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A Balanced Family Budget
25
Children, too, need to develop the right attitude toward
finances. They can learn about budgeting, saving and getting
the best value for their money. This includes making wise
purchases and not spending money frivolously-and even de–
veloping the good habit of tithing.
•
Buy
qtutlity.
The cheapest is not always the best. Often,
those who always choose the cheapest develop personalities
that reflect this point of character. We tend to act differently
when using something expensive.
When making purchases, realize that many ''bargains" are
not always what they seem to be. Shop wisely. Evaluate an item
by more than price alone. In the way it will affect you psycho–
logically, an item of slightly higher price may be a far better
investment.
•
Save.
A big source of misery in family money matters is
the habit of living without a savings. Some are convinced that
saving is out of the question for them. But most people would
not be in the trouble they are in had they only learned to
practice this law of :fmances earlier.
Proverbs 6:6-8 tells us to learn from the ant, who "provides
her supplies
in
the summer, and gathers her food in the har–
vest." In other words, she has a savings of food to tide her over
the rough spots and the winter.
Even if you are in financial difficulties, you need to begin
a savings.
It
need not be large at first, just enough to develop
the habit in you. Later, when you have gotten out oftrouble, you
will
have established the pattern in your life. Many people live
so close to the edge that just one extra bill pushes them over the
edge into financial oblivion. How good it would be to have
enough savings to pay that one bill you did not anticipate.
It
is
easy to have it
if
you will just start putting a small amount away
from each of your future paychecks.
•
Avoid credit buying.
Just as some think it impossible to
save, some are convinced they cannot get along without charge
accounts. If you think that, then you must get along without
them, or you will not enjoy financial happiness.
Despite how much you are presently tied to revolving inter–
est payments, you need to start getting away from them. It may
take some time to break their stranglehold, but it will be worth
it to your peace of mind. Solomon wrote, "The rich rules over