Archive | frugal & simple RSS feed for this section

This is part 4 in a series of posts on simple living.

“How much can we safely keep? Enough to care for our basic needs and some wants, but not so much that we are distracted from our central purpose or that large amounts of money are kept from higher Kingdom causes. Not so much that we become prideful and independent (Deut. 8:13-14) or that we are insulated from our need to depend on God (Matt. 6:26-29).” ~Randy Alcorn

Our ultimate reason and purpose in simple living and frugality should be for no other reason than securing our future reward and treasure in heaven, for the glory of God, and to meet the needs of others.

Continue Reading →

Live simply that others might simply live.  ~Elizabeth Seaton

The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.  ~Hans Hofmann

Eliminate physical clutter.  More importantly, eliminate spiritual clutter.  ~D.H. Mondfleur

We don’t need to increase our goods nearly as much as we need to scale down our wants.  Not wanting something is as good as possessing it.  ~Donald Horban

Check out the intro and part 1 of this series.

“A wealthy plantation owner invited John Wesley to his home. The two rode their horses all day, seeing just a fraction of all the man owned. At the end of the day, the plantation owner proudly asked, ‘Well, Mr. Wesley, what do you think?’ After a moment’s silence, Wesley replied, ‘I think you’re going to have a hard time leaving all this.”
~ Retold in Randy Alcorn’s, Money, Possessions & Eternity

The question is, are we living in such a way that this world or the next is our home? Where are my attachments? Am I accumulating assets for this life or the life to come?

Continue Reading →

Giving by Simple Living

Do not store up for yourselves treasure on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasure in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” ~Matthew 6:19-21

My Papa has always been a very visionary man and a whole-hearted self-employed entrepreneur. He went through a few very difficult business failures before I was born and when I was young, although I was oblivious. God provided everything we needed. We ate very simply, but we did not need much to be happy…definitely not a message this world sends out, but it is true. When you have little, you are satisfied with little, if you have the love of a wonderful family around you (at least this seems to be the view from a child’s perspective).

Continue Reading →

“He who has God and everything has no more than he who has God alone.” ~ C.S. Lewis

The management of finances seems to be the biggest marital conflict and often causes great stress, worry and anxiety. Why is this? Why is there such a strong trend among wives and mothers to be so focused on frugality? I have struggled with this issue over the last few months, and I have desired to seek out the Biblical truth in these matters. In light of our family motto that I have written on the top of my blog (living simply in order to give generously), I would like to expand upon this in a short series.

Continue Reading →

For Frugal Fridays, Crystal shared her 5 ways they saved $100 dollars last year. Here is our list, posted a little while back (more specific one frugality and being good stewards). It is a good refresher to review this list, and add to it this year.

Here it is in simplified form:

1. We choose to cloth diaper and we love it too!

2. We switched to CFL bulbs.

3. I hang my laundry to dry (it is possible, even in the Pacific Northwest!).

4. Paid bills and charity gifts online.

5. Limit trips out. We limited our errands to 1-2 a week to save gas money. Having one vehicle also helps with this!

6. We eliminated paper napkins and towels (cloth napkins are so elegant!)

7. I am in process of gradually fading out all store bought cleaners and body products and making my own.

While out and about doing our errand shopping on Saturday, I stumbled across a great find at our local Dollar Tree. Of course I am in need of a new 2008 calendar for my kitchen and regular planning, and low and behold they sell calendars for $1! These were the large kitchen calendars you can hang anywhere.

Normally I have spent anywhere from $10-$15 on a decent calendar, and would have never thought to buy one there. Even the price on the back was listed as $10. Stop by your local dollar store today and save!