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Allowances an important part of family budget

"I am the Lord your God which teaches you to prosper."

- (Isaiah 48:17 AMP)

By Annettee Budzban

Daily Herald correspondent

Economic prosperity is something God wills for us. Most times, becoming prosperous is something we work at. Because of this, it's worth searching out the Biblical and practical truths about money management.

I'm not an expert but I started learning some practical money tips while growing up. Each week, besides paying the bills, my parents placed money aside for groceries, my father's lunch money, savings, and a household allowance for my mother. If we children had extras, such as music lessons, sports or school supplies, that would be included in the allowance categories as well.

When my siblings and I were old enough, we were also extended a part in receiving an allowance. Ours was the kids' "pocket money." I was excited over that decision my parents made.

My excitement came to a screeching halt, when I discovered the agony of deciding whether I should spend my pocket money to go to the movies with my friends, or if I would rather go roller skating. During fall and winter, another choice was placed in the mix when the high school sports games seemed appealing. Especially when it gave me and my girlfriends an opportunity to awe over the players. But they did charge a 50-cent admission fee, which took a chunk out of my tiny budget of only a couple of bucks.

And then there were the few cosmetic items I was trying to save up for. And I needn't forget about the stipend needed for those Santa banks. Those money decisions were clouding my senses. And they weren't nearly as fun as they appeared to be while watching mom and dad dole out the cash.

As years went by and I got married, as young newlyweds our parents took us aside and instructed us, once again, on the necessity of allowances. I'm so grateful for that. My mother-in-law even instructed her own son, that he needed to give me an allowance for the week. It was only a small amount but I'm so glad she did that; because money was tight and so was he.

When husbands and wives have their own spending allowance, they can spend it for coffee, lunch with a friend, or something of their choice and avoid the riff of fighting over spending.

Allowances are an important part of our budget. In this day and age where money mysteriously comes out of a machine or the side of a building, we have to teach our children, and ourselves that there are limits to our bank accounts. Allowances help with this. They consist of the money we apportion from our paycheck to spend for certain items that may include anything from lunches to luxuries. We have to be careful with our spending because, even as an adult, those decisions can still cloud our senses. When it's clear what to spend our hard-earned cash on, it helps alleviate some of the financial stress placed on ourselves by overspending.

We have to remember when things are tight, initiating a spending allowance can help us have a more profitable future.

• Annettee Budzban is a Christian author, speaker, life coach and nurse. She is hosting a "Writing for Fun or Profit" mini-conference in June 2019. Register for details and to reserve your spot. Annettee can be contacted at Annetteebudzban@aol.com or (847) 543-8413. She is available to speak to your group or be a personal life coach.

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