No one really ever says, “Hey, we should go have coffee and talk about money” for a variety of reasons. Money is personal and finances freak us all out in one way or another. Some of us worry too much, some not enough. Some know a ton about handling money, other zilch. Either our money is bullying us around or we are the boss of our budget. But we don’t casually chat with our besties about it.
But honestly, don’t you ever wish you could sit down over coffee and get the scoop from a really smart financial friend? A sister who would share all the secrets to financial freedom? You know the kind of girl that would speak plain English and not highfalutin financial jargon that intimidates you? One that would let you know what she’s doing and what the bible says about fiscalness. I made up that word…that’s how much I don’t talk about finances.
Well, I have a friend for you.
Last summer I had the privilege of attending the She Speaks conference hosted by Proverbs 31 Ministry. It’s for aspiring writers and speakers and it was completely delightful. Especially the moment when a tap on my shoulder had me turning around to see a sorority sister from college standing before me. Emily and I had not been super close in college, likely because she had her head on way more straight than I ever imagined at that time and she was not prone to hanging out in the same places I was back then. However, this familiar face brought me such joy and peace. I instantly had a desire to reconnect and learn about what she was up to.
A few months later I reached out and learned that Emily’s aspiration to share the gospel through her gift of financial understanding and counsel had come to fruition through her new book, Faithful Finance
I am so proud and impressed by my friend. This book is the real deal. It’s so much more than a book about money. It’s a book about life and love and caring for your loved ones and loving the Lord and trusting Him. Emily has such a sincere and non-intimidating way to set you on a journey of not only financial success, but an eternal path.
With all my heart I believe in the power we have as women when we learn how to marry our God given gifts with His purpose. Emily is a shining example.
You may be wondering why I am talking finances on a home décor/DIY type blog. It’s because I think the two go together like PB&J. So often we hold back in decorating our homes or tackling grandiose dreams because fear of finances bully us around. OR…our love of shopping and crafting cause us to overspend and get us into deep financial trouble. The freedom comes in both of these extremes with knowledge. Emily has the knowledge to help you know how much you can responsibly spend on your shopping habit each month or how to devise a plan to live out those big dreams in your head. Knowledge friends…it’s a good thing.
Here are a few Q&A’s from my chat with Emily I thought you’d enjoy!
Money is a tool to be used wisely. It can be the root of all evil but it most definitely is not the root of all evil. This is a very common misconception. Working hard and creating wealth is also not bad. God honors hard work and He wants us to be wise stewards of the resources He has given to us.
God is a good God. He wants a relationship with each and everyone of us. The only way to know if your life is truly insured is to have a relationship with Jesus Christ.
5. Finances can be intimidating. What is one thing you would encourage women to start doing with their finances TODAY?
The very first step to achieving financial freedom is to create a realistic and detailed monthly budget. I have already done the hard part. I have created a budget worksheet for you. Simply go to: www.emilygstroud.com and enter your email address and I will send you a budget worksheet. This takes one more excuse away for not doing this today!
***! She wants to sit and have that finance chat over coffee with you today friends!
I just added this book to my Amazon wish list, I can’t wait to read it!
It is a great, easy to understand book!
Sounds like a great book. I think your friend is on point in her idea to create a welcoming home within our financial means. There is SO much you can do to create a beautiful home, even without a ton of money.
I couldn’t agree more!!!
I think this would be a helpful book with lots of encouraging ways to get you on the right track with money! We are living in such a social media world, its all around us, and it can be so easy to fall into this trap of buying and comparing. I think her spiritual view and experience will be helpful to many woman out their! God wants to give us our desires and to be able to express them, but she is so right you have to find the balance and rest in that! All the best to her ! :))
Yes! I think when we look at the spiritual aspect of money it is so much more helpful to keep things in perspective!
Thanks for sharing this! I’m really good at creating a budget but really bad at sticking with it. I track every single expense but we rarely sit down and actually discuss it….accountability is lacking in my house. 🙂
The Queen in Between
I completely get that…it is hard to stay firm, her book helps with more than budget but so much stems from there!