EDITOR IN CHIEF

Alex Cook

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  Each year, the cost of living goes up, prices of basic commodities rise, and stretching your monthly income often seems harder. Not to mention those unseen, unavoidable expenses like health emergencies, car maintenance, home repairs, your child’s school project, and the list goes on. As they say, budgeting is the single most important part of financial management and good financial stewardship. The Investopedia website gives a very accurate definition of budgeting, “It's making sure that you're spending less than…

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Alex Cook

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Good financial management necessitates that you get control over your spending. There is no lack of things to distract us and to spend our money on! I recommend that you become a “master” of your spending rather than its servant, in order to: get your finances in good shape; and use your resources to advance God’s Kingdom. The achievement of the majority of your financial goals will depend on your ability to save, and therefore, your ability to control your…

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Alex Cook

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Expect the Unexpected The one thing you can guarantee in life is the “unexpected.”We like to convince ourselves that nothing serious will happen to us, but the unexpected happens surprisingly frequently. At some point in your life, whether it’s losing a job, your car breaking down, paying for a funeral or having to visit a sick family member in a distant location, you are going to need access to a reasonable sum of money very quickly. Invest in seven ventures,…

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Alex Cook

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When a family member or a friend approaches you for financial help, the $64 question that will run through your mind is: should you lend or shouldn’t you? More often than not people who lend money often run the risk of straining a relationship simply because the other party has trouble paying back. So what are you to do? Here are some ways to discern and to determine when is it smart to lend money to a friend or relative…

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Alex Cook

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Couples always talk about the joys of raising a child. Holding your baby for the first time. Lulling that little bundle of joy to sleep. And how about their first words and first step? The joys are endless (and so are the costs). Family experts remind couples to open their eyes to the financial (costs) responsibility that comes with raising a child. According to statistics released by the United States Department of Agriculture, a middle-income couple would have to spend…

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Alex Cook

View all posts by Alex Cook

A budget is simply a tool to forecast and track your income and expenses. Budgeting is actually a Biblical concept. Consider Luke 14:28:  “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it?” Budgeting is an important aspect of financial planning. How can you plan for the future if you are unaware of all your expenses in the present? For normal day…