goals for the 20's #4.1-2

i'll be in my mid-mid-twenties in a couple days. three years ago, i made a list of goals i wanted to pursue throughout this glorious decade of freedom and adventure...

finance day- log in to my checking account, balance my checkbook, and pay end of the month bills.

i try to update my checkbook and budget spreadsheet (yes, i made one for myself last year. for some reason i didn't occur to me that there are scores of templates available on ms office site. genius!) as often as i can, but it ends up being something i put off until the dread builds up to a point where i can't stand the feeling of my wallet bursting with receipts that need to be logged. at the end of every month i feel my spreadsheet frowning upon my spending habits...the red numbers disapprovingly telling me that i have once again, gone over budget. granted, i'm pretty conservative when it comes to budgeting- i want to spend as little as i can and save as much as i am able. alas, my spending habits aren't used to such conservative numbers.

my favorite part of doing finances is when i'm done updating my checkbook and can finally move forward with budgeting for the next month. of course, i'm still as ambitious as ever- 'surely this time i'll be able to stick to the numbers!' so far, the numbers from previous months have little to support that belief, but tonight, i'm just as hopeful as ever for the month of september.

sometimes, as i wrestle with the numbers, i think to myself, 'gosh, i wish i could save a little more. i wish i didn't have to take out these stupid loans.' i imagine a life with parents who had the means to pay for my college education. or a car that doesn't cost an arm and a leg...at least one that's cheaper than my rent. i stew in my wishful thoughts for a while, but then every time i jerk back to reality...

i am filled with thanks and gladness. the reality is, i don't make that much. if i remember correctly, the student supervisors at my two undergrad jobs made more than i do now. but somehow, every month i am able to pay all my bills with enough leftover to eat what i want to eat and more often than not, do what i want to do. i attribute this to His provision over my budgeting skills, for obvious reasons.

goal 4: build the foundation of an extraordinary life.
sub goal 4.1: finances- learn to give and give freely. know that there are many things in life, both obtainable financially and not, that are valuable...but the things most treasured come free and freely
sub goal 4.2: live a life of thankfulness- remember when He came to the rescue. remember when He was good and faithful. remember that He is good and faithful.

still learning to give freely...but financial provision has def been a significant aspect of living in thankfulness.

thanks be to Jehovah-jireh.