1. Pay Tithes & Offerings - Successful family finances begin w/the pymt of an honest tithe & the giving of a generous fast offering. The Lord has promised to open the windows of heaven & pour out great blessings upon those who pay tithes & offerings faithfully.
2. Avoid Debt - Spending less money than you make is essential to your financial security. Avoid debt, with the exception of buying a modest home or paying for education or other vital needs. Save money to purchase what you need. If you are in debt, pay it off as quickly as possible.
3. Use A Budget - Keep a record of your expenditures. Record & review monthly income & expenses. Determine how to reduce what you spend for nonessentials.
4. Build A Reserve - Gradually build a financial reserve, and use it for emergencies only. If you save a little money regularly, you will be surprised how much accumulates over time.
5. Teach Family Members - Teach family members the principles of financial management. Involve them in creating a budget & setting family financial goals. Teach the principles of hard work, frugality, & saving. Stress the importance of obtaining as much education as possible.
I think one of the main things I learned from this workshop is how important it is to get your WHOLE family involved on the budgeting of your family finances. That includes the kids. They need to know how much money comes into the family & how much goes out so that they have a clear understanding of how money works & the essentials of knowing how much $$ there is in the family budget for things such as McDonalds (LOL) or movies or skate nights & so forth. It totally made sense to me. Elder Marvin J. Ashton said, "We would not think of going one day without a budget in this Church or our businesses." What I took from just this one quote is how very IMPORTANT it is to keep a budget. It is very true that we would not go one day without a budget in our businesses so why not treat our family finances the same?? I've learned my lesson in this & am ready to create my family's budget & stick to it religiously. My husband & I have agreed that we will not be spending money that we do not have in the first place. Today was a great day filled w/life lessons & principles to live by that will help my family live a more honest life as well as a more fulfilling one. I've very excited for the present as well as the FUTURE!! Good things come to good people, right?? Hopefully we're part of the GOOD category. LOL!! We'll see. Only time can tell, I guess.
And the last workshop, but definitely not least was on HEALTH. My parents, mainly my dad headed this workshop. It was great!! My dad knew how to target this workshop specifically to us polynesians. LOL!! There was a lot of talk of changing our diets to a more healthier one. As well as a strong emphasis on a SEDENTARY LIFESTYLE or in lamen's term: being a couch potato!! Hahahahaha. . . . .that was directly from the mouth of my father who was a doctor back in the islands as well as in Australia so our health & well being is a very important factor to him. He will be turning 56 yrs old & I can honestly say that he still works out every day of the week except Sunday. He's a great example to me & is always reminding us when we're overdoing our eating!! LOL!! The main thing I learned from his workshop is that Cardiovascular Disease is the #1 cause of death here in the U.S. How it can be prevented with a healthy lifestyle of eating right & exercising regularly.
So all in all. . . . .today was a GREAT day. Nothing short of awe inspiring. . . .
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