Hello ladies!
Let's talk about finance
In our contemporary world, the most difficult thing to handle now is Finance. Most ladies have even drawn the conclusion to be dependent on their husbands to cater for their needs because of the inability to properly manage and handle money. The truth is not far fetched that ladies these days would rather prefer to spend all their earnings on fashion - hair, cream, clothes, etc only to discover at the end of the month had been kept to save for the future.

Take a look at this scenario.
A lady who works in a production firm where soaps of different kinds are produced earn #150,000 monthly. Her plans for the month goes thus:

i) Tithe-#15,000
ii) Foodstuffs-#20,000
iii) Family support-#30,000
iv) Fashion(cosmetics, etc)-#20,000
v) Miscellaneous -#15,000

Let's take the statistics of the budget for the month
It is deduced that 10% of her income was tithed and the same percentage for her miscellaneous. 13.33% was allocated to her foodstuffs and her cosmetics and clothing. 20% went to the support of her family and 13.33% of the income was saved.

Now, this lady worked for 10yearsamd finally decided to set up her own business. This was then her savings for those 10years.

Every month - #50,000
In a year - #50,000×12=#600,000
For 10 years - #600,000×10=#6,000,000

She decided to stop after 10yrs to establish herself and then go into full time business. Note: The savings were not all put in one investment. It was diversified to avoid high investment risks.

Planning
1,000,000 was used to rent a shop for the sales of fresh eggs. As it began to yield profit, she expanded the business and added indomie in cartons. Since she wasn't able to handle the shop alone, sales personnel's were employed for proper efficiency. And on she went into making investments in diverse places.

Back to the talk
One of the problems in most striving marriages is the issue of finance. Most homes have been wrecked because of poor management of finance.

Prov 31:13, 15-16
13: A wonderful lady seeks "wool and flax" and willingly works with her hands. She doesn't need to be told that there is need to work. She engages herself in learning a skill, looking for a job or starting a small scale business.

15: She works all through till night to provide for her households and maidservants.

16: A virtuous lady has the knowledge of good financial management. Not just that she saves, but she saves from her profits to make investment.

Financial Tips From The Bible
No matter the source of your income, I mean legitimate sources of income, always have this in your mind- Learn to earn more, spend less and save appropriately.

You may be asking yourself as a lady. How do I learn to make budgets, save and plan for the future? There is need to be wise in handling finance, oh ladies (Prov 2:13) m

Here are some tips for you

1. Set priorities: Prov 24:7 says, "Prepare your outside work, make it fit for yourself in the field; and afterward build your house."

Priorities refer to an item's relative importance. This is similar to your needs and not wants to avoid unnecessary squandering. You must not earn like the lady sited in the example above to outline your priorities. Maybe your source of income is small, make sure your outlined priorities do not exceed your income and your savings not more than your priorities and miscellaneous. "Your field isn't something you need for survival, it is actually a means of survival"

2. Make a budget(Luke 14:28-30)
What is budget? Budget is an itemized summary of intended expenditure; usually coupled with expected revenue. What makes budget different from setting out priorities is that cost is allocated to each of the expenditure.

From the Bible passage, before a project is executed or an income is spent, there is need to sit down and count the cost for all that is required before spending to achieve a good result.

Note: In every income you earn, set aside a budget for miscellaneous expenses.

3. Build an emergency fund(Gen 41:34-36)
From the Bible passage, we discovered that the plenteous years came before the seven lean years. And Joseph used this opportunity to save up in abundance for the famine to come.
Maybe, as a lady, you need to execute a heavy project, say building a house, renting a shop, paying off bills in the next two years, etc, the best time to start saving for it from that small salary of yours is Now.

Picture the time you need to execute that project and set a specific amount to be saved everyday, week or month as the income comes in. vs 47-49, the Bible recorded that Joseph gathered up food for seven years and laid them up in the cities. He gathers much grain and at the point stopped counting because they were without number.

Dear lady, do not wait for the rushy hour when you will be choked with so many expenses that you won't be able to settle before executing the planned project. Start saving now for emergency or unforseen circumstances.

As a lady, do not lay all your eggs in one basket. You can open various bank account, say two, for effective use. One account can be used for miscellaneous or expenditure and the other for savings.

4. Avoid debts(Prov 22:7)
The reason why most ladies fall into debt is to show off or boost their ego. Imagine a lady who wants to have a wedding in a month time suggested to the husband to rent one of the expensive hall in the area. The husband told her that he wasn't having the money for such rent. He suggested that they make use of the church or any hall of lesser amount. She insisted they borrow the money because her friends will be coming and she wanted it to be the talk of the town.

In the bid to please her, her husband went ahead to borrow and after the wedding, it dawn on them the debts they had to pay.
Not just the fact that debts occur as a result of ego. It is also as a result of lack of confidence, anxiety, depression, etc.
So lady, stand up and work. Stop seeking for help here and there, thereby attracting pity. There are greener pastures. So cultivate, after and in due time, harvest.

5. Diversify your investments(Eccl 11:2)
From the four already listed principles, we can deduce that no savings or investment is complete without "putting it in different baskets". Diversification of investment is necessary. When your savings is up to a maximal level, it shouldn't be invested in just one business but in different places.

6. Make financial plan

Prov 21:5 says, "The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty but those of everyone who is hasty, surely to poverty".

Prov 15:22, "Without counsel, plans go awry. But in the multitude of counsellors they are established"

Prov 6:6-8, "Go the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise.... Which no captain, overseer or ruler provides her supplies in the summer and gathers her food in the harvest".

This rule governs other aforementioned principles which include budgeting and saving up for emergencies.

Note: It is difficult to get through life without financial plan. Writing a financial plan on a paper and checking it every month to know if you are really on track is a great task and demands a high level of discipline. Discipline in the sense that, high expenditures on wants rather than needs should be limited, investing money into high risk business should be reconsidered and many more.

Money isn't bad, it's just one of the important thing in life. When money is used properly- supporting siblings in their education, feeding, giving alms to the needy, clothing, etc, it is a useful tool. We shouldn't get carried away with the amount of money we have saved and how to make more but we should be grateful for the one we have.

Be a master to money and never be its slave

© Onyinyechi Gift


lalasticlala
myd44

This financial advise is not good.

The lady in question should give three times or four times the money she proffers in tithes to her pastor.

Only then will she see the blessings flow abundantly.