13 She
selects wool and flax and works with eager hands. 14 She is like the
merchant ships, bringing her food from afar.
During the 10 days of the Proverbs 31 Series we are finding
ways that the Noble wife can contribute to the family’s income. Today I want to
take this opportunity to consider how we use the income that we currently have
in place.
A noble woman should never take from her husband’s wallet but add to
it. . . .
So why would I say something like that? Am I saying that you
cannot use the money that your husband brings home? ABSOLUTELY not! Instead… I
say it with the intent that one should not take from her husband’s wallet (figuratively speaking of course) with
foolishness but instead being smart with the money, maybe even a little frugal.
;)
Some ways that you can add income to the family is by NOT
spending it foolishly!! So how is this done? I had to learn this valuable lesson a couple
years ago when I left a past job. We were not prepared for the financial burden
of cutting one person’s income from the home. I had to think fast on ways to
cut costs and save the income that we did have. I started by looking online and
found tons of resources and blogs with great ideas. Some things that I did to
keep money in my “husband’s wallet” is…
·
I started a garden in my yard, which produced
lots of vegetables for my family. One thing I did that saves me time and money:
Chop your onions from the garden and place in a freezer bag. Make sure to make
as air tight as possible. I have chopped onions all year for all sorts of
recipes.
· I learned
to can and preserve food. Some of my favorite things to make... applesauce,
relish, and tomato sauce.
·
I learned
to budget my groceries and use coupons. I LOVE COUPONS! Coupons are great way
to save money. I had so much fun with my monthly trip to target to get necessities
and groceries. I also used Sam’s Club to by some items in bulk and then broke
it down once I got home. Be careful though… not all bunk purchases are cost
effective.
· I also
found ways to make homemade cleaners. I found a great recipe online for making
my own laundry detergent and have you ever used vinegar for a fabric softener
in your laundry? It is awesome!
I now work outside the again, however, I still do all those
things above. I find a joy in providing for my family in such ways. Because of
my efforts to become frugal and save some money, I have found a new passion for
vegetable and flower gardening and the couponing is just easy savings.
I feel like the Proverbs wife would have done some of these
things to help her family. So if you don’t have soap making skills, sewing
skills, or any other skill that helps bring income into the home, remember you
can still add income to your family by watching your spending with what you DO
have.
Melissa
13 Bloggers, 13
topics, one Great God.
A series on the
different aspects of Proverbs 31. Here is a list of the bloggers and their
topics.
- Using Skills to Contribute to Family/2 better than 1
- The Fear of the Lord/ Satisfied by Love
- Using time wisely/Blessed Beyond Measure
- Taking care of needy/ Shadow Wonder
- Using money wisely/Jennifer Sikora
- Keeping an eye on home/Just a Glimpse
- She can laugh at the days ahead/ Faith Filled Food for Moms
- Clothed in strength and dignity/One thing I’ve Learned
- Taking care of others/ 2 savvy gals
- Being Creative/A Patchwork Mommy
- Bringing Variety to Family/ Karen Dawkins
- Extending your Hand to the Poor/ Women’s Fellowship House
- Organization/Teaching what is Good
Hope you all enjoy!! Feel free to
explore the blogs. We have some very talented women participating.
Great tips! I love the gardening one! There's nothing like growing and preserving your own homegrown veggies!
ReplyDeleteBlessings!