Planning for the future to take care of today

For the past three weeks I’ve gone through some personal health struggles that have put a real strain on my household income. It was not something that I could have planned for; it was sudden and out of the blue. Because of that, I wasn’t prepared financially, physically, and neither was my household prepared for what was about to happen. The only thing ready for this new trial was my “spiritual wellbeing.”

I am very close to the members of my church and they helped me out by delivering meals while I was sick. At least I didn’t have to worry about trying to cook dinner for my children. That was one burden lifted from my shoulders. You see I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. If there is one thing that we sister’s can do for one another its cook. And my kids were spoiled rotten. I don’t usually make desserts and my lovely Relief Society Sister’s all brought yummy brownies and bundt cakes. So after a week of that, my kids have come to expect these scrumptious and delectable treats to finish off their meals.

Unfortunately my new found budget will not allow such grandeur. I know that you think brownies and Bundt Cake, how expensive could that be? Well when you’re trying to take care of medical expenses on top of all the other daily bills that you have, it adds up to A LOT!

But if I had PLANNED for this, or at least had something saved up and food “in storage” as my church advises us all to do, I might not be in the situation that I currently find myself. Now, not to use this as an excuse, but I am a recent convert as of August 2008. So I am still learning about all the “planning and preparing” that goes into being part of the church. And I have to say that this is a fantastic idea. I want to share some of this with all of you because I think that we can all benefit from such knowledge.

I just got my March 2009 copy of the Ensign. Now for those of you that aren’t Mormon, you might not have heard of this magazine, but I’ve come to love the articles that are featured. I’ve included the link for those of you that would like to check it out. Turn to page 56 and the article is entitle “Family Home Storage: A New Message”.

http://www.lds.org/churchmagazines/EN_2009_03_00___04203_000_000.pdf

Guideline 1: Build your three-month supply gradually.

One of the things that I really took away from this article is that we’re not expected to “plan” for an entire year right up front. “Start small and do the best you can. Begin by purchasing a few extra items to add to your storage each week. Strive to build a one-week supply; then expand it to a one-month supply, then a three-month supply. By building your supply slowly, you can avoid financial strain and start down the path toward self-reliance.” Pg. 58 Ensign, March 2009

Guideline 2: Store drinking water.

I know that we all go to the grocery store and buy bottled water. So when we go we can buy an extra case and set it to the side. With everything that has happened within the last few years from 911 to Katrina to the flooding in Iowa this past summer, you never know when a major catastrophe is going to take out the water supply. “In times of need, having water to drink can be the difference between life and death—or at least between peace and anxiety.” Pg. 59, Ensign, March 2009

Guideline 3: Set aside a little money.

Now as far as this goes, this is where I will struggle the most; because if I have money available then I will spend it. So this money needs to be in some type of account that is safe from “prying hands.” This is why Jared, my sweetie, is perfect for me. Because he will ride my butt hard on any purchases if I tell him to guard my finances for me. “From the First Presidency comes this counsel: ‘We encourage you wherever you may live in the world to prepare for adversity by looking to the condition of your finances. We urge you to be modest in your expenditures. . . . Save a little money regularly to gradually build a financial reserve’.” Pg. 59-60 Ensign, March 2009

President Thomas S. Monson is quoted as saying “Today we find that many have followed this counsel in reverse: they have at least a year’s supply of debt and are food-free.” Pg. 58, Ensign, March 2009

There are more guideline’s listed, but these are the three most important that I wanted to share with all of you. If I would have heeded the first two then I would not have even felt the shift of being down for three weeks with an illness.

All I am saying my friends, is in this economy that is such a mess right now, lets take more time to consider our homes and families. Let’s plan better and secure a future for our families that have them well provided for and keep them safe.

Many Blessings Everyone,
Mel