Remember CIA
Today you can learn about a tool to help you find unnecessary expenditures, one of the biggest enemies to spending less than you make... called CIA. It does not stand for the Central Intelligence Agency (shown above). It represents these spending impulses to be aware of:
C = Convenience
I = Indulgence
A = Appearance
Each of these can siphon and waste funds excessively away from what you really want to do with them, like paying down debts and getting free of them.
Convenience - we waste money on Conveniences, like eating the expensive frozen prepared meals instead of making less expensive meals ourselves. When we pay others to do tasks we could easily do much more cheaply ourselves. When we waste five to ten dollars a day (up to $200 a month) on eating lunch outside of work, rather than taking a few minutes to make a lunch to bring to work in the morning. Also when we purchase from convenience stores or vending machines because we simply did not plan ahead.
Proverbs 21:5 says "the plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but every one who is hasty comes only to want." If we can take a few minutes to plan ahead and take actions, we can avoid some of the expenses in this area.
Indulgence - we waste money on Indulgences when we go to the mall or shop online after a hard week, because we feel we "deserve" it. That can use up money we really don't need to spend. We indulge ourselves with expensive dinners out, which as you know are even more expensive lately. We indulge ourselves with expensive toys, to help us make up for the "tough" life we live. These indulgences are frequently charged on credit cards or financed with monthly payments - which makes the cost even higher and the indulgence more damaging when the interest is added. Most people are stunned when they research and compile indulgence expenditures.
God cautions us to be aware of our consumption in Proverbs 25:16, "Have you found honey? Eat only as much as is sufficient for you, lest being filled with it, you vomit it." In the last portion of Proverbs 21:20, it speaks of the fool who "swallows and wastes what he has", relating to devouring quickly and not even genuinely enjoying it.
Appearance - we waste money on appearances when we try to keep up with the Joneses. But the reality is the Joneses are likely deep in debt, dealing with the stresses that accompany such, and they are trying to keep up with those around them. If they lost their income they will be in dire straits in a few months. They are living an illusion and you will be too if try to compete with them. Forget trying to impress people with your possessions, wait until you can share you are debt-free - then they'll really be impressed.
God's word hits this topic on the head, as it is written in Proverbs 29:25, "The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever leans on, trusts in, and puts his confidence in the Lord is safe and set on high." That snare can be "what will they think if I don't have a _____ , or do ______?". But God will reward your obedience in reverencing Him above those concerns.
With the school year now in force, here is your "homework assignment", go back and view your recent expenses to see which ones would fit in the categories of CIA, and eliminate those wastes. If you do this task, it will show you how to free up funds that can be redirected towards paying down and eliminating debts. Many who undertake this will find even more funds in the second month than the first, because they see how effective this redirecting of money was in reducing debts, and they are even more motivated to locate more to use.
Lastly, be encouraged to abide in God's will from these verses in 1 John 2:15-17:
"Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever."
God Bless you and may He show Himself greatly to you,
Paul
