Budget and Finance

Contents

Budget Wisdom
Budget Sites
Consumer Information
Do-It-Yourself
Shopping
Travel

There are 2350 Scriptures related to the handling of finances! Most people think the Bible only talks about giving. NOT SO! The Bible talks about budgeting, investing, spending, saving, earning money, borrowing, lending, hoarding, cosigning, business partnerships, and hundreds of other topics. Check out some of the links below for Biblical help on financial subjects.

Budget Wisdom:

• A Spending Quiz
• Are you a good steward of God's money?
• Are you a 'Jabez' junkie? - excellent article at Alan Marshall's web site.
• Financing the Kingdom of God
• Gambling: To play or not to play?
• Getting Out of Debt
• Giving Until It Lowers Our Lifestyle
• How God Promises to Meet Our Needs (PDF file)
• Is Insurance Scriptural?
• Living Simply is Less Complicated Than You Think
• Money-saving Tips for Choosing Pets
• Objections to the Faith Movement
• Paying Off Your Home
• Saving Money by Gleaning
• Scriptures on Biblical Principles and Personal Finances
• Starting a Home Business
• This Financial Planner Drives a Truck
• The Tithe
• Favorite Stories: The Ogre in the Pit

Budget and Finance Sites to Check Out:

• The Cheapskate Monthly Online - How to save money and get out of debt.
• Christian Stewardship Ministries - Their web page has many excellent articles on Biblical principles of finance and time management. Christian Stewardship Ministries has a highly effective small group study called The Life Management Study, which teaches how to prioritize and use your time through a more intimate relationship with God. One-third of our congregation has taken this course and many, many have benefited from it!
• Crown Financial Ministries - Larry Burkett's wonderful ministry that has helped so many of us live financially free according to Biblical principles has united with Crown Ministries to form Crown Financial Ministries. Crown is an interdenominational ministry that uses a remarkably effective small group study to train people to apply the financial principles from the Word of God to their lives. The course is designed to be led and administered by the local church. There are also wonderful courses and resources for teens.
• Debt Consolidation - Advenlo's popular guide with debt consolidation advice to consolidate your credit card debt payments.
• Mortgage Quotes Center - See mortgage rates by state. Compare various lenders' rates. Calculate your mortgage based on various interest, points, and ratios. This site furnishes you with the knowledge you need to finance or refinance your home.
• Sound Mind Investing - A Christian financial newsletter with some investment tips.
• If you have a teenager in your family or know one, send him or her over to Jumpstart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy to take the short quiz.  It asks what necessities or luxuries the teen will expect  when they are on their own. Then, for the wakeup call, this program calculates how much wages - and education - would be required to maintain that standard of living,  A real eye-opener.
• U.S. National Debt Clock

Consumer Groups:

• Better Business Bureau Online®.
• Consumer World - a consumer supersite with links to everything.
• National Consumers League - Latest information on consumer scams and fraud. Links to other consumer information.

Do-It-Yourself and Home Improvement on the Web:

• DoItYourself.com - Eliminate stains, smells, and other home problems the do-it-yourself way.

For Shopping or Selling:

• Kelly Blue Book - Find the cost of new and used cars before you buy or sell.
• Nadaguides.com - "America's Leading Source for Used Vehicle Values."
• Auto Stop - Want to buy a car for $50 to $400 above what the dealer paid, quickly and easily? Here's what you do: Fill in a Service Request Form describing the vehicle you're interested in, and in a day or two the nearest participating dealer (within 100 miles) will call back with a prenegotiated price. No haggling. Their Auto Finder has a searchable database listing hundreds of models with prices.
• Carprices.com - Carprices.com will help you compare car prices, pick out a new vehicle, and even shop for insurance, all while you are still at home in your pajamas.
• 800-Discount Club - Find a bargain, fast, on almost any product and service.
• Shopfind - A search engine for online shopping. Type in the product you're looking for and Shopfind returns a list of sites where you can order it online.

Travel:

• The Oanda Converter - calculates how much a buck is worth in 164 currencies and generates a cheat sheet to print and take along.
• Travelocity Airline Reservations - Book low-fare flights and reserve rental cars and hotel rooms in one simple stop. Also, get last-minute deals, tourist info, and travel news.
• TravelWeb - has thousands of hotels in its easily searchable database. Many are illustrated with full-color photos.
• Priceline.com - Discounts on hotel rooms, airline tickets, rental cars, gasoline, etc.