This month marks our nation’s Independence Day, a time to remember and be thankful for the vision of a free country, the struggles overcome and lives given in battle by our founders so that we could enjoy the liberty and freedom of becoming an independent nation.
You are living in a free country, but how much freedom do you have in your finances? Is there a tyranny of debt looming over you this day? The Word of God provides a description of this oppression in Proverbs 22:7 - “the borrower is servant to the lender”. We know this to be true in that it can feel like a slave to work all week and have so many bills left to address.
The good news is we can regain our freedom.
Just like our forefathers acquired independence one resolution, one action, and one battle at a time – we can move forward towards debt-freedom taking individual steps that when combined will add up and enable us to take significant strides.
Here is a list of some rapid-fire techniques and areas to look at changing that can create the room needed to reduce your debt load:
| Caulk & insulate | Eat at home |
| Use coupons when dining out | Buy in bulk |
| Shop with a grocery list and stick with it | Buy the store brands |
| Never buy a new car or lease one | Reduce premium TV, internet, phone plans |
| Bring your lunch to work some days | Use your library (movies, books, magazines, CD’s) |
| Buy an Entertainment Book | Raise insurance deductibles |
| Host a garage sale | Set reasonable limits for gifts |
The list does not cover everything, but it should get you started and have you thinking about what areas could be changed. What you have to ask is “how much do I want to get ahead and have freedom back in my finances, do I want it more than I want to possess these things”? You need to answer that yourself.
The fact is that when you make a few changes and have the new found money available to apply to debts (take your smallest balance bill first – pay it down and then move to the next smallest) and then see the result and the empowerment you feel, you will find more areas to change and freedom to take back in your life. By staying the course you will progress towards your Independence Day.
We sometimes think that doing without or reducing spending in areas will feel too confining. Yet, it is the monthly onslaught of bills and overspending that actually is confining us, and that is why we need to break free.
Matthew 6 brings things into perspective when in verse 25 it asks “Is not life greater [in quality] than food, and the body [far above and more excellent] than clothing”? The answer is yes and the chapter later shares about the proper mindset – “But seek first of all His kingdom and His righteousness, and then all these things taken together will be given you besides”.
God Bless you and may He show Himself greatly to you,
Paul
