Financial questions answered by Kevin Brannon, part of the Moneywise Team.
What is the most important lesson that you believe the Bible presents on money?
Proverbs 22:7 says, "The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower becomes the lender's slave."
Because there are so many unemployed people in the area at this time, do you recommend any organization, other than the unemployment office, to help the unemployed?
www.48days.com. This is a great site to not only find work, but to also find work you love to do.
While usually less effective at actually helping to land a job, job fairs provide an atmosphere to network with other individuals. The networking could lead to a job position.
Attend local users' groups/guilds in areas where you have experience or interests. These groups are educational and provide networking opportunities.
Are there any free websites that give financial advice?
Additionally, consider digging deeper into the realm of economics to better understand how money and the economy works by visiting sites like...http://jsmineset.com or http://mises.org
What are some tips to earning cash while seeking employment?
Find a need others have and fill it--things like cleaning homes, babysitting, cutting grass, delivering pizzas, etc.
Think outside the box. Consider temporary work anywhere, doing anything, not just what you've always done. The upcoming census is an example (see http://www.christianpf.com/2010-census-jobs/ for more information on how to find work on the 2010 census).
Consider evening and weekend work
Sell unused items on E-bay and Craigslist
Have garage sales
How do you recommend a person change his/her spending habits to help him/her save money? What are the most obvious ways a family can save money?
Have a plan. Tell your money where it is going BEFORE you get it by creating a budget (aka "Spending plan").
FOLLOW the plan. Creating a plan is not enough; you must follow the plan. Proverbs 14:23 says "All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty."
Stop eating out. If you want to meet friends out for a meal, pack a meal and take it with you. You may seem weird now, but you will have money later.
If you do eat out, find places children can eat free at http://kidseatfreeplaces.com/southcarolina.htm.
Take a "stay-cation" instead of a "vacation" - stay in town and visit places you've never visited but have always intended to.
Clip (and USE) coupons. Visit sites like www.SouthernSavers.com and www.TheGroceryGame.com.
Find a couple and trade babysitting services with them once or twice a month to have "free" date nights.
Sell your cars and other high-dollar items to get rid of unnecessary monthly payments. Buy a "beater" instead.
Use cash instead of debit cards (and ESPECIALLY instead of credit cards). Seeing cash disappear out of your wallet is more emotional than using a card and signing a piece of paper.
Get new auto and home insurance quotes. Most people can save hundreds of dollars per year by simply spending several hours comparison shopping.
What is the easiest but biblical way to seek financial counseling?
Pray first, and ask for wisdom.
Asking for help is never easy, but you must put aside your pride. Realize that you are not alone in your money issues. This is why God speaks so frequently about it in the Bible. As a community of believers we need to help others when they are in need and seek the advice and wisdom of others when we are in need.
Financial Tools
Joseph Sangl has provided multiple financial tools on his site. They are free to download and use. Check out the tools page Here!
Financial Counseling
The following forms are required for all financial counseling. Please print and complete the following forms before your appointment. Please make sure to bring your forms with you to your appointment.
