Family and Frugality: Are You Balanced?
I am writing about this subject because this is something that I find myself guilty of all too frequently. I get so excited about finding great deals that I get sidetracked and start neglecting other, more important things. We find in Proverbs 31:14 that the virtuous woman "is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar." She is frugal and does a great job at using money wisely. But we also find in verse 27 that "she looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness." We cannot do a proper job looking after our household if we are spending too much time looking for deals. There must be a balance between the two. We need to do the best we can at being a good steward of the resources God has given us, but not at the expense of a well-run household. All the money in the world is a poor exchange for an unkempt house and a neglected family. Let's do our best to honor God with the use of our finances and with the care of our households and families.
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Wow, you took the words right out of my mouth! This has been on my mind a lot lately. I love finding the best deals and stretching our dollar but sometimes it can be TIME consuming! There's days when I've found the best deals online and have walked away from stores with lots of freebies, but end up having an unkept house and two young children that haven't had their moms "full" attention. I'm realizing that when I'm older and the kids are grown I don't want to look back and remember all of the great deals and freebies that I was able to get, but rather all of the precious quality time that I was able to spend with my children while being a stay at home mom. There has to be a balance! I am now trying to only go "deal hunting" when the kids are napping or after they are down for bedtime. Thanks for the reminder that all of us "deal seekers" need!! God Bless!
ReplyDeleteI am feeling the very same way, and just posted about my "bargain shopping perfectionism" and how it is impacting the home front. It is a very interesting challenge. I wondered if I was the only one struggling with this, and I am so glad to see that I am not. Thanks for the post.
ReplyDeletegreat post! I have recently been thinking about this as well. I was thinking if I got up on Monday morning and spent as much time in God's word and prayer as I do making all my lists and cutting coupons for my weeks bargain shopping how much growth would my spiritual life have? Definetly feel like I have the responsibility to wisely use our finances and have some fun doing it but also need to store up "treasures" in heaven as well. When Christ comes back it won't matter how much toothpaste I have stored up or if my freezer is full but only the things done for eternity will matter. Maybe should post a verse/quote or something on top of my computer to remind myself of this lesson. Great post!!
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