She considers…

    She considers a field and buys it; - Proverbs 31:16a

A good wife, a wife that pleases the Lord, she is a good steward with the money that God and her husband have entrusted her with.
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It does not matter if your husband is a professional and makes a lot of money, or if you both work full time. Your husband holds all the pressure of the finances on his lap. They FEEL the pressure–even if their wives make MORE!

I say this to make certain that we all understand as wives that this frugal quality is something we should ALL be striving for…no matter what amount of money comes in or who brings it in.

When we are thrifty wives, we are not only helping our husbands, we are honoring God by being good stewards.

Practical ways we can help relieve our husband’s financial pressure (even if you both work!):

1. Clip coupons and USE them. It may “seem” like a trivial amount, but in the long run you really are saving money.
2. Make a weekly list of meals that your family will eat. Make the grocery list to go with it. When you get to the store, COMMIT to not buy ANYTHING that is not on the list. Oh, and NEVER go grocery shopping hungry!
3. Only wash FULL loads of laundry. This will save on your water bill.
4. If you can, hang some or all of your clothes outside to dry…or even your linens. This will save money on your electric bill.
5. Keep the air on the same temperature during the day (78 degrees) and lower it in the evenings. The up and down all day adds to your electric bill. TRUST me on this one. I have the upsie downsie problem.
6. When you need to buy a book, go to Amazon.com or ebay first. You can save big bucks going used. I have bought many used books through Amazon that are in great shape for a fraction of the cost new.
7. Buy the Sunday paper and make a point to look through the sale papers for the things that you need. Try to stick to one or two stores, otherwise the money you spend on gas traveling around will diminish the money you are trying to save.
8. Don’t eat out and stop buying Starbucks! A weakness...I LOVE a good cup of COFFEE! Unfortunately, our budget suffers when I give in. Make it a treat…without the kids if you have them. You can make it part of a monthly date night or something.
9. Buy store brand whenever possible. There are a lot of good store brand products out there. I was a bit of a snob in the beginning, I’ll admit. LOL! However, I have discovered that most store brand items are pretty much the same as the “name brand.”
10. Grow your own herb or veggie garden. If you have a yard, consider growing your own herbs and even fresh vegetables. Not only will you KNOW what is on them, they will be VERY fresh!

I really could go on all day. The message here is to find ways to save money, spend less money, and be a better steward with money.

I encourage you to sit down and make your own list of ways that you can be a thrifty wife!

God will bless you for honoring Him. Your husband is sure to be healthier with the major financial stress reduced as well!!