months.

The good news was I made it!!!
I trained myself to spend money not on things I WANT, but on things I NEED. (oh, believe me, it’s hard). I learnt to have self-control. I learnt that I could live without those stuffs, more happily!
`
This is not to say that one can’t enjoy luxuries, it’s just that we shouldn’t take them seriously as a kind of goal in life. Don’t make luxury into a meaning. - Tom Hodgkinson-
And also, it doesn’t mean that I don’t buy stuffs anymore… after I succeed my own 6 months “strict camp”, now..
I still buy perfumes, when I finished mine. I buy nail polishes sometimes too. I don’t get manicure – pedicure anymore, well maybe for a very special occasion, ok lah. I buy bags much more wisely, I choose quality! Shoes, I have no choices, - can’t have them here- haha.. thank God that Indo doesn’t have my super tiny size! (Fyi, my Charles& Keith’s size is 34 (available only in sg), so please don’t judge me one day if I buy many there ;p ). Clothes, I just bought a cute Little Black Dress this week, with no guilty feeling. :D

I am not suggesting you to do the same, we have our own struggles, I believe.
I may have had excellent 6 months, but later on I failed into “temptations” so many times too.
I am still struggling to faithfully keep tracking on my daily expenses, to stick to budgets I myself made, not to buy unnecessary stuffs, not to fall into crazy sale seasons and so on.

It’s still a long way to go…we haven’t even discussed yet about other elements of money management (nurturing savings and investments, making money, giving away money, etc).
It requires commitments, discipline and again self-control.
But, I believe that becoming a beautiful money manager is something God wants us to be. It’s God design for His beautiful women.
Who can find a virtuous woman? It's a rare treasure! Be her!

Every decision not to spend money is money saved.
AND
Money saved is money earned.