The
Vision
Of a Simple Life
Having a $1,000 emergency fund leaves you
prepared for a lot of the unexpected events of life.
Dome homes are more energy efficient,
require less lumber, and are very economical. One estimate I have heard is that
an 800 square foot dome home costs about $10,000 to build yourself (in areas
that don’t have building codes). Even if the cost was two to three times that,
most Americans could afford in their lifetime to save that amount and have a
home debt free.
A few acres will enable one to garden,
raise some animals, and have more ability to provide for your family when times
are tough.
Hard work is required for anything
worthwhile.
Paid for cars are better than new cars. Buy
used and save the difference toward more worthwhile goals.
Have $10-15,000 (3-6 months) of livable
wages in liquid savings. If you lose your job, you won’t be crushed by next
week or next month. You will have some time to find work and make wise
decisions and will definitely have significantly less stress than the many who
are laid off with no savings.
Stand up in politics. Take a
stand for what is Biblically right. Don’t be silent, but be a voice for truth
in the nation. Don’t be quiet just because you think you are prepared or doing
well. Others need to be defended and justice needs to be preserved by
Moreover thou shalt provide out of
all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness;
and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of
fifties, and rulers of tens: 22 And let them judge the people at all
seasons: and it shall be, that
every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall
judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee. 23 If
thou shalt do this thing, and God command thee so, then thou shalt be able to endure, and all this people shall
also go to their place in peace. Ex
18:21-23 (KJV)
Dare any of you, having a matter
against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints? 2 Do
ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be
judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? 3 Know
ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this
life? 4 If
then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who
are least esteemed in the church. 5 I speak to your shame. Is it so, that
there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge
between his brethren? 6 But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before
the unbelievers. 7 Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you,
because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do
ye not rather suffer yourselves to
be defrauded? 8 Nay,
ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your
brethren. 1 Cor 6:1-8 (KJV)
Son of man, I have made thee a
watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and
give them warning from me. 18 When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt
surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked
from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at
thine hand. 19 Yet
if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his
wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul. 20 Again,
When a righteous man doth turn
from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before
him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his
sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his
blood will I require at thine hand. 21 Nevertheless if thou warn
the righteous man, that the
righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is
warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul. Ezek 3:17-21 (KJV)
The people of the land have used
oppression, and exercised robbery, and have vexed the poor and needy: yea, they
have oppressed the stranger wrongfully. 30 And I sought for a man
among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for
the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none. 31 Therefore
have I poured out mine indignation upon them; I have consumed them with the
fire of my wrath: their own way have I recompensed upon their heads, saith the
Lord GOD. Ezek 22:29-31 (KJV)
Seek wisdom and truth!
Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding. Prov 23:23 (KJV)
Have a trust or will or your estate will get eaten up by the
government and not go to those you love.
Have zero debt.
Be not
thou one of them that strike
hands, or of them that are
sureties for debts. 27 If thou hast nothing to pay, why should he take away
thy bed from under thee? Prov 22:26-27
(KJV)
My son, if
thou be surety for thy friend, if
thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger, 2 Thou art snared with the
words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth. 3 Do
this now, my son, and deliver thyself, when thou art come into the hand of thy
friend; go, humble thyself, and make sure thy friend. 4 Give
not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids. 5 Deliver
thyself as a roe from the hand of the
hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.
6 Go to the ant, thou sluggard;
consider her ways, and be wise: 7 Which having no guide, overseer, or
ruler, 8 Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.
9 How
long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? 10 Yet a little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to sleep: 11 So shall thy poverty come
as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man. Prov 6:1-11 (KJV)
Don’t cosign.
He that is surety for a stranger
shall smart for it: and he that
hateth suretiship is sure. Prov 11:15 (KJV)
My son, if thou be surety for thy
friend, if thou hast stricken
thy hand with a stranger, 2 Thou art snared with the words of thy
mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth. 3 Do this now, my
son, and deliver thyself, when thou art come into the hand of thy friend; go,
humble thyself, and make sure thy friend. 4 Give not sleep to thine eyes,
nor slumber to thine eyelids. 5 Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the
hand of the fowler. Prov 6:1-5 (KJV)
Being
self-sufficient by owning a home and taking measures to produce your own
heating, water, electricity (wind and solar) and FOOD—animals, plants, orchard,
garden—is an admirable and even Biblically based goal.
Follow the principle of Ecclesiastes,
develop multiples steams of income to be prepared for you know not what evil
will come upon the land.
Give generously and sacrificially.
Provide for the needs of your family
through multiplying resources: plants, orchards, gardens, greenhouse, animals:
goats, chickens, pigs, cows, rabbits.
Live below your income
The following portrays a plan of how a
husband and life can live debt free on 24K a year. Now actual numbers will
vary, and where you live is certainly a factor. In the area of the country I
live in, small homes can be rented for $450 and up every month and most
apartments are $700 or so a month. While it would be hard to live on this much
with children and for one’s entire life, if a man and wife live on
significantly less even if they make more for their first 5 years of marriage,
they can save a tremendous amount toward buying/building a home debt free.
Live on $24K a year
(assuming this amount is after taxes)
Tithe
|
$200/mo
|
$2,400/yr
|
Rent
|
$700/mo
|
$8,400/yr
|
Own Car
|
$0
|
$0
|
Gas, Oil, tune ups, misc
|
$250/mo
|
$3,000/yr
|
2 Cell Phones
|
$80/mo
|
$960/yr
|
Samaritan Care medical sharing
|
$200/mo
|
$2,400/yr
|
Food and house supplies
|
$200/mo
|
$3,600/yr
|
Misc
|
$100/mo
|
$1,200/yr
|
Car Insurance
|
$200/mo
|
$3,600/yr
|
Disability and Life Insurance
|
$70/mo
|
$840/yr
|
*(no electricity, water, or trash)
assumed that that is part of rent.
Monthly break down of
net $2,000
$200
|
Tithe
|
$700
|
Apartment/Small Home rent
|
$80
|
Cell phones
|
$250
|
Gas and car maintenance
|
$200
|
Samaritan Care
|
$200
|
Food and House Supplies
|
$100
|
Misc (save whatever possible each month)
|
$200
|
Car Insurance
|
$70
|
Disability and Life Insurance
|
Side jobs and little things on the side can
be done to make money to save in advance for another car. Tip: always buy used
and try to spend $4,000 max for a reliable car during your first decade of
marriage.
In addition, having an emergency fund of
$1,000 in case the car breaks down and 3-6 months of living expenses or $10,000
in this case is wise and recommended by most conservative financial advisors.
God’s Word teaches us very clearly to have something stored up and live wisely
for we do not know when evil (trouble, famine, recession, etc) will come upon
the land. It is hoped that a man and woman will have the 3-6 months of living
expenses saved up prior to marriage.
If you stick it out for a few years and
really watch your finances before you are married and during your first 5 years
of marriage, then you can be debt free, likely own a small home and have a
bright future simply due to your lack of debt. In addition, some things in this
budget can be completely eliminated. For example, rent can be eliminated when
one owns a home. Food costs can be offset when a large garden is on land that
you own or have an agreement to harvest from. Electricity can be produced by
wind, solar, or geothermal power and water can come from a well or purification
system via a spring.
Just think with
me for a moment. On the low end of a housing cost ($450-700/mo) you could save
over $8,000 in a year by merely setting that aside when you own a small home!
In just five years, you could have $40,000 in cash + interest! That amount can
build a small home or buy a trailer and your own land. A young man saving
$8,000 a year for five years before marriage could be there! The point is don’t
get in debt—debt presumes upon the future, that is, that you will have the resources
to pay it and you are actually on the losing end of the bargain and don’t “own”
anything. But when you live debt free, you can save very quickly and “get
ahead.” But just being financially ahead
is not the main point. The main point is #1 having some provision stored up for
your family and #2 able to give. When you are in debt, you not only have
less money, but you tie up resources and tie your hands to being able to truly
give because of monthly payments you must make.
True
Wealth is simply having more than you need today (Matthew 6).
Plus, a man is far more well off if he has a loving family, close friends, and
a faithful church family than having a bunch of assets.
