If Money Talked
Session Four: Meaningful Money
The one thing that may totally change how you spend and save your money has nothing to do with spending or saving. It’s a question. And those who have been brave enough to answer this question have never regretted it.
After you watch the video, take some time to answer the Questions for Reflection below and to complete the exercises in the Money Exercise.
1. What’s your tendency when it comes to extra stuff you no longer need?
- I hang on to everything. You never know when you might need it again.
- I hang on to it for a while, but I am disciplined about regularly taking inventory and giving stuff away.
- I give it away right away. If I haven’t used it recently, it’s out the door.
2. Who have you seen be a good example of leveraging their money to make their life meaningful? (You may or may not know them personally.)
3. Write down two organizations or institutions you’re grateful for.
4. What do you want your money to celebrate about you when you’re gone? Write a sentence or two describing what you’d like your money to say. Here are a few options to get your started.
- You recognized that I belong to God and you were merely managing me for a while.
- You got your financial situation in good shape so you could say yes when you felt called to do things.
- You gave me for decades to an organization you were grateful for, even though they didn’t ask.
- You responsibly managed me and tracked every expense even when you didn’t need to.
- You put me where your heart was and gave generously.
- You flipped the script from “me-first living with some leftover giving” to giving first, saving second, and living on the rest.
The most systematic way to organize your finances around giving first, saving second, and living on the rest is to decide ahead of time what percentage of your income will go to each category. Take some time to complete the Give, Save, Live Exercise.
To explore further, sign up to get a free one-hour session with a financial mentor.
