10 Ways to Save Time and Money

I don’t know about you, but I hate wasting time or money. Both seem to come in short supply, and even in times of abundance, they melt away as quickly as spring snow. I’m no expert, but I have found a few ways to save. I hope these ideas help you in this New Year.

Saving Time—

#1: Handle it Once

When you’re tired, or pressed for time, it’s easy to drop stuff on a nearby surface to get to later. But we make more work for ourselves that way. Take the time to put it away while you still have it in your hands; then it’s done. It’s just as easy to put things in the right place as the wrong place. Handle it once; you’ll save time and be glad it’s done.

#2: Use a Timer

Your timer can be your friend—keeping you from spending too much time on projects you love and pushing you to work on projects you dread. In the first case, set the timer to limit the amount of time you spend, then stop and clean up when it goes off. In the latter case, set a goal for 15 minutes to an hour. You can quit when it goes off and admire the progress you’ve made. You’ll be surprised how much you can accomplish in small increments if you stay focused (and off your phone).

These next three save both Time and Money.

#3: Make It Ahead

There’s nothing better than coming home from work, or in from yard work, to a readymade dinner. You can fill a crock pot with meat, soup, or a one dish meal and divide into containers. Other things you can make ahead—dry ingredient mixes, cookies, muffins, fruit, and veggies—baked, bagged, and frozen. These can save time and money when you need something quick.

#4: Make a Shopping List

Limit yourself to one trip a week and keep a list. Whenever you see you’re almost out of something, put it on the list so you don’t have to make an extra trip. The more times you shop, the more you’ll spend. Decide on your menu ahead of time when having company, and check recipes to see what you’ll need.

#5: Buy and Divide

When possible, buy meat and more expensive items on sale or with coupons. Buy large packages of meat and divide as soon as you get home and put in the freezer. Or cook the whole amount and freeze in smaller quantities for quick and easy meals later.  Do the same with chips, snacks, or desserts for lunches. This not only saves buying individual packages, but initiates portion control for you and your family.

Saving Money—

#6: Recycle

There’s more than one way to recycle. Separating cans, glass, junk mail, newspapers, and cardboard is a great idea. There’s also creative recycling. Use produce bags for lunch sacks, and grocery sacks for garbage can liners. Wrap presents in newspaper, or make cards using pictures from calendars or magazines. Use paper printed on only one side for scrap paper. And instead of buying plastic containers, wash and reuse containers from products you use.

#7: Make Your Own

Recipes abound for homemade cleaners, hand soaps, lotions, hand sanitizer, and laundry detergent. You not only save money on the products, but reduce the amount of garbage that goes into our landfills. You can add your own scents, or go scent-free. You also save money by making your own cake, muffins, granola, and spice mixes. They don’t take that much longer than readymade, and can be full of fresh, natural ingredients.

#8: Wash and Re-use

It’s handy to use disposables when traveling, but these products are filling our landfills at an alarming rate; that’s not only expensive, but bad for our environment. Instead of buying throwaway wet wipes, cleaning cloths, and single use dusters, use washcloths and rags cut from worn out towels and t-shirts. Instead of throwaway water bottles, fill one at home and keep in your car.

#9: Maintain What You Have

My dad told me, “If you take care of your tools, they’ll take care of you.” Hose the underside of your machine after mowing the lawn so wet grass doesn’t build up. Wipe dirt from garden tools so they don’t rust. Sharpen blades on tools and knives. Carry garbage from your car when you get home to keep crumbs and odors from working their way into the crevices of your vehicle. Maintaining our homes, machines, clothes, and bodies will make them look and run better, and last longer.

#10: Spend More

Even though I’m big on saving money, sometimes you save by spending. If you want appliances and furniture that last, it’s wise to pay more for quality design and craftsmanship, rather than a “cute” product made of cheap materials. I buy a lot of clothes at thrift shops, but some I shop for new to save in the long run.

This is an unusual post for me, but I firmly believe we need to be good stewards of the resources God gives us. I hope these ideas spur you on to make changes, and challenge you to budget, save, and give to the glory of God.

#moneysavingtricks #savetime #householdhints #stewardship #savingenvironment

Gracious Hands

Our hands are powerful communicators, saying so much without a spoken word.

 

I remember sobbing at the altar in anguish when a hand gently rested on my head. Like an Aaronic blessing, it lifted me to hope and peace. I didn’t hear a spoken prayer, but this simple action demonstrated intercession and the unconditional love of God.

There have been many other times when my mother, father, friends, husband, and even strangers’ hands have blessed my life through a touch on the shoulder, arm, or hand. We have two remarkable tools at the end of our arms to do God’s work! Hands can say: “I’m here.” “I’m sorry.” “I’m listening.” “You can do this.” “I care.” And much more.

This morning, I finished reading the book of Ezra and I kept noticing the phrase, “the gracious hand of our God was upon us.” It’s mentioned six times in just two chapters! It spoke volumes to me and I found myself repeating it throughout the day as a prayer. Lord, let your gracious hand be upon us.

If you take a closer look at these two chapters from Ezra, they point to six ways God’s hand was on them and can be on all who seek Him today.

He Grants Political Favor:  Even though Israel had been in captivity in a foreign land for generations, God had a plan to restore them. And He did it through the pagan kings that held them in bondage. “The king had granted [Ezra] everything he asked, for the hand of the Lord his God was on him” (Ezra 7:6, italics added for emphasis).

Lord, let your gracious hand give us favor with political leaders to accomplish your plans and restore your people to godliness.

He Gets Us There: Ezra 7:9 says, “[Ezra] had begun his journey from Babylon on the first day of the first month, and he arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month, for the gracious hand of his God was on him.” Just like Ezra, when an assignment is from God, He will get us where we need to go, even if the road looks impossible and full of obstacles.

O Lord, set our course and give us stamina to face every hurdle along the way, trusting you to help us reach the destination.

He Brings Help: God not only gave Ezra support from the king and his officials, but encouraged him to bring brothers alongside: “Praise be to the Lord...who has...extended his good favor to me before the king... Because the hand of the Lord my God was on me, I took courage and gathered leaders from Israel to go up with me” (Ezra 7:27-28).

Father, give us help from those in authority over us as well as fellow workers.

He Provides Spiritual Leaders: Ezra 8:15-18, “When I checked among the people and the priests, I found no Levites there…I…ordered them to go…bring attendants to us for the house of our God.  Because the gracious hand of our God was on us, they brought us Sherebiah, a capable man.”

Lord, we need capable leaders for the kingdom. Bring us godly men.

He Brings Families Home: Ezra 8:21-23, “I proclaimed a fast, so that we might…ask [God] for a safe journey for us and our children… I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and horsemen to protect us from enemies on the road, because we had told the king, ‘The gracious hand of our God is on everyone who looks to him…and he answered our prayer.”

We look to you for safe passage through this life.

He Protects Us from the Thief: Highway bandits were a traveler’s nightmare in Ezra’s day. “We set out from the Ahava Canal to go to Jerusalem. The hand of our God was on us, and he protected us from enemies and bandits along the way” (Ezra 8:31). Our enemy’s tactic is to rob our joy and frustrate God’s plans. 

May His gracious hand protect you from the enemy. 

Lord, help us touch others with the same gracious love you show us. 

#poweroftouch #handofGod #grace #miraclesinEzra #GodintheOldTestament

No Regrets

I hope you’re not feeling like the guy on the Milky Way commercial, who ended up with, “No Regerts” tattooed on his arm. If I were him I certainly would regret going to that tattoo parlor!
 

My husband asked the other night if I had any regrets from 2017. We both admitted we’ve said and done things we wish we hadn’t, and didn’t say or do some things we wish we had. But overall, neither one of us had any regrets. Those small setbacks don’t overrule the fact that we stayed on course and kept moving in the right direction. 

What about you? Do you have any regrets? Even if you made massive mistakes and willfully bad choices, you can start fresh this year. There may be some lingering consequences and restitution to be made, but as Anne of Green Gables said so well, “Tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet.” The difference is determined by whether you hold on to regret and keep rehashing the past, or let it go and make a new plan.

It’s not too late to determine your course for this year, while you’re still getting used to writing 2018. You can be sorry for the past without getting stuck there: “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death” (2 Cor. 7:10, emphasis mine). So how do we escape the mire of regret? 

First, look back and assess how last year went. Make a conscious choice to turn away from the things that dragged you down last year (repent). Then determine to make better choices this year. 

Ask yourself the following questions. Better yet, talk them over with a trusted friend. You’ll both be inspired and can keep each other accountable to stay on track.

Evaluate the Past:

1. What did I do right in my relationships with others?
2. What did I do right in my relationship with God?
3. What did I do to take care of my Body? Mind? Emotions?
4.   How well did I manage my job, free time, and finances?
5. What are three words that would best describe me this past year? (for example: cheerful, irritable, edgy, growing, sincere)

      Determine Your Course for the Future:

1. What is one major change I would like to make this year? What steps do I need to take to make it reality?
2.   Pick three words you would like to describe you in the coming year. (for example: kind, generous, punctual, dependable, good listener, honest)
3. What changes do I need to make in order to become that person?
4. What is one thing I can do to improve my Mental, Physical, or Emotional health?
5. What three things can I do to get closer to God and others?

How is this different from making New Year’s resolutions? It’s specific. Too often we throw out resolutions in a general desire to be better in the New Year, but fail to keep them because we don’t evaluate last year or take steps to behave differently this year. Hopefully, these details will keep you and me from wallowing in last year’s failures, and encourage us to take steps toward a victorious 2018.

We will never be perfect this side of heaven, but with God’s help, we can be better than we were.

Happy New Year!

#evaluationdetermination #abettermein2018 #determineacourse #noregrets #newyearresolutions