SIMPLIFY AND LIVE A GOOD LIFE By Bo Sanchez

1. GIVE AS MUCH AS YOU CAN

My experience was that the less I spent on myself and the more I gave to others, The fuller of happiness and blessing did my soul become. -Hudson Taylor

Many years ago, I read this bumper sticker: Live simply so that others may simply live. The reasoning makes sense. If I content myself with a P250-shirt instead of a P3500 Lacoste, I can help others with my P3250. Trust me, there's immense pleasure! You'll find that the empty thrill of owning a diamond ring on your finger pales in comparison to the joy of handling a piece of bread to an orphan child.

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. - 2Corinthians 9:8

Listen to me. I can't explain how it works logically, because giving and receiving a hundredfold blessing is a supernatural activity. In my experience, the more I give, the more I receive. It just works that way!

However, I don't give to receive. That's important.

I give because I believe it's right to give. As another bumper sticker declares, "Tithe if you love Jesus. Any idiot can honk!"

The Old Testament law of tithing, or giving 10% of your income, is a good guideline to follow. The New Testament challenges usto give with a cheerful heart. When you're cheerful, you may give more than 10%!

Make it a habit. Give as much as you can.

2. BUDGET, BUDGET, BUDGET

A budget is a theological document. It tells you who or what you worship. - Anonymous

If you aim for nothing, you'll get there. And if you don't plan how you'll spend your money, you'll end up in the same place financially: you'll have nothing at the end of the day.

First of all, track your spending. Before leaving for work, tuck into your pocket a little notebook where you can jot down expenses every time you purchase something. Each new day should have its own page. Tedious? Don't worry â€" you'll get the hang of it after a while; it'll be like second nature.

You're doing this because you want to know where your money goes. This "diagnosis" will give you the wisdom where to cut back and do some "surgery."

At the end of each month, pull out your tiny notebook and make a spreadsheet. (You can also use your computer for this.) Create categories: Food, House maintenance, Medical, Clothing, Tuition, etc. Pencil down your expenses and voila, what you've got
is a "spending record."

If you do this for about tow or three months, you can now create a "spending plan" or budget â€" based on your diagnosis.

One guy who made a spending record for the first time was shocked to realize he could save P1,500 each month if he gave up his after office-office-hours snack before returning home. "I deserve this because I work so hard," he reasoned â€" until he summed up the yearly savings if he went straight home to his wife and let her feed him from their kitchen.

This page won't be enough to teach you all that you need to learn about home budgeting. My suggestion is that you get a friend whose financial life is in order and ask her to help you develop your system.

And stick to your budget! Remember: The moment you get your salary, give your tithes first. Second, give to your savings account. Third, give to your "irregular expenses" account. If you don't make these your first bills, trust me, you won't be able to tithe or save at all.

Budget, budget, budget.