money

One of our stk. conferences last year was a broadcast. I'm not sure if every stk had a similar broadcast around the world, but I do know that the Midwest stks "attended" this broadcast.

One of the speakers was Elder Oaks. He had so many good points and in reviewing my notes I had to chuckle as I reread this from him. I can't remember his exact words, so I'll paraphrase him, I know it's close though.

"Sisters, there are 4 things I want you to remind your husband to say to you. I love you, I'm sorry, yes dear, and we can't afford it." I got a chuckle out of his comments and yet it hits very close to home for us.

I was young and had lot to learn about money when I got married. My poor husband had a lot to learn about telling me NO!!!

So I managed to dig us a big ole giant hole of debt. We've spent the last three years getting serious about filling in that hole......and it's taken three years to really get serious about it. But last year we really got serious and we're finally making progress.

I am so grateful to Heavenly Father for blessing our efforts. He has directed our foot steps to the resources we needed as we needed them. He also has blessed my husband's career and not only have we been able to take on the care of my mother, but we've been able to pay down on debt at the same time.

I wish I had taken the scriptures and prophets to heart and not dug this hole in the first place, but the light at the end of the tunnel is that our children are learning to manage their money and we've managed to stop using credit and to make progress in paying off debt.

Elder Oaks talked about yesterday's luxuries becoming today's necessities and the fact that we need to really differentiate between true needs and rampant wants. That has often been a struggle for me, but now I can see the progress that I've made and it is spilling over into my family.

My husband brought up waiting on getting new cell phone this month, even though he's really been looking forward to it, but he said, he knows he doesn't need it and we can use the money in other places. The boys often will ask about alternatives to save money, such as picking up a sandwich from Wal-mart's deli vs fast food when we find ourselves out and about without our usual bagged lunches. It has been such a blessing to see this growth in our family.

Elder Oaks also brought in the phrase "make it do, use it up or do without". I still have a ways to go on this, but my husband and my mother are such great examples of this to me and the boys and I so appreciate that.

As we start this new year, we are so grateful to Heavenly Father for our progress and for the success we've had to this point. And we've set some ambitious goals for this year and are confident that as long as we keep our focus on what Heavenly Father wants us to do, we will succeed in them.

President Grant once said: “If there is any one thing that will bring peace and contentment into the human heart, and into the family, it is to live within our means. And if there is any one thing that is grinding and discouraging and disheartening, it is to have debts and obligations that one cannot meet” (Gospel Standards, Salt Lake City: Improvement Era, 1941, p. 111).

“And after ye have obtained a hope in Christ ye shall obtain riches, if ye seek them; and ye will seek them for the intent to do good—to clothe the naked, and to feed the hungry, and to liberate the captive, and administer relief to the sick and the afflicted” (Jacob 2:18–19; italics added).