Just hearing the word "finance" makes me sick to my stomach. It's something my family struggled with all during my childhood. We're in a better situation now, but mastering finances is, truly, a skill.
Fathers
Growing up, my father was not the person to count on when it came to finances. To demonstrate what I mean, I'll give you a simple current example.
My father got laid off when Coronavirus shut everything down in the world. It's been a year and he still hasn't been able to find a job. I have a younger sister who is still considered eligible to receive child support, my mom is meant to receive the funds to pay for her. Instead of catching up on child support funds (in which he's been behind for several months now), he decided to take a trip to Mexico to "take a break from the stress he's enduring". I'm calling BS.
Of course, in The Family: A Proclamation to the World, fathers are mean to fulfill the four p's: provide, preside, and protect. My father does none of those things, but many fathers around the world reach these standards, and there are many women who are forced to reach these standards, like my mother.
Provide
Obviously, this is an article about finances, so let's talk about providing.
In the church, we're taught to get an education to gain as much knowledge as we can to grow our minds. We're also taught to get an education as means to provide for our future families. Sometimes, that means making a hard decision today and sticking to it so you can benefit later.
Fathers and the rest of the family members have to make daily decisions, such as if each person is going to manage their time well, or if they will choose to waste time instead. When a family is under financial stress, it's easy for the parents to get angry at their children or release their stress unhealthily on their children in some way.
The challenge comes when barely meeting financial obligations and trying to plan for your children's future. In order to provide, seeking out education is incredibly valuable, but it depends on what you're willing to do with your education that determines how far you'll go.
I like to think of earning money through means such as sacrificing certain things daily and other means to earn finances like how Alma described the way to get anywhere. In Alma 37:6, we're taught that "by small and simple things are great things brought to pass". Sacrificing some small and simple things daily can surprise you and where you might end up.
Discipline
Managing and earning money all fall under the concept of discipline. If you know how to hold back and put your finances into something else, you'll benefit later. Following a monthly budget is a great example of disciplining yourself.
Staying within your means in a budget takes a lot of planning as well. It takes time to learn what actually goes toward the many categories to pay for monthly as well as putting savings in certain categories. The hard part is sticking to your plan and remembering what and how you purchased items within a category in your budget.
On the same page
Managing finances is meant to be done as a team with your spouse. Getting on the same page financially means that both of you have to agree on the same financial values. You don't want to fall under the 70% of couples in the United States who divorce due to financial concerns. Value your spouse and their goals as well as reaching your own. Work as a team and work with Heavenly Father.
To conclude, gain much education on the subject of finances and practice what you've learned. Gather the means to earn enough money to provide for your family and have a lot extra to always be prepared.
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