Bountiful: The Heart of Money Management

A lot of people attend college or study some other type of post-secondary education. However, the cost of colleges, especially, is almost impossible to pay without help. In this episode, we talk about a few options that are available to cover these costs – scholarships, grants, loans, work-studies, and savings. Then we end with some general tips & guidelines to consider when saving for college...

Packing up belongings and moving them to a new residence seems straightforward, but there’s a lot more to it than having boxes and tape. In this episode, we provide some tips to help with this process, including how to decide what items to keep, how to be efficient in packing, and things to keep in mind when asking for help with moving your stuff. Episode Resources Bountiful episode about the Konm...

Bountiful 101 is when we take a subject, like investing, and break it down into its rudimentary parts. Our goal for episodes like this is to combine our Christian attitude with a little bit of knowledge in order that we may glorify God by making wiser decisions with the money & possessions with which we are blessed.   Warren Buffet is quoted as saying, “Someone’s sitting in the shade today bec...

High expectations can push us to greatness. Unfortunately, high expectations have a tendency to mutate into unrealistic expectations, even when it comes to personal finance. In this episode, we discuss some of them, including: If I have money, then I’ll be accepted or feel like I belong If I give to others, then I will be in need Money can solve all my problems If I don’t succeed financially, then...

Bountiful 101 is when we take a subject, like cryptocurrency, and break it down into its basics. Our goal for episodes like this is to combine our Christian attitude with a little bit of knowledge in order that God may bless us to make wise decisions with our money.   There’s been a lot of buzz in the financial world about cryptocurrency. In this episode, Gary & Christy talk about the legitima...

Our guest, Julie, is a recruiter based out of SC, and she talks with us about how the job market has been since the COVID-19 pandemic, including how the interview process has changed and whether working from home will become the new normal. We also talk about how a job description may be viewed differently by men than how it’s viewed by women. Episode Resources Julie’s first episode with us: https...

We’re talking about financial tendencies in this episode. How can we make sure we’re consistently doing the right things and have healthy spending habits? First, look backward, asking yourself “why” or “when” rather than just “how much”. Second, look inward; do our emotional roller coasters lead to financial roller coasters? Third, look upward to make sure our giving is right with the Lord. Fourth...

The author of “Beyond the Tithe”, Westley Hazel, talks with us about stewardship & giving that pleases the Lord. As we go through some of the topics from his book, we discuss the word “tithe”, greedy stewardship, and potential obstacles our possessions could have in our spiritual walk. Westley says, “We need to spend special time thinking about why God has given us so much. If we don’t wrestle...

If you work inside the home, for yourself, or for an employer, have you asked yourself what role work plays in your life? In this episode, we talk about how work may play a negative role, like scapegoat or the object of our affection. Then we talk about healthier roles work should play in our lives. Take a listen to find out more. Episode Resources https://jstanier.medium.com/your-career-is-your-r...

Have you wanted to get a present for someone, but you weren’t sure about what  to get that person? In this episode, we consult with Katie Pruett, gift purchasing extraordinaire, who talks about 9 guidelines to follow in order to pick the perfect gift. Katie shares, “I enjoy the gift-giving process so much because I think it’s a special way in which to tell somebody ‘I love you’.”   Here are those...

Why do some of us save more money than others? Research into this question found that people save more money, even when their income is the same as others, because they spend less money, specifically in three categories.   First, high savers spend less money on housing. Mortgage or rent payments are commonly the biggest expense in your budget, and there are a lot of factors to consider when decidi...

The topic of medical expenses is important to discuss because we will all have medical bills at some point in our lives and medical bills have an affect on our credit score. In this episode, Gary & Christy talk about how to handle medical expenses. Understand your insurance. What’s your deductible, out-of-pocket maximum, and premiums? Ask for information up-front. If possible, get an estimate...

In this episode we talk about how money impacts our influence. Ananias & Sapphira were bad influences to the church because of their hypocrisy, but Barnabas was a good influence because of his generosity. What kind of influence do you have, and how can you guard it to make sure you’re glorifying the Lord with your material blessings? ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Jesus accused the Pharisees of being the type who “strain out a gnat and swallow a camel.” (Matt 23:24) These religious leaders were really into the details but failed to consider the big picture. This is part of the reason they seemed to have the right actions but usually had the wrong attitude.   We could have the tendency to do something similar with our personal finances, but we don’t call it...

After the groundhog sees or does not see his shadow, we set our sights on Valentine’s Day. Unfortunately, many people tie romance with money, so Valentine’s Day is connected to spending a lot of money. Some might suggest the more you love your significant other, the more money you would spend on them. In this episode, Gary & Christy challenge that kind of thinking and provide alternative thing...

Our possessions, especially those with a higher price tag, play some kind of role in our lives. Things like the house, the car, the property, and the savings account influence us every day. As Christians, it’s important for us to verify that Jesus is seen in our lives & that the role(s) we allow material blessings to play aligns with our God-given purpose. In this episode, we discuss various r...

This episode is about a personal finance challenge you may have heard about: A No Spend Challenge. Specifically, we’re discussing a “No Spend February” as a way to focus on our material blessings, reset our bank accounts and credit card statements, and jump start our finances. Listen to this episode to learn more about the purpose behind a No Spend Challenge, what it really means, and how to succe...

Many people continue to work from home during the pandemic, which means that there has been a sustained uptick in the number of virtual calls and meetings. To help navigate through them, Gary & Christy discuss some practical tips on how to participate, present, and organize virtual meetings. Episode Resources https://www.computerworld.com/article/3542033/6-tips-for-better-virtual-meetings.html...

In the spirit of a new year and a new podcast season, Gary and Christy discuss some areas of focus for us all this new year. There are some pros and cons with setting resolutions, but overall they’re good in that they remind us to prioritize the things that are important to us. When you think about a theme for yourself or your family, this episode will provide some ideas that may help you on your...

What can we do if we’re struggling to make ends meet? In this episode, Gary & Christy talk about financial struggles and how to work through them. First, figure out exactly where you are. How much is in your bank account? How much do you have saved for retirement or for emergencies? What are the principal balances on your mortgage, car loan, or other debt? Second, find out how you got to where...

It’s really nice when things are easy and effortless. Things like convenience stores, food delivery, concession stands, and even vending machines make getting some of our basic needs a little easier to get. But, there’s a paradox to convenience: they tend to enhance one aspect of our life but take away from another aspect of our life. So, how do we determine whether the convenient option is the wa...

For many people there’s a stigma regarding talking about money, so much so that it’s a topic that’s rarely discussed. Unfortunately, avoiding this topic doesn’t make it go away nor does it mean that our finances will be in good shape.   Why should we talk about it? To whom should we talk about money? What should we talk about regarding finances? Gary and Christy discuss these and other related que...

Wealth discrimination involves deciding how you treat someone based on how much money they have & what you think they do with it. We can discriminate against the poor or the rich or the middle class simply because of their financial situation (or their perceived financial situation). In this episode, Gary & Christy talk about this topic and discuss what wealth discrimination looks like, wh...

Being a good steward of our blessings includes being a good steward of our jobs. The Bible instructs us to work heartily, as for the Lord, because while our employers reward us monetarily, the Lord rewards us eternally. Our first job is usually not our last. Many of us will work for more than one company, but how do we know whether it’s time for us to make a change like that? How do you know wheth...

When Jesus says, “You cannot serve God and money,” that can come across as an overly obvious statement. Who would even try to serve God & money? Nevertheless, money can deceive us, drawing us away from our Maker, and we could change our allegiance without realizing what we’re doing. In this episode, we discuss this idea of trying to serve God and money, and we talk about some reminders to help...