Are You Careful or Wasteful?

Written by Ruth Mast

A husband faces a hostile world while he provides for us. He may be ridiculed or berated by a fellow employee for something he did not do. His business venture was not paying off as well as hoped. The corn crop needs rain. The used tractor he bought was misrepresented. But he cannot stay in his rocker. Husbands keep going to provide for us. 

There is an old saying that "a woman can throw things out the back door with a spoon faster than a man can bring it in the front door with a shovel." That means: the woman of the house is careless and wasteful. Even though the husband is diligent in providing, he can make no progress financially because his wife spends faster than he earns.

Today, a woman faces the danger of credit card buying so she can have the extras that many two-income families enjoy. But even credit card buying has a due date and must be paid. The result is more tension and unhappiness in our homes, and often we resort to doing extra work at home to pay for the things we want. Credit card buying can become a careless and wasteful habit.

How should a careful mother show her thanks for the good provisions given her? Here are ways that we can show our appreciation, and you may think of more ~

Being frugal with our husband's earnings. Even Jesus was concerned about frugality. After He had fed the five thousand and the multitude was filled, He said to His disciples, "Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost" {John 6:12}.

By not wasting food. Give little children small portions of food, and when they clean up their plate and are still hungry, give them more.

By buying items such as clothes and furniture only when we need them and have money to pay for them. Younger children can wear clothes older children have outgrown.

By cooking our meals from scratch, rather than buying expensive prepared food. Use leftover food in soups and casseroles.

By avoiding credit card buying. Do not insist on spending money you do not have.

By making a list of shopping needs to reduce trips to town.

By encouraging children to use their imagination in play and use materials on hand, rather than smothering them with toys from the store. Boxes can be barns, houses, tunnels, hiding places, and doll beds, or puppy and kitty beds.

By being happy and content with what our husband provides. Instead of complaining, alter your spending to fit the budget. Do not make your husband uncomfortable by reminding him of your needs when you are on a reduced budget because he changed jobs to be more Biblical.

We do not achieve real meaning in life by abundance of things (Luke 12:15}. Jesus said, "Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?" {Matthew 6:25} It is important to be a careful example before our children so that they have a proper reference when they establish homes of their own. In this way the Lord's work can prosper, and our families can grow up to know the Lord and serve Him.

*This excerpt is from "Who Can Find a Virtuous Woman" by Ruth Mast.