Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without...

Just a little rant here about 'money-saving' articles in the media recently.  First Rosie Millard's article "Join me in the new austerity" in the paper over the weekend. [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/women]

She has bought herself a sewing machine as she thinks this will help her pay off "the dregs of my ... monster overdraft - £50,000 at its worst".

What kind of planet is she living on? She says she had a daily Starbucks habit, a personal trainer, manicures and beauty treatments which included dyed eyebrows. No wonder she was in debt!

I went to Boots this morning, spent £21, on essentials like tissues, shampoo, toothpaste etc, saved £5 using 3-for-2 offers, and used coupons for 450 extra reward points . At the end of all that, I had enough points on my card to get a travel hairdryer 'free'.

Good Housekeeping Magazine [a gift subscription I received at Christmas] this month also has 'Ways to cut your budget' - and featured another of these 'Starbucks habit' women. I accept that their working life is different from mine - I get to school and make tea in the staff room at 4% of the Starbucks price. But why don't they advise them to do what Liz does - get a Starbucks coffee maker with a timer, and wake up everyday to freshly made coffee, then pour another into a thermal cup and take that to work?

GH also featured another family, a couple with 2 children, committed Christians on a budget of £20,000. The writer of the article commented on their biggest outgoing next to basic living costs was their giving to their church - and the couple refused to cut back on that. The suggestion was that they should Gift Aid their offering, and then they could "still give the same amount to their church, but save themselves £660 a year". I found it hard to believe they were not Gift Aid-ing already - and thought it was a dreadful suggestion [I doubt the couple would act on it]. Bob pointed out that they probably were not paying much tax anyway, so it was a daft idea.

Old story...A man woke up his wife in the middle of the night and said "I had a nightmare. I dreamt the Lord took what I put in the offering, multiplied it by 10 and told me to live on it for the week"

Perhaps Rosie Millard should get together with the GH couple and find out that the Lord really does provide if you trust Him. And if you are mathematical pedant, I apologise, I know it should really be "multiplied by 9" but if you tell it like that, people don't get it!