Gather Little by Little - Personal Finance with a Christian Perspective

Making a credit card feel like cash

Stew — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 02:11:38 +0000

Several years ago, when my oldest daughter was four years old, I told her that we could not make a particular purchase because I did not have enough money. She was disappointed, but undeterred she sung out in her little voice, “well, just put it on the card . . .” After the conversation that ensued, [...]

How a credit card fast can help to get your budget under control

Stew — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 02:08:44 +0000

What is a credit card fast? Pretty much what it sounds like: refusing to use one’s credit card for a period of time – a week, a month, three months, etc. Another variation of the credit card fast is to continue using credit cards, but restrict usage only to certain essential purchases such as gas, [...]

A well-designed organization system can save you money

Stew — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 17:54:50 +0000

Have you ever spent more money than you intended because of a poor filing system or lack thereof? Have you ever missed out on money in your pocket because you misplaced or could not find certain information when you needed it? If you answer is “yes,” you need to take a minute in order to [...]

Teaching children to balance value v cost

Stew — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 16:33:26 +0000

Frugal parents should be always looking for ways to communicate or illustrate the value of a dollar to their children. And unless you are a still perpetrating the Santa Claus myth on your children, the holidays are just such an opportunity. Earlier this week, I had a conversation with my children about the upcoming holidays. [...]

Cash flow can be more important than debt reduction

Stew — Wed, 30 May 2012 16:34:27 +0000

My wife and I talk about finances on a fairly regular basis. Recently during one of our conversations, we discussed the pros and cons of paying off a particular debt versus placing the earmarked money in our savings account. My wife was of the mind that we needed to pay off that debt immediately, however, [...]

Is debt reduction a greater priority than tithing? P. 2

Stew — Wed, 23 May 2012 15:09:05 +0000

In my previous article on this subject, we looked at several reasons why the believer should prioritize tithing before debt reduction. Note that I am not saying that we should neglect our debts – if we promise to repay something, we must repay it. Matthew 5:33 tells us that when we make a promise, that [...]

Is debt reduction a greater priority than tithing? P. 1

Stew — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 16:02:32 +0000

For our next two posts, I am going to explore the question: is debt reduction a greater financial priority than tithing? The intuitive answer from a “good money sense” point of view might be “yes”. After all, isn’t debt the worst possible financial ill on the planet? Shouldn’t we be employing every possible financial means [...]

Young People: 3 reasons to think about a Roth IRA

Stew — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 05:36:56 +0000

In recent years, I have begun to change great deal of my views on saving for retirement 401k’s, IRA’s and the like. The truth is that I am far less likely to spend a great deal of time and effort saving money for retirement than I used to be . . . but that is [...]

Frugal people need to be thankful for big spenders

Stew — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 16:27:14 +0000

Every family’s budget is a reflection of that family’s priorities, habits and tastes. Here at Gather Little by Little, we do not try to dictate exactly how persons budget should look. Mainly because that is a fool’s errand. But there are some basic principles which govern the advice that appears on this blog. One of [...]

4 reasons why a Christian cannot be a skinflint

Stew — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 16:42:06 +0000

Money blogs are usually a place for getting the most out of life for the least amount of money. They are place to seek ideas of how to gain financial security with the least amount of risk. But did you know that too much of this kind of thinking can be a bad thing? Did [...]