Do Not Despise Small Beginnings

Zechariah 4:10 NLT Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand.”

Managing finances and becoming a good steward over the finances that God has given you can oftentimes be intimidating and in some cases, discouraging.

Let's talk about saving.  This is left up to your own discretion based upon what you have and what you want to do. We all want to be comfortable and enjoy the fruits of our labor but we must do it wisely. Saving requires commitment and discipline.  Once you set money to the side as a reserve, you practically have to ignore that its there, especially if you lack discipline.

So how much do you put aside? Depends on your goals and what you can afford to put aside.  You may have to start with $1, $5, $20, $50. The point is that you need to have some kind of savings system in place and not get discouraged by the amount that you put aside when measured against your ultimate goal.

Most banks now have clever ways to help you save money. Two ways that immediately come to mind are: 1) Every time you swipe your debit card, the bank automatically puts $1 in your savings account and 2) The bank will round up your purchases to the nearest dollar and put the change in your savings. For example, if your purchase is $28.30, the bank will put .70 in your savings account. 
You can also set up balance alerts to keep you from draining every penny out of your bank account.

Another smart way to find extra dollars to throw into your savings account is to trim your grocery bill. This is one of my favorite things which I think deserves its own post. Until then, if you don't already have one, come up with a savings plan. If you have to start small, that is perfectly okay. Small things often become great things. (Think about seeds that are planted)  The first step is simply starting and the second is sticking with it.

***My book, The Life Your Spirit Craves has been nominated for the Henry Award. The award will be presented at the Christian Literary Awards next month in Plano, TX. In addition, readers can vote for their favorite book in the Reader's Choice category. Please vote and share the link with others. It takes less than 10 seconds. Thank you!!! Voting ends on 10/31/2013. http://christianliteraryawards.com/2013/09/30/readers-choice-voting/ *****