Some conversations about money leave us feeling like we’re already behind.
We should have saved more. Spent less. Started sooner. Known better.
Add rising grocery bills and everyday family expenses, and it’s easy to approach our finances with a mixture of worry and regret.
That’s why I appreciated my conversation with Crystal Paine on The Love Offering Podcast. Crystal is the founder of Money Saving Mom and author of The 7 Habits of Financially Healthy Women: How to Stop Stressing, Begin Where You Are, and Build the Future You Want.
Her encouragement begins with an invitation we can all respond to: start where you are.
Begin with what is in your hands
Crystal shared that when she surveyed almost 4,000 women for her book, financial fear showed up across different financial circumstances. Having more money didn’t automatically mean having more peace.
It’s tempting to imagine that peace will come after the next raise, the next paid-off bill, or the next milestone. Meanwhile, we overlook the decisions available to us today.
Crystal encourages us to ask what we already have: resources, skills, opportunities, and ways to make a different choice.
A particular money-saving strategy may not fit your family. But instead of stopping there, you can ask, “What would work for us?”
That question gives us somewhere to begin.
Let your priorities shape your spending
One of the most freeing parts of our conversation was Crystal’s explanation that financial priorities can look different from family to family—and from season to season.
A budget needs to account for your actual responsibilities and the people you’re caring for. It can also make room for things your family enjoys.
Crystal described a budget as a gift that helps her spend with clarity. When money has been set aside for a purpose, she can use it for that purpose without revisiting the decision every time.
That includes generosity. Planning to give creates room to respond when a need arises.
Pay attention to the stories you tell yourself
Have you ever said, “I’m just not good with money”?
Crystal shared that she once believed struggling with math disqualified her from talking about budgeting—even while she was helping others save money through her website.
A friend helped her recognize the strengths she already brought to the conversation, including prioritization and discipline.
We may carry beliefs about money from childhood, past mistakes, or difficult experiences. Recognizing those influences can help us understand our reactions and begin learning a different way.
Instead of treating a struggle as a permanent identity, we can acknowledge that we’re learning. We can become women who ask questions, seek help, and practice new habits.
Bring your children into the conversation
As a mother of teenagers, I especially appreciated Crystal’s thoughts on teaching children about money.
Her family talks about earning, spending, and making choices in everyday life. They distinguish between responsibilities children do because they belong to the family and extra jobs they can do to earn money.
She also encourages involving children in appropriate family goals, such as discussing how everyone might help save toward a vacation.
These conversations give our children opportunities to practice responsibility while we’re available to guide them.
And if we haven’t started yet, we can begin now.
Small decisions can prepare us for unexpected opportunities to love
The part of our conversation that stayed with me most was Crystal’s story of foster care and adoption.
Early in their marriage, she and her husband made financial decisions with the hope of having freedom to give. Years later, they could see how those choices helped create room in their home, schedules, and finances to welcome children.
They didn’t know the whole story when they began.
Hearing about their son David reminded me that stewardship reaches into the lives of people we may not even know yet. The choices we make with our resources can help us respond when an opportunity to love comes.
We won’t all have the same story. But we can each ask, “Lord, how would You have me use what You’ve placed in my hands?”
You can bring that question to Him today, right in the middle of your circumstances.
Listen to this week’s episode of The Love Offering Podcast with Crystal Paine for practical encouragement to begin where you are, spend with intention, and make room for generosity.
Connect with Crystal:
Visit her website to explore her book, The Crystal Paine Show, and the budgeting resources mentioned in this episode, including her free five-day budget makeover and budget worksheets.
Connect with Rachael:
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Subscribe, share this episode with a friend, and let’s make our lives an offering of love.
