It's vacation time and the car is packed. Your destination is 2000 miles away and you've never been there before. What would happen if you tried to make the trip without a map? What would happen if you didn't pay attention to the warning signs on the road such as detours and sharp curves ahead? There might be a few problems on the way, wouldn't you agree? There is an old saying that if we fail to plan our trip, we'll miss our destination every time.

When it comes to finances, the map is a budget, but unfortunately, most families are making the trip without one. I recently came across a statistic which showed less than 5% of families use a budget. In addition, they aren't paying attention to the following danger signs posted along the way. Can you relate to any of these?

A marriage counselor who writes for our local paper recently noted that one of the biggest problems he sees is the effect of finances on the stability of the marriage. I agree with his assessment but want to offer encouragement and hope. If finances are a weak link in your marriage, take the time to learn and apply God's wisdom in this area and you'll be surprised at the peace he brings to your family.

Managing our finances in a truly Christian way requires an attitude of stewardship (Luke 19:11-27; Catechism 2404) and solid planning. My previous articles focused on attitude, so here I would like to share a few thoughts on proper planning. First of all, planning is very Scriptural. Proverbs 21:5 tells us, "The plans of the diligent are sure of profit, but all rash haste leads certainly to poverty." In Luke 14:28 Jesus says, "If one of you decides to build a tower, will he not first sit down and calculate the outlay to see if he has enough money to complete the project?"

When I first meet with a family to counsel them on their finances, I ask them to describe their situation to me. The normal response is that there just isn't enough money available to live on. This is true no matter what the income level is. If I were to share a story of how a family of six earning $30,000 per year was living paycheck to paycheck, you could probably relate to their struggle, recognizing that it's not easy to make it today on that amount of money. Would you believe me if I said the same thing about a family earning $90,000 per year? I can hear it now. "What! I wish I made that much. We'd have no problem living on that income!" What's my point here?

It's that your family's financial condition isn't as dependent on how much you make so much as on your willingness to live within your means. In a highly materialistic society, our desire for money can become insatiable. You may feel that all you need is another $10,000 to get out from under your problems, but until you make a conscious decision to live within your means, you will find your appetite for things outstripping your ability to pay for them. This may be best illustrated by the saying, "Most people don't thank God when their cup runneth over. Instead they ask for a bigger cup."

How do you begin to understand where all of your money is going? You begin by family budgeting. Take a look at the table titled "Guideline Budget-Family of Six." I would suggest organizing your budget according to the categories provided. Then you can compare your actual expenses to the guideline to determine if there are any areas of concern. Remember that these are only guidelines. It's not important that your actual expenses be equal to the guideline in each category, but it is important that your total expenses not exceed your total income.

Until a family's checkbook information is organized into a budget worksheet format, the numbers just don't make any sense.

Once they are summarized in a proper format and can be compared to the guideline, it's fun to see the lights going on as you begin to see how your resources are allocated.

Let's review the benefits of the budgeting process: (1) It summarizes your financial information in a manner that can be easily discussed with your spouse. As a result, you'll find that communication in this important area improves. (2) As a couple you can see how your resources are allocated and discuss what your priorities are and whether your spending patterns are in line with these priorities. (3) This format lists tithing as the first expense so we practically implement the principle of the tithe coming from the first fruits. (4) Education and savings are also listed as high priorities and become planned categories just like tithing.

Danger Signs for Family Finances
* Poor marital communication regarding finances resulting in high levels of anxiety.
* Overspending. Where did all the money go?
* Using credit to pay bills and not paying the credit card balance off each month.
* No regular savings.

Christian Principles to Guide Family Finances
* Seek first the Kingdom of God.
* Trust in the Providence of God.
* Develop a charitable spirit.
* Practice the virtue of temperance.
* Develop personal responsibility. 

Guideline Budget - Family of Six