By Leigha Westover

When a child is learning to recognize shapes, they may attempt to put a round block in the square hole, or the square block in the triangle hole.  They may become frustrated and believe it won’t work, therefore giving up.  We love our children and we want to help them understand that placing the circle block in the circle hole will fit.  We take a moment to exhibit how this is done and we explain the process as we perform the action. Our child observes us putting the right block in the right hole and that it does work and so they desire to model after us.  They try and try until they begin to recognize and understand the shape matches the hole it fits into. Rarely will it be the first time. It takes practice and learning the skill of matching the block to the correct hole.  

Even as adults, we sometimes believe things won’t work — until our perspective becomes clearer as we learn from watching others succeed. Budgeting is like fitting the right piece in the right place. It CAN work for us, too!

Photo by HiveBoxx on Unsplash

 “ I cannot afford it”  “There is not enough money”  

A common phrase we all may have thought when thinking about giving money to tithing or a donation to a nonprofit.

As you do your best to make ends meet, sometimes there really doesn’t seem to be enough. It feels like a square peg going into a round hole. Many people go year to year living paycheck to paycheck.  When writing your budget, many times the total ends with a negative balance.  You are not alone and this is a very common lifestyle for many.

It has taken me many years to change my understanding of how to manage the “outgo” of our family finances.

We are actually correct in thinking that when we spend our money on the bills and frills first that nothing is left for God. We need shelter, food and clothes so those are at the top of our list.  No one wants to go hungry, naked or be out in the cold. So it is natural to rationalize why those would be our first expenses. However, God has asked us to be generous and make contributions to a church or other organization that cares for the needy.

Our Creator made all things possible through all He created on this earth: we rely on the earth for the food at our table; clothes and our homes are made from the very substance of the earth.

I would like to use the example in the Personal Finances Self Reliance Manual, page 41 (published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints)

Picture that we have a glass jar which represents our income (a resource of limited size). a big rock representing our debt to the Lord, pebbles representing our savings for our future selves, and sand, representing our current needs and wants..

Take the empty jar and fill it with the sand first, then place the pebbles in, and finally put in the big rock.  By following these instructions, there is no room for the big rock. It will not all fit in the jar. This is the most common way we arrange our budget, like the square peg in the round hole.

But what if we put the big rock in first, add the pebbles, then pour in the sand? You will find that it is possible for everything to fit in the jar. 

“I have enough and more”  – this can be your new phrase! Abundance mentality.

Our family has chosen to put God first by paying our tithing and a fast offering.  We have discovered that our money has always been sufficient for our needs and beyond. And it is fun to find the miracles that make it happen.

Ask other people you know and trust about how they arrange their budget and what works for them. Search different ideas on budgeting. You don’t have to pay anyone to tell you how – there are plenty of free resources.  But take the time to find what works for you.

Put the circle block in the circle hole as you recognize that giving back to your Creator is your biggest rock and all the pebbles and sand will have room by taking this step first in your budget.