Top 10 Ways to Feel Rich (Even When You're Not)

Some of these will seem counter-intuitive at first, but here is my list to Top 10 ways to feel rich.

1. Acknowledge your inheritance from God. Romans 8:14-17 says:

Because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs — heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

2. Be thankful. A lot of feeling rich is noticing what you have, not what you don't have. If you have good health, good friends, good family, or even have a good day today - acknowledge it!

One practical way to be thankful is to keep a family photo album (put pictures in it often and keep it out where you think to look at it frequently). Another way is to keep a "thankful container". When something awesome happens in your life (like a raise at work or an illness leaving quickly or an unexpected visit from a friend), write it on a piece of paper and put it in the container - some folks use a decorative vase. When Thanksgiving rolls around, read them aloud for you and your family.

3. Get rid of clutter around your house. Getting rid of possessions might seem like a backwards way to feel rich, but an overstuffed house can make a person feel disorganized and overwhelmed quickly. Remember, space is a precious thing.

4. Give money to charity. Nothing makes you feel more rich than a generous heart. The catch is you have to plan the amount you give into your budget and give consistently - and give to a charity you've researched to be legitimate with a mission for which you are passionate. Giving money you honestly needed for gas or groceries will just make you panicky. Conversely, nothing will make you feel poorer than thinking of yourself as the person most in need of charity. Everyone (especially in America) has something to give.

5. Have a savings account and put something into it every payday. Financial times are changing, and I understand that to some folks the best savings can range from a Mason jar to buying gold or silver pieces. I'm not going to tell you exactly how to save. Just do it. It's a good habit, and it can save you from going into debt when unexpected expenses emerge.

6. Make friends - close friends. Everyone needs a good 3 or 4 very close friends that would do just about anything for them.

7. Become a parent. I know! Kids are SO expensive when you look at the bottom line. However, the joy you receive from your own child is priceless. It cannot be matched, not even with the most expensive nights on the town or the sleekest car. Children change you. You will never feel richer!

8. Share your stuff and trade stuff with others. You know those 3 or 4 good friends you now have? Offer to loan them the book you bought and just read. Accept their invitation to come over for dinner. Ask them if they need an extra couch because you don't like yours anymore. Help them move into a new house and thank them when they decide they don't need that leather recliner anymore and think it would look great at your house.

9. Live on a spending plan. This is sometimes called a budget. Basically, have a plan for how and where your money will be spent. Don't forget to budget for your (consistent) charitable giving. This will help you notice when a large chunk of your income is going towards something basically useless (like lattes or fast food), so you can live more intentionally and less on accident.

10. Try to keep your body healthy. This goes beyond looking good. Do things for yourself that help you feel good. Figure out how much sleep your body needs at night (hint: most adults need at least eight hours every night!). Cutting down on sugar consumption can keep your body from feeling stiff (learn to do this easily by meeting one time with a dietitian instead of pouring over conflicting Internet articles). Drinking adequate amounts of water can reduce the frequency of headaches. Daily (or every-other-day) exercise can give you energy to last the entire day (instead of crashing around 3pm).


Okay, there are my Top 10 tips for feeling rich. If you have any to share, I'd love to read your comments!

Practical Application: Networking and Resale Shops

Resale shops can be hit or miss. Upscale resale shops can be fairly predictable - they always have something good in stock - but their prices are only slightly below retail. Truly great bargains can be found at lower-end shops (and yard sales), but you have to be willing to check them often for fresh merchandise. Here is a better strategy: network your resale shopping.

Here's an example of how this worked to my advantage this week. My friend has mostly grown children and one granddaughter. While shopping resale, she found an unopened Pixar Cars themed birthday party pack for $2! She knew it was a great buy, and immediately thought of me and my soon-to-be three year old son. She gave my cell phone a call, and it was convenient for me to swing by that shop while I was out running errands that day.

By networking, I was able to find a great buy thanks to my pal. When I return her the favor, she'll be very excited.

Extra Credit: Importance of Consistent Generosity

Just a quick note on consistency. Our church experiences a summer lull in giving during the months of June and July. I don't know if the reason is a lack of planning and what would normally be given is siphoned into the family vacation fund OR if it is because we tend to miss more Sundays in the summer due to weekend trips here and there and tend to get out of the routine of giving.

I do know this. Giving is a conscious decision, and it must be done consistently. Giving has to be a stable part of your monthly budget. The words of Jesus as recorded in Matthew ch 6 and Luke ch 12 tell us the following:

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

What you do with your treasure ALWAYS reflects where your heart is. Continue to bless your church and other charities with your heart through the summer months.

DISCLAIMER: No soul is saved through giving, living a clean life, or being a good person. We are only saved by faith in Jesus Christ. No amount of works can earn salvation. We give to charity as a sign of obedience. No matter if you can afford to give $5 or $500 a month, your offering reflects a giving heart.

Practical Application: Saving Money While Shopping

The way I see it, the cheapest place to shop is in your own house. Learn to appreciate what you have, reorganize your stuff to to be more usable, and re-purpose old stuff to be useful. It also helps to get rid of things you don't use so they don't clutter your home and your brain.

That being said, the next cheapest way to save money while shopping is to trade with friends. Once we traded a full-size bed with mattress for a queen-size bed with mattress. We wanted a bigger bed, and our friends wanted more space in their guest bedroom. We also gave them an extra twin mattress that we did not need but they needed for a trundle bed. I would have never bought a used mattress from a stranger, but we knew our friends and their account of the mattress' history. That was good enough for us.

Along with trading, you can also borrow from friends. With our second baby on the way, we have arranged to borrow a friend's glider and ottoman for the baby room. In our experience, a lot of newborn baby equipment is only useful for a few months (infant bathtubs, for example) and can be borrowed short-term or purchased second-hand from the original owner.

If you just can't get what you want for free, another great place to shop is resale shops. Kids look great in everything, and at a young age they usually outgrow clothes before they ruin them. I love shopping at The Children's Orchard in Springfield. Their store is clean and organized and offer low prices. Bonus: if you know someone getting rid of all their baby stuff because they are done having kids, here's an idea. After you've combed through their stash for stuff you can use (of course), offer to take their stuff to a children's resale shop for in-store credit. Resale always offers more in-store credit than straight cash, so offer to buy your friend's in-store credit at a discount. For example, buy her $70 in-store credit for $60. You save $10 and she makes $10 to $20 more than she would requesting cash from the store. Lots of resale shops have semi-annual dumping sales where they get rid of all their back stock of clothes by holding frenzied events like fill-a-bag for $5. If you attend, leave the kids at home and wearing comfy clothing!

Garage sales and Craig's List can also be great sources for cheap treasures if you know where to look and how much something is worth. You can definitely pay too much, so just know what you're doing there. We had our eye on a Sit and Stand stroller, which I knew retailed for $130 new. I was determined to get that particular style of stroller. I found an older model in perfect condition for $60 on Craig's List. The way I see it, I just made $70.

Finally, when you shop retail, be smart and shop during holiday sales and hit the outlet mall. Also, if you're a credit card user (we use our card for gas and groceries and pay the balance every month), you can find a card that gives you useful rewards. Our credit card gives us gift cards for Old Navy / Gap instead of airline miles. We average earning $20 a month in gift cards!

Practical Application: Moisturizers and Lotions

I recently learned a little fact about lotions and moisturizers that might save some money. I'm talking about the stuff you put on your body, hands, and face.

Lotions and moisturizers do not moisturize your skin all by themselves. They actually just lock in the moisture from recently wet (now slightly damp) skin. So, applying lotions to dry skin doesn't do a lot of good - in fact, it might dry your skin further if it contains alcohol. The best time to apply a moisturizer is just after washing your skin - following a bath or shower and after washing your face or hands.

And, while we're on the subject of lotion, take time today to sort through that drawer or basket of old lotion in your bathroom and recycle the old, mostly empty bottles!

Practical Application: Vacuum Cleaner Filter

If you think you need to buy a new vacuum cleaner, you might be mistaken. I have recently seen the light.

My vacuum was getting so pitiful that Asher was actually picking up Goldfish Crackers by hand and feeding them into the accessory hose because my machine didn't have enough power to pick them up. I don't know why it took me so long to realize that (A) although my bag-less vacuum doesn't need vacuum bags, it does use a filter, and (B) not changing the filter for seven years might affect the vacuum's performance.

With a toddler in the house, vacuuming is a daily necessity. I was getting very fed up with the lack of suction power from my vacuum - to the point that I found myself daydreaming about a new vacuum at Wal-Mart and online, starting at around $100 and going up to $1,000.

When the realization hit me that I should at least TRY to give my old vacuum a tuneup, I started looking at filters. All I had to do was go to the Eureka web site and type in my machine's model number. From there I got the part number for a replacement filter and then went online to find the best price (eventually at vacuumsinc.com). For $20 including shipping, I now have a new filter and a very powerful vacuum. Thank goodness I didn't shell out $100-plus for a new vacuum before I tried the new filter!

Practical Application: Libraries and Library Book Sales

Although reading can be one of the least expensive methods of entertainment (vs. movie tickets, vacations, etc.), the price of that entertainment can vary greatly depending on where and whether you buy your books. Large book-selling chains like Borders and Barnes and Noble create a great atmosphere for bookworms like myself - who can resist those comfy chairs and mocha lattes? However, purchasing books from a first-run bookstore on a regular basis can get expensive. The occasional Harry Potter midnight release party with corresponding $25 book purchase is exciting, but what's more exciting is getting the SAME BOOK for a much smaller price - like FREE!

You see, there is this thing called a li-brar-y. I know, I know. If you're a kid that grew up in a rural town like me, you have preconceived ideas about what a library is like. Your county library was about the size of most people's bathrooms nowadays. It contained exactly 5 Dr. Seuss hardbacks, three Stephen King paperbacks, and a whole slue of encyclopedias from pre-1950. The checkout time was three days, and the library shared a building with the smelly county courthouse. Barf.

Libraries are different now! If you haven't been to a library in the past 10 years, you owe it to yourself to see just how much they've changed. Some county libraries have much better funding thanks to literacy programs. In fact, you are paying for your county library with your property tax each year. If you're not using your county library, you are just giving that money away. Some communities even have private libraries. The funding there can be all over the chart.

Libraries contain more than traditional books. Not everyone has time to sit with a book in hand, but most people can make time for audio books, music, movies, and computer games. All of these are available at your library - our library even lets you download audio books from home straight to an mp3 player!

Most libraries offer programs beyond children's storytime. Many offer movie-showings with free popcorn, host book clubs for all ages, and hold seminars on learning computer basics and even genealogy research and writers support groups.

Library locations are getting smarter. Instead of the institutional settings like the county courthouse or some weird brick building with fewer than five good parking spots, many libraries now share a building with a coffee house or cafe. Many libraries offer quiet study rooms and a sectioned-off children's area were two-year-olds can run and scream a bit without the traditional "shhh!"

You can even find better service at today's libraries. In the computer age, card catalogs are now totally online, which means you can look for books from the comfort of home. Our library let's you put them "on hold" and will email when they are ready to pickup in the drive-through window. That's right! We have a drive-through pickup window, not to mention drive-through book returns all over town.

Additionally, many of the "library pages" (as they are called in our town) are teenagers with jobs. Nothing sounds better to me than a teenager learning the value of money with their own job at the library.

And, if all that isn't enough to lure you in to your local library, consider attending the library book sale. I know some people out there are book buyers, and the thought of borrowing a book with a return deadline can be stressful. Yesterday I attended our library's semi-annual book sale. I bought 20 children's books (mostly board books) for $10. For those of you who don't know, one child's board book at even a discount store like Wal-Mart will cost at least $5, and probably more like $10. A few of them had some small Crayon markings, but they fit right in with my son's collection of once-new but now semi-damaged books.

I can think of a dozen more reasons for you to visit your library, but what I'd really like is for you to go discover them yourself. Today!

Practical Application: Where and when to buy pre-packaged foods

I'm BACK! Whew! Pregnancy can really dampen your energy level. Now that I'm coasting through the second trimester, I have a little more waking moments in my day to blog.

Pre-packaged foods are always more expensive than preparing food yourself. The reason this is true is because you pay a premium for the package itself as well as the preparation process. Technically, the only time you come out ahead on buying packaged foods is if the ingredients only come in large quantities but you only plan to eat the food item once - maybe because you're taste testing, or perhaps you're trying to build your own recipe.

I am a big believer in learning to do the food prep yourself. I think it's important to know the ingredients you are consuming (packaged food are bad about sneaking in hydroginated oils and HFCS - high fructose corn syrup) and to have the basic knowledge of how to do things yourself. As an adult, I look back on the home-ec classes I never took and think "What a shame!"

All that being said, packaged foods have a place in today's busy lifestyle. There's no reason to feel bad about the occasional packaged food lunch or dinner so long as it's not a lifestyle that is continually ruining your budget or health. I want to point out in this post that some packaged foods can be tasty, economical, and healthy if you know where to get them.

Look at the deli / bakery section of your favorite grocery store (even Wal-Mart). Yesterday while grocery shopping around 10:30am, I realized that I was very hungry and it was likely that the McDonald's in the Wal-Mart parking lot was going to call my name (as well as my two-year-old son's name!). That's when I spotted a packed lunch portion of a turkey and provolone wrap for $2.50 in the deli section. By the time we got all the groceries loaded in the car, it was 11:30am and if I hadn't already purchased that wrap for $2.50, we would have ended up spending at least $6 in the McDonald's drive through.

I know sometimes the drive through convenience itself is worth the extra $3.50 - especially when kids and car seats are involved. But, if you're a habitual fast foody on your lunch break at work, consider buying a few packaged lunches from the grocery store deli and brown bagging that a few days a week to supplement on the days when there are no leftovers (or they just look gross) or you need a little something special in your lunchbox. By the same token, on days when you have a marathon grocery experience and you're tugging a kid along, treat yourself to a turkey provolone wrap and hold the Quarter Pounder with Cheese.

Practical Application: Combine Gift-Giving Funds

I've said it on here before. Gifts can be a budget buster! Everyone likes to be generous, but when you are blowing your budget, that's considered fool-hearty instead of generous.

A great way to keep your gift giving at a reasonable level, is to go in on a group gift. This is guaranteed to keep your budget because the idea is to name your price, such as "I'll go in $10." No extra expenses - just a 10 dollar bill to put on top of whatever she is spending. If three people go in on a gift $10 each, the combined buying power is $30. Whoever volunteers to be the shopper knows not to spend more than $30 unless she wants to pay the excess.

Recently, a friend asked me to combine a gift with her. I told her if she'd do the shopping, I would provide the gift bag and bring the gift to the event. It was a perfect trade since I have dozens of mint condition appropriately themed gift bags lying around and she can't attend the event.

Now in my checkbook register, I will have a $10 expense instead of a $16.95 expense ($6.95 for tax and gift bag), and I don't even have to go to Target with my 2 year old!

Practical Application: Never Put a Bra in the Dryer

Been a bit pregnant lately (literally), so I've been too tired to post, but here's a really basic rule: never, ever, put a bra in a dryer. They should always air dry. Additionally, put them in a "lingerie bag" or mesh bag when they go in the washing machine. This will extend the life of your bras!

Practical Application: Wash Delicately

An easy way to extend the life of your clothing is to always wash on the delicate or gentle cycle. If you're not out in the mud all day (most of us aren't but some are!), your clothes will wash clean without all that extra agitation. Additionally, using your dryer on the low heat setting will also keep your clothes from fraying and looking faded.

Not all clothes are dirty just because you wore them a full day. Most pants and jeans as well as shirts worn over undershirts can be worn more than once between washings - unless you spill ketchup on them or something.

I always hang my jeans to dry rather than put them in the dryer at all because the more I dry them the shorter they become. I have a long inseam, so I need all the length I can get!

Extending the life of your clothes can save a lot of money, especially if you buy your clothes based on need rather than fads. You can still be fashionable, just don't let the opinions of others make all your clothes buying decisions.

Practical Application: Figure Out How to Spend Less Money Than You Make

I love this quote from Charles Dickens' book David Copperfield.

"Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen nineteen six, result happiness. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pounds ought and six, result misery."

It is so true! The key to financial wisdom is to simply spend less than you make. The only way to really have a handle on what you're spending is to have a spending plan (aka budget). Crown Financial Ministries has several free online tools that will help you create a budget based on your income. Whether you make a lot or a little, the key to a balanced budget is all about percentages. Here is what Crown Financial suggests for a $35,000 annual income (after *tithe and income taxes). These are just suggestions - as long as it all adds up to 100%, you're solid.

Spend 36% ($945 per month) on housing - house payment, insurance, maintenance, Utilities, etc.

Spend 12% ($315 per month)on food - groceries, laundry supplies, hygiene products, diapers, etc. For the record, our household spends more than 12% on food, but we also rarely go out to eat and have the flexibility in our budget to spend a greater percent in this category.

Spend 12% ($315 per month) on automobiles - car payment, insurance, gasoline, maintenance, and saving to replace a car.

Spend 5% ($131 per month) on insurance - life insurance

Spend 5% ($131 per month)on debts - the goal is to live debt-free, but debt happens.

Spend 6% ($158 per month) on entertainment - movie tickets and rentals, eating at restaurants, etc.

Spend 5% ($131 per month) on clothing - buy clothes to satisfy a need, not just a desire

Spend 5% ($131 per month) on savings - sounds weird to spend on savings, but feeding your savings account is an expenditure of your budget.

Spend 4% ($105 per month) on medical/dental - insurance premiums, prescriptions, fees, etc. Our family is forced to spend more on this category because our employer's health insurance is poor. We have to make it up in other categories.

Spend 5% ($131 per month) on miscellaneous - gifts (plan ahead for Christmas), allowances, etc.

Spend 6% ($158 per month) on childcare/school expenses (if you use this, you must decrease another category) - tuition, text books, etc.

Spend 5% ($131 per month) on investments - company 401k/403b, IRAs, Roth IRAs, bank CDs, etc.

*A tithe is literally 10%. When a family commits to tithing, they commit to giving 10% of their gross income (before taxes) to the work of the Lord. The annual tithe of a family making $35,000 a year would be $3,500 (or about $290 a month). As a Christian, I feel it is IMPERATIVE to tell anyone considering a tithe commitment the following:

Your salvation is secure because of Christ's finished work on the cross. You do not earn your salvation by tithing or otherwise being a "good person". You don't lose your salvation for not tithing.

Giving is important even if you can't start out at 10%. Just start giving, and you'll work your way up to it. Don't give on credit! Bad, bad, bad idea.

You can give more than 10%!!! God has blessed some people with the ability to make some serious money. The Bible does not say it is a sin to be wealthy; rather, it is sinful to be stingy and to make money your god. What a blessing it would be to learn to live a modest life, then be given a huge pay increase! Instead of raising your standard of living, consider giving more than 10%.

Although I feel it is vitally important that you support your local church, you do not have to give all of your tithe to one charity. In our family, we like to spread it among our church (it gets the lion's share), missionaries we know personally, and a couple local charities that minister to the homeless. We also listen to a few podcasts (Focus on the Family, for example) that provide free information. We feel it is important to support ministries like that, too. Always research your charities. Many big charities are more like businesses with CEOs making hundreds of thousands of dollars a year, plus bonuses.

Personally, I like to give to Christian organizations. It's not that I ill-wish secular organizations, but I feel there are many non-Christians in this world that are giving to the secular ones. Christians are the only ones giving to Christian organizations.

Even if you are in debt, it is still important to give while you repay the debt. If we all waited to be debt-free before we started giving, charities would not exist long.

There is a difference between a tithe and a one-time gift. Sometimes a charity that you support will ask you to give a one-time gift in addition to your tithe. For example, many homeless ministries ask for extra money during long stretches of cold weather because they have an increased volume of people to serve.

Not only is it good to think of your giving in terms of a monthly amount ($290 vs. $3,500 seems more do-able), it is also important to give frequently rather than writing one check at the end of the year. Where your treasure is, your heart is also - giving money to a charity helps for your heart to be with the charity as well.

Practical Application: Hints for Reducing Your Grocery Bill

Hints for Reducing Your Grocery Bill (taken from Crown Financial Ministries)

Always use a written list of needs.

Try to conserve gas by buying food for a longer time period and in larger quantities.

Avoid buying when hungry (especially if you’re a “sugarholic”).

Use a calculator, if possible, to total purchases.

Reduce or eliminate paper products—paper plates, cups, napkins (use cloth napkins).

Evaluate where to purchase sundry items, such as shampoo, mouthwash. (These are normally somewhat cheaper at discount stores.)

Avoid processed and sugar-coated cereals. (These are expensive and most of them have little nutritional value.)

Avoid prepared foods, such as frozen dinners, pot pies, cakes. (You are paying for expensive labor that you can provide.)

Determine good meat cuts that are available from roasts or shoulders, and have the butcher cut these for you. (Buying steaks by the package on sale is fairly inexpensive also.)

Try store brand canned products. (These are normally cheaper and just as nutritious.)

Avoid products in a seasonal price hike. Substitute or eliminate.

Shop for advertised specials. (These are usually posted in the store window.)

Use manufacturer’s coupons (cents-off on an item or items) only if you were going to buy the item anyway and it is cheaper than another brand would be without the coupon.

When possible, purchase food in bulk quantities from large discount stores; the per-item cost is cheaper. Do not buy from convenience stores except in case of emergency.

Avoid buying non-grocery items in a grocery supermarket except on sale. (These are normally “high mark-up” items.)

For baby foods, use normal foods processed in a blender.

Leave the children at home to avoid unnecessary pressure.

Check every item as it is being “rung up” at the store and again when you get home.

Consider canning fresh vegetables whenever possible. Make bulk purchases with other families at farmers’ markets and such. (NOTE: Secure canning supplies during off seasons.)

Practical Application: Cooking From Scratch & A Valuable Cookbook

"Cooking from scratch" means different things to different people. For some, it means Hamburger Helper, for others it means milling your own flour to make the noodles. I think we can all agree that cooking ANYTHING at home is much cheaper than buying fast food or going to a sit-down restaurant. To help save money, take whatever steps you can to fix more meals at home. Save the restaurants for special occasions.

Once you're in the habit of using your kitchen to make boxed dinners, use spice packets, and reheat canned soup, challenge yourself one step further. Learn to put together a meal (protein, complex carb, and simple carb) that you used to buy in the box. Learn to combine your own spices instead of buying spice packets. Learn to make soup!

Don't know how to start? Never learned all this from your mother? Neither did I! Do yourself a favor and buy the following book - "Healthy Meals for Less" by Jonni McCoy. Don't ask questions. Just go to Amazon.com and buy the book. Any cookbook can show you how to cook, but McCoy's cookbook will show you how to save money by doing the expensive stuff on your own.

Once you're an experienced cook, don't feel bad about the occasional Hamburger Helper night. Everyone needs a shortcut sometimes, but once you know how to make meals without the Helper, you will truly understand the price you are paying for the convenience.