Spending!

Well, Well, Well......In the book 7 (again if you don't know about this..google it! You will be blown away) I have made it to the chapter about spending! I knew this would be a tough one because as we all know everyone spends too much money! Matthew and I do our best to watch our spending. We really don't have any credit cards- maybe 1 small one that is paid off. We only have 1 car payment but even with all this we spend too much money! I told Matthew the other day if Dave Ramsey walked in our house we would tell us to sell our van and get something cheap that we could pay off quick - basically going back to the Camry days when we had no car payments what so ever! Man I miss those days!   He would tell us to get rid of the Iphones...go back to basic phones with no texting for $50 a month! we for sure would not be doing the $5 here, $10 there, $8 over there...we nickel and dime it too death! I just don't get it!
anyways in the book she goes on to explain that her and her family will only be spending money in 7 places during the whole month....bills, gas station, farmers market, kids school, limited travel fun, medical, and target(we could be best friends!)! Target is strictly for emergencies and she has to use it last case.....She states that she was looking over her statement for previous months and they had spent money at 66 different vendors..it was time for a change! It really got me thinking about how we spend our money...We don't have 66 different places but what are we spending? is it wasteful? does it bring honor to God? is it something we truly need? can we live without it?  I know money is a very touchy subject and many people don't want to be told how to spend it or what to do with it but sometimes I think about the day we stand before the Lord and will he be happy with how we have managed our money that  HE has given us? I think about what I am teaching my kids....Are we teaching them that things and money can make them happy? I feel there is a happy medium in there somewhere!
Here is something else in the book that blew my mind....
Annual spending on cosmetics $8 billion
basic education for all global children $6 billion

Annual US and European spending on perfume $12 billion
Clean water for all global citizens $9 billion

Annual US and European spending on pet food $17 billion
Reproductive health for all women $12 billion!

This all seems unreal to me..I just can't believe what goes on in our world, and trust me I the worst about turning my head to the things and just thinking, What can I do about it? but then I think ...I may be one person but I can "rage against the machine". I can be countercultural and say enough is enough....I am not buying wasteful things anymore. I am not spending just because we have it. I don't care if we can't keep up with the Joneses..etc...
I know you are probably thinking Oh my, Megan has went off the deep end! No...It has just truly made me think...
So, my challenge for myself is to be mindful of how spend and where our money is going!
Hope everyone has a blessed day!
Lots of love...