Heather and I were talking the other day about budget stuff.  Yeah, I know, it’s everyone’s favorite thing to talk about.  I was feeling a little uneasy never really grasping, exactly, where all of it goes.  That is not to say we don’t know through our budget what happens but I want to be able to account for all of our spending.  And through the course of our talks here is what we found out.

  • Banking systems, while meant to be simplistic, are not always easy to understand.  I have this personal belief that they want you to make a mistake.  Many of you have figured that out by when they hold checks so they can nail you on late fees.
  • People never advertise what you need but what they want you to buy.
  • At my last dentist visit they tried to sell us on over $1,000 worth of cleaning work.  Heather is a dental hygienist and knows what we need but they refuse to give you a simple cleaning.  You don’t even get a say in what you want.
  • Grocery stores will drastically discount cheaper food items adding to our unhealthiness.
  • Many times, auto mechanics, will always look to get more out of one visit instead of giving recommendations so as to get you to come back because they were not trying to cram something down your throat.
  • Gasoline prices lately go up and down 10-15 cents per week.  Really?  Always happens to go up, by the way, before the weekend.

OK, so you get the picture and I am sure you can add to this list.  Here’s the deal…The world is out to take from you not to help you.  All of these things, on that list, we encounter every week, every one of us.  We are attacked on all sides by what seems like good heartedness and concern for us but in reality many people and organizations are after our money.  Listen, Jesus said you are either with the world or you are with Him.  We can’t serve two masters. See Luke 16:13.

So what do we do?  Glad you asked.  We get aggressive!

  • We tell grocery store managers what you want to buy and what you are willing to pay for it.
  • Buy gas at the cheaper stations that offer discounts.  This makes the other places start a price war for your business.  There is no reason that gas stations should charge more because they are on a main rd. By buying gas at cheaper stations then stations on busy rds. would drop prices.  Then the other stations would do so in in like order…Get the picture?  We drive down the costs.
  • Tell Dr.s what you will pay for a service before even telling them you have insurance.  Get a reasonable cost.  Helps with inflated prices and the insurance companies might stop haggling all the time.
  • Use local banking if the big boys mess with you too much.  They want your business.  For many of us it is worth it to pay 5 dollars a month for accounts if it is someone that will work with you for overdraft fees.  We then can put money back into local communities.
  • Find a friend who is a mechanic and give him cash to change oil at your house.  He then can make a list for you of what you need to do for your car and you help each other out by getting a lower rate and he/she gets extra cash.
  • For you couponers (which I love and respect :) ) stop buying so much cereal!  Seriously, that stuff is bad for you.  Try eggs in the morning.  Almost just as cheap and it has all your essential aminos and protein.  The more cereal you buy the more they will raise costs on other things because we are buying filler foods.

Ok so obviously I am ranting, but I reallllllllllllyyyyyyy do not like it when it seems like everyone else is going to tell me what I have to buy and it’s tough if I don’t like it.  Well, as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord by being aggressive with the rest of the world.  I will haggle, grow my own food, be picky about where I do business, and I will hand off these things to my kids.

What would it like if we all teamed up and started being aggressive?