How to Manage Your Finances

Money. Some people say it's what makes the world go round. Finances help make the world go round, but it definitely isn't the most important thing. However, it does contribute to the happiness of families, and their ability to function.

In a booklet/ talk called One For the Money it gives 12 steps for managing money.

1.  Pay an honest tithe.- If you are religious, you will be surprised how far giving will get you in life.
2. Learn to manage money before it manages you. - If you are aware of your finances, they are less likely to catch you by surprise!
3. Learn self discipline and self restraint in money matters. Think of what you want more, that ice cream cone, or the trip to Hawaii you and your spouse have been saving for?
4. Use a budget.- It is so much easier to remain debt free, or get out of debt when you are aware of what you have to spend and how much everything costs.
5. Teach family members early the importance of working and earning.- One of the best lessons you can teach your child is how to work. ( Thanks Mom and Dad!)
6. Teach children to make money decisions in keeping with their capacity to comprehend.- Teach based on their age. Different children will take different techniques to teach about money, just like it does with all other things.
7. Teach each family member to contribute to the total family welfare.- When everyone is contributing to the family, it unites them.
8. Make education a continuing process- Just because you are graduated from college doesn't mean there aren't new things to explore!
9. Work toward home ownership.- It will feel so good to have it truly be yours!
10. Appropriately involve yourself in an insurance program.- Insurance may seem expensive, but if anything was to happen it would save you a bundle in the long run.
11. Understand the influence of external forces on family finances and investments.
12. Appropriately involve yourself in a food storage and emergency preparedness program.- It is better to be safe rather than sorry in an emergency.

 To view these steps in more details go to https://www.lds.org/ensign/2007/09/one-for-the-money?lang=eng

Communication and Counsel

 Have you ever heard of a family counsel?

Family counsels go a little something like this: Dad and Mom call the kids into the living room. They give the announcement that they will be moving and they have three different options of places they will go. The parents give the pros and cons to each place, and ask the children what their thoughts are. This doesn't mean that the parents aren't going to do whatever the popular vote is if they don't feel it's right, but it gives the kids insights into what is going on, and also helps them feel as if they get a say in the decision of the family. Why are counsels so effective?

Counsels in families it gives an opportunity for open communication. Each child, and parent, get to give their opinion and share their feelings and reasons for why the feel that one decision would be a good option. Each family member gets to feel like they are part of the decision rather than having a decision being forced upon them. Even if the parents don't pick what most of their children felt was good, they are able to explain to them openly why they made the choice that they did in a loving way. Family counsels give family member the ability to communicate openly.

If you are religious, you may consider opening and closing your family counsel with a prayer. Couples should also counsel together frequently to build their relationships as well as to make final decisions for their family.

Family counsels also help children to know in their own personal situations that they are able to come to their parents with problems. When open communication is part of the family system, it gives family members the confidence that they can confide, and problem solve with other family members instead of bottling up problems.

Try implementing family counsels into your family for a greater problem solving capacity.

Family Crisis

All I remember is the phone ringing and my missionary companion saying, "It was the mission President, should we give him a call back during our studies?" As a missionary for my church, one rule my companions and I always tried to follows was to leave phone calls until after we had finished our morning studies. This was a special occasion however, the mission president never called us. Due to that, we always new it was important if we saw his number pop up on the screen. "Call him back right away," I said giving my companion the go. The next words I heard made my heart stop for a brief moment.....
"Sister Elkington, your mother called, and I'm afraid we have some bad news."
My worst nightmare was coming true. Those are never the right words for someone to say to you when you have been away from your home and family for over a year, knowing that you still have six months before  you will see their faces again.
"Your cousin, Brandon has passed away."
Immediately I started sobbing. Through my tears I heard my mission president say, " We are so very sorry. Tell us more about Brandon. We wish we could be there for your right now, know that we are thinking of your and praying for you."
With tears streaming down my face, I relayed some of my favorite memories I had of my cousin.
"I remember playing on the ditch banks outside my house and building cities in them with Brandon and my brothers. We had so much fun that summer." I found myself smiling at the memory.
"He would always offer to take me to movies with him, and he gave me a nick name when I was little that stuck with me all while I was growing up. I loved it when he called me by my nickname." The list of memories continued......
The following weeks were hard. Some nights I would cry myself to sleep because it was so hard not being with my family at such a difficult time.
Even though this experience was extremely different for each of us in different ways, it has helped us to understand and enjoy life more. We have received comforting knowing that families really are forever and that we will see our loved ones again. If we had reacted differently to the passing of my cousin, it could have had a different outcome entirely on our family. We chose to come together and find strength from each other rather than trying to deal with it alone. Although this experience was pain, it had a bonding effect that has strengthened us as a whole. Each person will face struggles and trials in life. Those trials can seem to be a heavy load, however, if each individual in a family comes together to lift, the load will be lighter for everyone. So give support to others, look for support yourself, and know that by lifting together you will all become stronger.

Devoted to You

There are so many statistics on divorce, and it can be very frightening. It can even be difficult for young couples to have the courage to marry because of the battle scenes of others failed marriages they see before them. What is causing so many divorces? There are many factors, but one factor that we see plastered all over the TV screen probably won't surprise you. Infidelity. Many marriages fall apart because of infidelity.

In a power point presentation entitiled Friends, Facebook, and Fidelity  four different categories are discussed that you may have never considered as a threat to your relationship with your spouse.

1) Friends-Of course everyone needs social interaction, but individuals also need to be careful about how much time is devoted to their friends. There needs to be adjustments of how individuals in the marriage interact with friends of the opposite gender. When it comes to marriage, your spouse needs to be your one and only. Friends are important, but specific boundaries need to be set to protect your marriage from friends of both genders.

2) Facebook- Be mindful of the time you spend on Facebook. It may seem harmless, but it can be harmful if not used with caution.

3)Family- How can we be unfaithful by being with our other family members? The truth is that if one spouse shares information that may be negative about their husband or wife to their family, it will take a very long time for the family members to forget. You and your spouse will work out the problem and all will be well with the two of you, but the last thing your family heard about him was negative. Don't share information with anyone that you wouldn't share with your spouse.


For information on how to strengthen and safeguard your marriage check out the powerpoint, Friends, Facebook, and Fidelity at the link below.

https://byui.brainhoney.com/Resource/45117406,5,5,0/Assets/Friends,%20Facebook%20and%20%20Fidelity.ppsx?attachment=1