Day 23

Today I decide to be wealthy.

I called the unemployment center to find out what I needed to do to continue my unemployment benefits, and found out that I just need to have with me my information of October, November and December employment, and do it on the internet.

I did inventory today at a store that sells decorating supplies--knick knacks, furniture, garden art, candles, silk flowers, stuff that looks antique, but was copied off of old early 1900's furniture, very chunky.  According to the book, step #4, this money would be put directly into savings.  Sorry, it's going to the current crop of bills.

Wealthy people pay their bills.  I finally quit putting off talking to the doctor's office about a bill that I got in December 2011, for a visit I'd had in August 2010.  I'd gone in, got my heart listened to and my blood-pressure taken, and told to get my blood checked and a mammogram and come back.  I went to get the blood test, and the insurance refused to pay for it, as it put it to the $1000 deductible, and I knew that it wouldn't pay for the mammogram as it didn't when I have one a few years earlier.  It turned out that everything was fine, except my blood sugar was high. I didn't have a job to even have the hope of being able to pay for anything extra, as I was already being drained by the health insurance, so I didn't go back, and I didn't get a bill until December 2011.  Dr. K. has been very good to our family, and so I called, found out the amount, and arranged to pay for it in $5 increments.  I think that the new billing system, which used to be in his office but is now contracted out, sent the bill, and that he probably didn't even know that they'd done it.

Today I decide to be wealthy.

Day 22

Today I decide to be wealthy.

I am now more than a third through the trial period.

The 5 lessons are --my note are in italics:

1. decide to be wealthy  --doing that part now
2. take responsibility for your money. --working on it
3. keep a portion of everything you earn  --does left over coins in the coat pocket count?
4. win in the margins --find some way to make money that's during your non-regular paycheck time
5. give back --tithing and charity.

I've always done #5.  I've paid tithing since I was a child, and my mom told me not to, as it cost the church more to process the nickel than it was worth.  So I guess in a way, paying my tithing was a form of rebellion against my mom, but it was still keeping the commandment to put God first, first.  So keeping the commandment to love God is honoring my mom.

Anyway, Malachi 3:10--- Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

I also give a fast offering once a month.  A fast offering is when we fast for at least two meals and give the money we would have spent on them to the bishop.  The church uses it to help the poor (like me).  Fast offerings fund the Bishop's Storehouses.  When I had a regular paycheck, I usually gave $20 a month.  Now it's $10.  For $10, that could buy a loaf of bread, a gallon of milk, a dozen eggs, a pound of butter. The last time I got food from the storehouse, it was before the girls came home from college.  I'd say that we got $100 worth of groceries, if not more.  Dairy, canned foods, soaps, baking ingredients, as if we'd gone to the store and bought it all.  (I'd gotten some meats before, and someone was cleaning out their family freezer and gave us some more.)


I would like to give $100 every month, with $200 at Christmas time. Perhaps sometime in this life, I will be able to do that. The largest I gave was $300, when my aunt died and left me some money in her will.  (We paid off the septic system and the water hook-up with most of it.) 

My girls are in college or graduated, and they have good lives.  My husband and I are still together, and we are still in our house.  If we need to, we can get some more food from the Bishop's Storehouse. Our parents are in good health, and we have gas in the car.  We went over to the town where my brother and his family live, and had a nice visit.  We are still so very broke, but at least we are still breathing.


From time to time, I give small donations to other charities.


Tomorrow I have a one-time job doing inventory at a store.  $10 an hour, maybe five hours at the most.  If I had a regular job, this would be part of Lesson #4.


Today I decide to be wealthy.