Craig Clouston

 Saving for a Future

But he who gathers money little by little makes it grow.

Proverbs 13:11

Patty and Glenna were twins. But that’s where any similarities ended. Patty was a vigilant, careful saver.

Glenna had never learned the fine art of financial prudence.

Patty had gotten her driver’s license and was checking out cars on the Internet, looking for a good deal.

Glenna never seemed to be able to pass up the latest fashion trend, DVD, or techno gadget.

While Patty saved enough money to make a sizable down payment on a dependable vehicle, Glenna gave no thought to the future. Her peers teased her that she would need to marry into money if she expected to continue her gotta-have-it lifestyle.

Patty put aside what she received for birthdays and Christmas, as well as wages earned working evenings for a local department store.

Glenna, on the other hand, was spontaneous and rarely thought past her next impulse purchase. Every time Apple came out with a new phone or iPod, Glenna just had to have it. Consequently, when she needed a loan, she had no credit established and was denied without a cosigner. Patty was also wise enough to tell Glenna no when she asked if she would cosign.

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Squandering money can be as harmful as worshiping it.

Setting and working toward financial goals builds discipline and allows us to defer our need-it-now mentality.

Financial discipline can be difficult for many people; some because they don’t believe it’s possible to save money on a limited income; others because they cannot quell their desire to possess everything they see.

Many impulsive people can’t view saving as a long-term prospect and have a hard time putting “A lot of little investments makes a lot of money” in perspective.

Yet for those who have practiced this principal, they have found it works very well.

Saving is a learned behavior. Preparing for the future requires restraint. By setting goals and working toward them, we find it’s not as hard as we thought, and it works. Saving a little at a time for the future will pay huge dividends.

Prayer

“Lord, help me reign in my desire to spend when it’s not necessary. Teach me to save a little at a time and watch it grow. Amen.”