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Cutting your budget doesn't have to mean cutting all the joy out of life. With a little creativity, you can spend less and live more. I am Rob West. You've probably heard the usual advice. Skip the daily latte, avoid eating out, or cancel that streaming service you forgot about.
But today we're going to go deeper. I'll share six creative ways to cut expenses without sacrificing what matters most. And then it's on to your calls at 800-525-7000. That's 800-525-7000. This is Faith in Finance, biblical wisdom for your financial journey.
Before we dive in, let me encourage you to start with prayer. Ask God for contentment. It's the foundation of wise spending. As Paul writes in First Timothy 6:6, But godliness with contentment is great gain. We're not just after a balanced budget, but a heart that trusts God and finds joy in what He's already given.
If you've ever tried to keep a family budget on track, you know it can feel like a game of financial whack-a-mole. Patch one hole and another expense pops up. And if you cut all the fun or flexibility, you're not likely to stick with it long term. Add in inflation or a shift in income, and even a well designed budget can get tight fast. That's where creativity and intentionality come in.
So let's look at six simple and effective ways to trim your budget with grace and purpose. First, try a pantry challenge month. This one's fun and surprisingly eye-opening. For one month, commit to preparing meals using only what's already in your fridge, freezer, and pantry. You'll be amazed at what you can create and how much food you've stockpiled.
Need help? Try free apps like Supercook or Cooklist. They'll suggest recipes based on what you already have. It turns the challenge into a fun little adventure and might even uncover some new family favorites. Second, set up a family fun fund, with limits.
Entertainment isn't the enemy, but unchecked spending can be.
So rather than cutting out fun altogether, give it a monthly cap and get the whole family involved. One week it might be a hike and picnic at the park, another it's movie night at home with popcorn and dollar store candy. It's fun, budget friendly, and teaches that joy doesn't have to come with a price tag. Third, swap babysitting with another family. Childcare can be a major expense, especially for young families, but this is one area where community can be a huge blessing.
Partner with a trusted family and take turns watching each other's kids. One weekend, you get a date night, and the next, they do. And no one has to pay for a sitter. It builds relationships and creates margin in the budget. Fourth, Take on one service yourself, just for a season.
You don't have to go full DIY, but try taking back one recurring service. Maybe it's washing the car, mowing the lawn, or grooming the dog. Choose one and give it a shot for a few months. You might save more than expected and even discover a new skill or appreciation along the way. Fifth, declare a monthly no-spend weekend.
Think of it as a reset. One weekend each month, spend nothing beyond the basics. Use the time to rest, reconnect, and enjoy low cost or free activities. You could even create a family challenge to save in a specific area and decide together how to use the extra margin for giving, saving, or a future outing. It reframes budgeting as purposeful, not painful.
And then, sixth, practice the thirty day rule for major purchases. This one's a personal favorite. When tempted to make a big purchase, an appliance, a gadget, or an upgrade, write it down with today's date and wait thirty days. If you still want it in a month from now and it fits your budget, go for it. But more often than not, the urge passes.
That pause creates space for wisdom to win out over impulse.
Now, you may be thinking, Rob, these aren't earth-shattering ideas. And that's exactly the point. Most real transformation doesn't come from one big decision, but dozens of small, faithful ones. Each time you choose contentment over consumption, planning over impulse, you're not just saving money, you're growing in wisdom. And what I love about these ideas is how they involve your whole household.
When your kids see you making intentional choices, they learn stewardship. When your spouse feels included in the process, it builds unity. And when you invite God into the day-to-day decisions of your finances, even in the little things, He shows up in big ways. With a little creativity and intention, you can cut costs without sacrificing what matters most. And we wanna help you do just that.
And that's why we created the FaithFy app to provide you with the tools and encouragement you need to be intentional about your spending plan. It'll help you track your spending, build margin, and grow in biblical wisdom all in one place. Just go to faithfy.com and click app. That's faithfi.com and click app. Back with your questions after this.
Stick around. Are you looking for a better way to align your faith with your finances? The FaithFi app is here to help. With tools to track your spending, plan your giving. and grow in wise stewardship.
You'll learn to see money not as your security, but as a tool for God's glory. Rooted in biblical principles. FaithPhi equips you to trust God more fully and steward his resources faithfully. Download the FaithFi app today from your app store. or visit FaithFi.com and click App.
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Investing involves risks, including possible loss of principal. Great to have you with us today on Faith and Finance. It is time to turn the corner and take your calls and questions today. We've got lines open. If you have a question, give us a call, 800-525-7000.
That's 800-525-7000. We'd love to hear from you. We're going to dive in today. Let's begin in Montana. Hi, Christy.
Go ahead. Hi. I have a question about um Or more differences between um Prepaid cards and credit cards, but my main goal is to figure out there's differences between them. There's good and bad, and I'm not sure what's all the prepaid. Yeah.
downsides of both. But my main goal is to figure out what's the best prepaid card.
Okay, all right. Yeah, very good. And wh what is it you're looking for in why you would choose the prepaid over the credit card? And I'll give you my thoughts on it, but I'm just curious why you're going that direction initially. I've seen so many people go into credit card debt.
Because they're borrowing money and then they have to pay it back. And my thought was it'd be really, really hard to go into debt with a prepaid card because it's your money. And once you spend your money, it's gone. Yes. Yeah, that's exactly right.
So that is true. And now there is kind of something that rides along in the middle, and that's what's called a secured credit card, which basically is where you put a certain amount on deposit Uh, they then issue the credit card against it, uh, using that as collateral.
So, as opposed to an unsecured card where they're extending you a line of credit, you don't have any money on deposit, there is no collateral, they're just using your credit score or credit worthiness to determine how much to give you in the form of that line of credit. And then you're able to charge up to the limit, and then you have to pay it back as agreed. And if you don't, that's when you have, you know, they're going to damage your credit by reporting you as late. They're going to, you know, issue, go after you from a collection standpoint, could even seek a legal judgment against you. With a secured credit card, it's different than a prepaid card, but you are putting up the collateral, so it does provide kind of that ceiling, so to speak, because it you will not be able to charge beyond what you have on deposit, and you can use it just like a credit card.
Now, with a prepaid card, it's similar. That's the only difference is, you know, which is why I would encourage. Encourage you not to go the prepaid route is the prepaid credit card doesn't have the same backing with the federal laws that require the protections around liability.
So, with a credit card, legally, a credit card holder is responsible for no more than $50 in unauthorized purchases, and you have no liability if you report it before the thief can use it. But even if they do, it's only up to 50. And a lot of credit cards will take full responsibility even for the first dollar up to 50, even though the law requires 50 or less. Most, you know, American Express, Discover, MasterCard, and Visa, most of them these days take full responsibility for unauthorized purchases. Debit cards, there is that same, you know, as long as you report it within two business days, it is a $50 limit.
The problem is. You know, the money comes out of the account and you got to wait for them to return it. And that can lead to other problems if you have some automated transactions set up and all of a sudden those aren't paid. And so now you get late fees and that type of thing. With prepaid cards in general, you don't have that federal consumer protection against unauthorized transactions.
Now, again, many vendors will step in and say, We're going to protect you for fraudulent activity as long as you report it quickly. They just don't have to because there's not the federal consumer protection in the same way that you have with a credit card.
Now, with all of these, I would send you either to bankrate.com or nerdwallet.com. Either of those sites would give you up-to-date reviews. uh on all of the various options that exist with both you know, the traditional unsecured cards with the secured cards. You know, you could even look at the prepaid, although there's not as much to look at there other than just what liabilities they're protections they're offering. Does that make sense though, Christy?
Yeah. The main reason why I was looking at cards was because I wanted to get away from using my debit card since having to use more and more plastic here in Montana. I I don't like doing that. I've always been a check or cash person and Well, with stuff having to be shipped in, like you have to prepay for it, which is a card and I I don't like doing that, that's why I want something secure. I get it.
And I, yeah, I totally get it. And I think that's why, you know, a lot of folks are looking at these other alternatives because we're becoming more and more of a cashless society, right or wrong. I think you can make a case both ways. But I think the extent to which it becomes more and more difficult to use, I mean, now I know a lot of restaurants, at least where I'm where I live, that won't even allow you to pay with cash. I mean, it's just right there on the door.
We're a cashless operation and you only can use credit or debit.
Now, I think that's where the secured credit card, though, Christy, may provide you something that's helpful because you get the benefits of that credit card with the Visa or Master Card logo, or you can kind of swipe it and use it, but you have the protection of not being able to charge beyond what's on deposit.
So you know you can never get in trouble with it. Does that make sense?
So it's almost pretty much like a prepaid card. It is. But it's it's still a credit card.
So you get the federal protections and the liability protection. But the benefit is it's secured by what you put on deposit.
So even though you're not spending your money down, they're not going to let you charge more than what you have on deposit because that way, if you're ever unable to pay, they'll just grab the money in the account and they're made whole. But it protects you because you can't spend beyond what's there on deposit.
So what you'll want to do is go to nerdwallet.com or bankrate.com and do look at the reviews for secured credit cards. Thanks for calling. Let's go to St. Louis. Hi, Joyce.
How can I help? I have come in to uh Some funds that I'd like to be able to give some advice on in terms of a small amount. You talk about 20,000. And I'm trying to figure out the best way to invest it So if you could give me a few corners, it would be great. I'd be happy to, Joyce.
So you came into $20,000. And as you think about how you might use this in the future, what kind of time horizon would you attach to your use of this money? I just got something that I need right now, so I think it will be ongoing. I'm gonna be able to help to build my reserve. use this money to do that.
Yeah. bearing a count. That'd be pretty safe, I guess. Sure. Yeah, you used the word reserves.
I like that.
So, what we would typically call your emergency fund or your emergency reserves, we'd like for you to have three to six months' worth of expenses.
So, if you were to total up all your bills on a monthly basis and then multiply that by three or as much as six, that'd be a great starting point for your reserves. Do you have some emergency savings already set aside prior to receiving this 20,000 or would this really be it? Just a little, you know, is probably enough for one month more for one month.
Okay, yeah.
So, if you're looking to kind of make this a part of your emergency reserves, I think a high-yield savings account is a great option.
So, you're talking about a bank, a savings account that's FDIC insured.
So, there's very little risk about the lowest risk you could take because it's backed by the U.S. government, even though there's risk in everything. It's very small.
So, what I would do, if you're open to it, is look for an online bank. at bankrate.com. Go to bankrate. Click on high yield savings. They'll rank as of today who has the very best rates.
They'll offer a five-star rating system on the bank itself and tell you whether it's FDIC insured. I would use that, open that online savings and link it to your checking. It would be a great place to store this. We'll be right back. Stay with us.
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Thanks for joining us today on Faith and Finance. I'm Rob West. Hey, before we head back to the phones, as you know, all month, We are celebrating our partnership with Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls. Each quarter, we select a ministry to shine a light on who is doing incredible work in the name of Jesus. And Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls is one of those as they serve the most vulnerable children across the world with a new pair of shoes.
We're joined today for just a few moments by Sean Spurrier. He's director of Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls, and he's on the ground in Oaxaca, Mexico, on one of those shoe distributions. Sean, great to have you with us. It's so wonderful to be with you all today. I'm excited.
Sean, paint a picture of what's going on in the ground there in Mexico today during this distribution. Yeah, you know, you may hear a lot of laughter and noise behind me. We are at our One of our family hope centers in Oaxaca, Mexico. And so today we are we're serving children in the community here that are part of our programs and in the surrounding community we're providing new shoes. But on top of that, we're also providing the gospel.
We're kind of hosting a vacation Bible school set up today with STEM activities and Bible stories. um the kids behind me right now are doing crafts and they're learning about god's will for them and his plan for them But yeah, we're going to get in front of every single one of these children today, wash their feet, mirror Christ in that way. Place a new pair of shoes on them. Let them know that God loves them and cares for them. And later today we're going to be distributing Bibles to their families.
And so really sweet day today and just lots of activity here. Oh, I can only imagine. I know I'm going to get to go on one of those trips before too long. I wish I was there. I can only imagine the ministry that's taking place.
Sean, our listeners this month are partnering with us and with Buckner Shoes for Orphaned Souls to provide those shoes. And by the way, folks, if you want to get involved, go to faithvi.com/slash shoes. But talk to us for a second. It's a simple pair of shoes, but the implications of that are far-reaching, aren't they? And they really are.
In communities just like where we are today, there are many children who can't go to school without having a pair of shoes. We're promoting education by providing a pair of shoes. Um There are footborne illnesses in this region that can be somewhat catastrophic, and so we're promoting health. But really, for so many families and children that come to these events. to receive their shoes, that's an open door.
That's an opportunity. for these families to engage with Buckner's ministry in the area. And that's an opportunity for families to receive counseling and skills training, economic empowerment. They're being discipled here and plugged into local churches. And so the gift of shoes is very simple.
The Lord is using a very common thing to do really, really big work. in the lives of children and families here. And I'm just so grateful that we get to come alongside you to help elevate this.
Well, I am as well. We're going to be talking about it all month. And, folks, if you'd like to be a part of this work and donate a pair of shoes or provide the resources to be able to purchase the shoes for a distribution like the one Sean is on in Oaxaca, Mexico, right now, just go to faithfy.com/slash shoes. You talked about the practical implications, protecting these young children that are incredibly vulnerable from injury and disease. But what about just opening the door to Christ?
You mentioned handing each family a new Bible. What an opportunity. It it really is. Every single one of these opportunities to engaged with a child and their family is an opportunity to express the love of Christ. And, you know, we don't take that for granted.
Every child today is going to leave knowing that God loves them and have a problem. Mm-hmm. um you know i i almost get a little choked up even thinking about it looking at the kids right now that we're working with It is a sweet opportunity. We're working with You know, the greatest in the kingdom right now. We're getting to be with these children and.
uh just love and serve them carry a carry a burden for them and and express tangibly and verbally. Christ loves you and he's got a plan for you. And so every pair of shoes, we've distributed five and a half million pairs of shoes, a little under that. in the last 25 years each one of those is an opportunity To express the love of Christ, and we're grateful for it. It's a real privilege to be able to do this with this very simple.
Yes. Yes, well, it's exactly right. Folks, you can help a child in need by giving a pair of shoes, and your support is needed to provide these shoes and the life-changing care for vulnerable children throughout the world. As Sean mentioned, they've been doing this for a long time. Over five and a half million shoes have gone out in over 80 countries.
If you'd like to be a part of it, help us reach our goal this month as we partner with Buckner Shoes for Orphaned Souls, just go to faithfy.com/slash shoes. Sean, thanks for being with us. All the best to you there in Mexico. Thank you so much. Look forward to talking to you soon.
All right. We appreciate it. Let's finish up today in Grand Rapids. Kiara, I'm so glad that you called today. I understand you're looking for some help with your finances.
Tell us what's on your mind. Um, so I'm 12 years old. At 10.13. Thank you, Mike. I get an allowance of a hundred dollars a month and I want to learn how to save and invest my money better.
I love that. Boy, you know, this is the time to start thinking about that. And I think, you know, the first big idea is that God created us to be workers and we're to work diligently and you're learning the value of that. And then we want to see money as a tool because we recognize that everything you have, that $100 a month that you're getting and everything you will get, it all belongs to God. But here's the big idea, Chiara, is that we have the opportunity to manage it for God.
And so we need to know what God thinks because that's the way we manage it wisely. And so I think, you know, as we start thinking about how to handle this, it really comes down to spending, saving, and giving. And we need to balance all three of those because part of what God entrusts resources to us for is for us to enjoy. And so there's nothing wrong with spending to enjoy.
So long as we think about how to use it in these other areas, including spending and giving. And really, I think the giving needs to come first because, in part, God entrusts to us his money so that we can be a blessing to others. And so I would just say to you: you know, as you work hard and as you have this blessing of this ongoing, I'll call it income or allowance, whatever it is that's coming into you, I would say if you can establish that rhythm right now of taking at least 10% right off the top.
So in this example, it'd be pretty easy, $10 out of every 100 that comes in, and just automatically set that aside and perhaps bring that to church with you on Sunday. And then if you took another 10 to 20%, $10 to $20 and put it away for saving at a minimum and then You know, use the rest for spending, but be thoughtful about how you want to spend it, that would be great.
Now, If you wanna invest it, I love that idea as well. And a great website or smartphone app to use with your mom and dad is called Stash, S-T-A-S-H, Stash. And the great part about Stash is it allows you to invest using something called fractional shares. And so even if one share of a company you like and you want to invest in is too expensive, you could even put in 10 or $20.
So maybe divide that spending portion into a spending and an investing category and use Stash to pick a company that you like, invest in it, and then watch it grow over time. Hey, hang on the line and we'll get your information. I want to send you a great book and thanks for calling the program today. We appreciate it. Well, we're so grateful for you being here today.
Thanks to Sandy, Jim, and Devin. We'll see you tomorrow. Bye-bye. Faith in Finance is provided by FaithFi and listeners like you.
