Budgeting for new year

[chocoholic]

With the economy the way it is, I'm surprised there haven't been more recent posts on this board about finances.

I had been self-employed for 10 years as a secretary, working at home, and just quit at the end of 2007. The money and the work wasn't there to make it worthwhile the hassle of taxes, reporting, etc. I still do some transcription for a couple of non-profits who pay me as a sub-contractor, so I don't have to deal with all the taxes and reporting since they're tax exempt.

Last year things went nuts for me all around. My Mom died. I left and then divorced my husband (another long story). I moved into a mobile home in a park that turned out to be nothing but trouble, and the brand new home I purchased was too big for me. So 8 months later I moved into a smaller mobile home in a different park and love it here. Because of the real estate market, I lost money on the deal, but I would have spent more had I stayed where I was, and the relationships at the other park were not good. Our joint house has been on the market since Easter and is not selling. I'm waiting on that money to help pay my bills and save for the future.

So here I am with a small amount of income each month from transcription. I get an even small amount from my Mom's estate. I get half of my ex's pension (He's retired.). That's it. I have another 14 years to go until "retirement". I feel like I'm in semi-retirement already. My son is good with financial planning and looked over my finances with me, and he says I need to get a job to offset taxes and save for retirement or I'll run out of money before I even retire. I've tried to get a job and no one ever responds to my resumes, phone calls, etc.

The Lord has been providing, and I know He will continue to do so. Where is the "line" between saying OK, the Lord is going to provide. I'll just sit and wait. and getting out there and looking for a job. I've done everything I can to find a job but get no responses. Am I to take that as a sign from the Lord that I just keep doing what I've been doing and He'll provide? I have been doing that, but can't help but wonder if I'm missing something. It gets a little scary when you see the money dwindling away just to pay the bills.

I firmly believe in giving my tithe and more to the Lord's Work in my local church and other places. I find myself giving to the point where sometimes I would not have enough to pay my bills if I wouldn't hold back my check to the church until more money comes in.

If you have been giving more than 10% over the years, and now income is smaller, is it OK to cut back on the amount you give as long as it doesn't go under the 10%? Or is that saying to the Lord, I need this now. I can't trust You to provide any more.??? That may be extreme sounding, but I think you see what I'm getting at.

That's all for now. Time to get to bed. Looking forward to responses and experiences others have had.

[Bondservant]

ok, I'm going to come clean here and give you a bit of my journey:

7 years ago I was working for a bank. We had a co-worker out on medical leave and it was just me and another teller working that evening. I was going through the desk of the absentee co-worker gathering receipts that needed mailed and signature cards that needed to be filed. I came across an envelope, and when I opened it it was a paycheck stub. Right away I noticed she was making more than me and I exclaimed to the other co-worker that I couldn't believe it. Oh, that prideful flesh. Well, I put it back up and gathered all of the other stuff to mail and file.

Forgotton, right?

Well, later on that week my boss was going through the desk when it was apparent that this co-worker would not be back soon. She was going to mail the check stub. She noticed that it was put in backwards and immedietly asked who had seen it. Well, I knew we were not allowed to know what other people were making and I knew she was going to be mad. So I didn't fess up. Well, she wasn't happy with no confession, so she brought each teller into her office individually. I lied, plain and simple. I didn't want her to think I was looking on purpose, and I already had the chance to fess up and didn't. Well, the other teller told the truth.

*gulp*

So I was called back in and finally they had to confront me that I had lied. I was fired escorted out. To think if I had originally told her that I did see it by mistake, that yes I did look at the wage but did not seek to find out her wage, she probably would've reprimanded me, but stupid me had to lie about it.

Anyway, I left crying because I had never been outright fired, and I was so, so ashamed. Plus, at that time I only received 75.00 a month of income from my babies father (we are married now, but at the time he was still married to his first wife, yes, I was that bad). But anyway, I was the sole income for our family.

I cried out to God that He knew my needs and that I had learned a very hard lesson. Well, long story short, I applied for a job at a temp agency. I had been eyeballing a local nursing home but could never catch the HR director in to inquire about a position. Well, the job with the temp agency placed me in this nursing home. I am still there after 7 years.

So on to today. Our stress levels are enormous. We are without a biller and I am doing 2 jobs. Many times I have asked God to allow me to leave and find an "easier" less stressful position, but He keeps saying NO! For some reason , this is where I am to serve.

All this to say, if God brings you to it, He will bring you through it... and never underestimate the power of prayer and God's prompting. He will lead you in the right direction. Keep applying and pray over each application you complete and resume you drop off. He will be faithful to provide.

sorry so long!

((hugs)) Melissa

[ozzie]

I fully agree with Bondservant (thanks for the story, isn't He gracious, despite our 'good or bad behaviours', He says He'll provide & He does).

Don't think that because you haven't got a job yet, that means it's a sign from God. It just means you can't see the outcome He's working on yet. He says 'don't worry about tomorrow, Your heavenly Father knows the things you need". He is your dear Father & He loves you, knows your every need & is growing your faith, character, conforming you to His image. Some of this growing is very painful, especially when it's one of patience & trust.

My advice is to sink, delve & drink in His word - He loves us to seek Him with all our hearts, pray every time in spirit, cry out to Him. He loves you more than you probably know.

Just a note about the 10%....study this, find out where you got this, was it from His word? Or was it something you were taught & just accepted?. Some things have become 'traditions' in our way of 'doing church'. God loves a cheerful giver, He is not requiring you to fulfil the law in the Old Testament He gave to the Isrealites to tithe for the provision of the priests (levites.) When Paul took up an offering, it was from a church in a location that had enough, to give to ones that were needy. Pray, seek, study, He'll show you what to give, and who to, when, how. Just follow His lead.

[chocoholic]

Actually, I'm a "home body" and don't mind being home rather than out in the working world. I was there for 38 years and it was a rat race, especially the commute, and now I hate going out on the roads at high traffic times of day. I am writing what I would love to see as a book some day, and maybe that's why the Lord has given me time at home. But we shall see.

[ozzie]

As we delight in Him, He will give us the desires of our heart. Psalms

If you don't want to work anymore, then maybe you do have to settle for less income. But if you don't desire to work & you truly seek His will for you, then as you seek, He will change your heart so you will want to work.

[chocoholic]

Well, it's almost a year later, and I haven't been doing message boards much, but tonight felt like surfing a little. When I looked up my posts, I thought it is time to update some of them...

I moved again to a cheaper place and finally got a part time job 20 hours a week. I've been working since October 1, 2009. I didn't want to go back to work, but didn't have much choice. Meanwhile, the joint house of my ex and mine is finally under agreement, and if all goes well, we will make settlement on Halloween! Then I can do some things to this mobile home I'm living in now and put some money away.

God answers--in HIS time! Our joint house was on the market for 18 months!