KFLCC Kingdom Economics

F INANCIAL S ECURITY IN THE L AST D AYS

I had something in my house that the printer was interested in buying for his son. From age eleven to eighteen, I played the drums. Now that I was traveling I would no longer need a drum set. The printer and I agreed that if I would give him my drum set, he would lay out and print five hundred copies of the book. Although I was by no means the next C. S. Lewis, within thirty days I had in hand my first booklet to sell. This one act initiated that which would, years later, become the Voice of Evangelism Outreach—a worldwide ministry that touches 180 nations of the world. Consider what you might have in your possession that can be used to provide provision through sale or trade. 2. L EARN TO S AVE M ONEY Americans are spenders and not savers, but we need to discipline ourselves and learn to save money. One way to save is to ask yourself if your purchase is a want or a need. Americans buy too much on credit, and anything bought on credit has a due date. If the bill isn’t paid in full by the due date, interest charges can easily build up to the point that half your monthly payment is going toward interest charges. The borrower can easily become shackled to the lender; and as the bills pile up, so does the stress. It is always wise to train yourself to pay as you go as much as possible, and this requires discipline—both in making purchases and in putting aside money for the future. I have discovered that the more cash you have in your pocket, the more tempted you will be to spend it for things you might not need. Whether eating in a restaurant, shopping or going on vacation, make a budget. Write a list of items you need, figure out how much you can spend, and stay within that budgeted amount. 3. S ELL , D ON ’ T H OARD Do not hoard your belongings when you can sell some of them to assist your family with additional income. Today there are numerous ways to sell items that years ago did not exist. Many people simply throw something in a garage sale. But people who purchase in this manner expect the seller to practically give away their items. If you have a nice and rather costly object, you will lose money selling it in a garage or yard sell.

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