Monday, September 17, 2007

Goodbye Debt's Priorities

This past weekend the Mrs. and I went camping and it gave me some time to do some thinking:
  • I'm going to drop my tutoring job. The hours have been low (3-6 hrs/week) and if I add in driving, I'm making less than $8/hr after taxes. It's not worth the time away from family and I could be producing more than the $8/hr.
  • Next month I'm going to just go full-throttle and update our home computer with the items I've been waiting on for a year. I figure I have spent more time drooling over the exact same items, that I could have just worked and paid for them during that time. We're talking a total of less than $200 to keep our computer chugging for another couple of years. That consists of 500 GB hard drive, 1 GB RAM, newer video card.
  • I need to be consistent on my Chiropractic exercies. I don't want to be in the pain my parents are in with their backs.
  • I have enjoyed growing food in our garden. It does not make financial sense to do it, but the flavor and enjoyment is well worth it. It also gives us the opportunity to share food with those in need (e.g. a family of 5 in our church that had a major job change due to restructuring we've been giving them carrots, tomatoes & lettuce from our garden)
  • I will be consistent with our tithe. I have heard all the arguments for & against tithing while in debt and if I'm going to believe in God, I have to believe that he will provide for me. If I was to be on my death bed tomorrow, I would rather know that I was consistently trusting in God to provide than to think I could have been X days sooner out of debt by using the tithe to pay off debts.
  • After the insulation project going on at our home, I'm going to save up money to have a professional take down the trees in our back yard. Hopefully in the spring we can have enough to do that. I have been able to cut a fair amount down, but we're getting to the height that I am unable to do. I am going to request that they just bring it to the ground and I'll take it from there.
  • I am not going to take the folks we bought our stackable washer/dryer from to court. I am going to let God be their judge (they lied to us on the age of the stackable and the dryer motor needed minor service to work properly).
There is a lot more, but this is just the start.

1 comment:

Lisa said...

"I will be consistent with our tithe. I have heard all the arguments for & against tithing while in debt and if I'm going to believe in God, I have to believe that he will provide for me. If I was to be on my death bed tomorrow, I would rather know that I was consistently trusting in God to provide than to think I could have been X days sooner out of debt by using the tithe to pay off debts."
I love this statment!! I struggle with my faith, I am a beleiver and I tithe. But I still struggle.

Your statement on tithing has put things in a more understandable perspective..

Glad I found your blog! I will visit often...