Comments on: Financial Update – Needs vs. Wants

By: Trish D

Trish D — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 19:47:11 +0000

Thanks so much for this post. Our family has also gone through some MAJOR changes in the past year – funny thing is that we’re actually in a better position financially now… but moving 1500 miles away from all family and friends definitely was a major eye opener in many ways. We sold the house we’d lived in for 13 years – and boy oh boy was it filled with stuff that we “needed.” Still fighting the urge to “have it all” but am daily being reminded that I’d rather spend time with my family and cultivating friendship rather than cleaning and organizing STUFF. And what a joy it is to be able to bless others by sharing out of the abundance that the Lord has blessed us with at this season in our life (even if it’s just burgers grilled on the back patio…)

By: jeanne

jeanne — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 18:49:45 +0000

My heart and prayers to all that are in a God Watch situation.
We too experienced a year of unemployment. We live in Michigan and
my husband is in engineering/ upper management in the automotive
industry — need I say more?
Although we were very fortunate to have a cushion to live off that year,
we also learned the true meaning of needs vs. wants. We cut out out
$2000 per month of spending and learned to live on very little — with 3 teenage childrens. I finally learned to pray thanksgiving everyday that we
were unemployeed — and continue to this day. It is one thank to say that
you thank God for what he provides when we are flush, but it is powerful
to truly pray thanksgiving when there is no end insight.
After I finally and sincerely gave our situation up to God my husband had
two job offers within a month. The perfect job actually found him online and he has been employeed for 4 months now.
Keep your faith.

By: Melissa @ Breath of Life

Melissa @ Breath of Life — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 14:09:36 +0000

We’ve been married nearly 17 years, and have an 11 year old daughter. In October, my husband found out that his job would be terminated this spring. The Lord blessed us with 6 months to prepare. My husband worked as much overtime as he could, and we cut out the extras. We restructured our debt so that we can pay it off quicker. I became a coupon/sales maniac.

He has 2 months left to work, and will return to college in the fall. Life will be very different, but the Lord has done a great work in showing us the difference in needs & wants. As strange as it may sound (and isn’t it just like God?!), we’ll be leaving this job in a better financial position than we would’ve been in we’d stayed!

By: Jenni

Jenni — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 22:54:45 +0000

At the beginning of the year, my husband and I sat down and wrote out short term and long term financial goals. I feel like I have a lot more motivation to be frugal and wise with our money when there are concrete aspirations.

To try to keep myself from going out and buying everything I want. I’ve started to keep a wish list. I only buy items on the list if there’s extra money in the budget. It helps me to fight immediate gratification. I also sometimes realize that I don’t “need” something as bad as I thought I did when it sits on the list a while.

By: Jessica @ Life as I See It

Jessica @ Life as I See It — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 14:58:01 +0000

I spent a year in West Africa (living with my grandparents who are missionaries there) and it was life changing – you ate the same breakfast every day because that was the only (affordable) option, you wore the same basic clothes day in and day out. Rotting grapefruits were turned into balls. What we would consider garbage and instantly throw out without thought were valued treasures and turned into toys.

Over there some of their “wants” were what we here would consider “needs”.
It’s been 6 years since my time there and I desperately want to go back as the impact of the simple, satisfied lifestyle is fading quicker than I want.

By: Kathy@Simple Savings Mom

Kathy@Simple Savings Mom — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 13:42:56 +0000

Thanks so much for your post! My husband and I have been dealing with debt since we got married almost 5 years ago. It seemed like we would try to pay it down and get ahead just to get swept back under the cloud of debt again. I began couponing last year as a Stay At Home Mom to help and become more aggressive. We noticed in December we needed to do something else so I took a small part time job to assist in paying down our debt. My husband works in full time ministry and has a part time job with Starbucks on our college campus. When I work he either watches the boys or we have some college students who have volunteered their services. Through much prayer, the Lord’s grace and provision and our work we are paying it down. Also, we have had to clarify our budget and financial goals and become more self controlled in our spending. I am so thankful for the Lord’s grace in our lives, His discipline and faithfulness to us! Thank you for your post and everyone’s comments. I am encouraged by the faith of you all. I am learning as we go!

By: Trina

Trina — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 13:32:28 +0000

The needs vs. wants thing has always been in practice for me to some extent, but never like it has been over the past almost 2 years. We made a change in our family situation (I quit my job to be home with the kids and my stay at home husband went back to work after 8 years). It meant a dramatic decrease in income but we haven’t regretted it one bit. We are happier and more in-tune as a family to God’s provision. Our needs are met, that is for certain. The wants are evaluated much more carefully. I even declined a girls night/ fundraiser last week because although I wanted to go, I didn’t need to go. It feels good to finally be getting it right.

By: Kim @ Everything Etsy

Kim @ Everything Etsy — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 12:51:48 +0000

I try to talk abouts needs vs. wants all the time around here. I want to make sure my children can tell the difference before they set out on their own.

I can relate to many of the comments, and I feel like God is helping us on a daily basis…our daily bread, right?

~Kim

By: SmellingCoffee

SmellingCoffee — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 05:15:41 +0000

Hi Jen~ I’ve often wondered how your husband’s job search has been, and have prayed for you.

My husband has been without work since July, and our house has been on the market since September. We still don’t know what the Lord has for us, but we know that He is faith-full! He has provided for us and taught our family many things through this time of waiting upon Him. We are living on savings and like you, we’re being more frugal than we ever thought we could be.

One day, all of us… you, the ladies above, us, and all of us who are learning the difference between needs and wants…will look back and see that this was a good place in our lives.

Thanks for continuing to encourage us in our frugality!

Jennifer Walker

By: Alyssa

Alyssa — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 03:14:55 +0000

Totally thinking and budget and God watching. We’re doing Dave Ramsey for at least the third time. This time is going to be the charm. We are GOING to get out of debt. We are going to change our financial future. Thanks for your encouragement via your story.