Archive for October 2012
Got Oxen? – Part 01
This is the first in a series of posts containing excerpts from my latest book, Oxen, which releases on Tuesday, October 30, 2012! Pre-order your copy today and receive 20% off!
Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty, but from the strength of an ox comes an abundant harvest. Proverbs 14:4 (NIV:1984)
I will never forget the day I first read Proverbs 14:4 in my Bible. My family had embarked on a journey to become financially free, and I was reading the entire book of Proverbs to find verses providing wisdom about money and money management. Many verses in Proverbs were already well-known to me and had made a profound impact upon my life. Proverbs 22:7 (The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender) motivated me to pursue debt freedom. Proverbs 13:22 (A good man leaves an inheritance for his children’s children …) challenged me to think generationally, ensuring I leave a financial legacy, so I could position my descendants to prosper.
Proverbs 14:4 never registered on my radar until that day. Its wisdom gripped me and stopped me in my tracks. Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty, but from the strength of an ox comes an abundant harvest. I read several Bible translations for this verse to ensure I fully understood its message.
- Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty, but from the strength of an ox comes an abundant harvest. (NIV:1984)
- Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty, but from the strength of an ox come abundant harvests. (NIV:2010)
- Where no oxen are, the crib is clean: but much increase is by the strength of the ox. (KJV)
- Where no oxen are, the manger is clean, but much revenue comes by the strength of the ox. (NKJV)
- Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean, but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox. (ESV)
- Where no oxen are, the manger is clean, but much revenue comes by the strength of the ox. (NASB)
I grew up on a small farm. We raised or grew just about anything and everything. We had pigs, cows, ducks, and chickens. Our crops included corn, soybeans, wheat, and hay. I loved growing up on a farm. It is where I learned the value of hard work, about sowing and reaping, the cycle of life, and how everything in God’s creation is interconnected and dependent upon each other.
Maybe Proverbs 14:4 connected with me so strongly because it was talking about a life I knew that included farm animals, farm equipment, and a harvest, but I think the real reason it connected with me is because it described my financial situation – my manger was empty.
QUESTION: Do YOU have an empty manger financially?
Read the entire series (available after October 30, 2012)
Budgeting And Saving Tips
Looking for ways to save money? Here are a few that can help!
- Coupons.com has a lot of great coupons that you can print out
- MyCoupons.com has a lot of great information on deals that are being found at various stores
- Buy off-brand items. Yes, some will taste like sawdust, but others are identical to the name brand. If you have an ALDI grocery store in your area, it is worth the drive to purchase groceries there. We save at least $50 a month by buying our essentials there – milk, bread, canned foods, eggs, etc. As a side note, their eggs can be somewhat non-uniform – I get double-yolk eggs, oblong eggs, and wobbly eggs. It is really interesting.
- Skip the grocery store for one week. Put together meals from stuff that is in the cupboards and freezer! You will enjoy some concoctions you have not had in awhile (or never), AND you will be able to save a week’s worth of grocery money to put toward your emergency fund!
- Have the kids mow the lawn and maintain landscaping instead of paying someone else to do it. Pay your kids and teach them how to save, give, and spend their money! Can you spell, “LEARNING OPPORTUNITY?”
- Cut your kid’s hair. This will save many families $20 – $40 per month!
- Visit consignment stores, Goodwill, or Salvation Army Thrift Stores. You can find some great deals on clothing!
- Shop your insurance for quotes (US Insurance Online). Get at least three quotes and obtain one of them from an independent insurance agent. You may be able to save $100 – $500/year on your insurance!
- Take a low-budget vacation instead of a $3,000 one. Using creative options, you will discover just as much fun, and you may be able to save $2,000 – $2,500 which can then be used for debt reduction, emergency fund, or retirement fund!
- Wait one day before making a major purchase decision. This will really help you to avoid “impulse” purchases like a new car, a pricey vacation, a new plasma TV, etc.
- Eliminate the home telephone. So many people have cell phones that the home phone has become virtually obsolete. For basic home telephone service you will pay $25/month, and it will not come with basic features of a cell phone such as free long distance, caller-id, call waiting, voice mail, camera, text messaging, games, etc. If you need a basic phone for emergencies, I like the MagicJack.
- Get rid of the movie channels on cable.
I would love to hear more ideas on how you can save money!