For the Love of Family

Food Budgeting 101: Convo with Collin, #3

We missed you last week. Collin and I were attending a family reunion and our good intentions for blogging were superseded by together family time. Collin reports that things are going well. He has not run out of money, nor has he been hungry! He is surviving his limited food budget simply because he has a bigger goal in mind –  to be debt free. Student loans are in the grace period with the first payment due in September.  With only one school loan, he will be debt free in August. To hear his full story, click here. There are […]

Finances, Food, For the Love of Family

Food Budgeting 101: Convo with Collin #2

When I checked in with Collin this week, he reported that things were going well, he as plenty of food and not going hungry – LOL. He does want to experiment with some new recipes etc. but doesn’t want to take too many chances and have to throw food away. He has decided that he can live on simple foods as described here for six months. By then he will have paid his one and only school loan in full and will have a bit more margin in his budget. This is what it’s about my friends! His goal is […]

Finances, For the Love of Family

Food Budgeting 101: A conversation with Collin

Explanation and Disclaimer: Last week Collin, our middle son and recent college graduate, and I wrote a blog on graduating from college almost debt free. For the next few weeks, we will be having an ongoing dialogue about his food budget. Much can be learned from his journey, and we would love to have your feedback and suggestions. And the disclaimer. Collin is a natural researcher, saver, and able to live very simply. We are convinced he came out of the womb this way! Oh, the stories we will tell! But he does give each of us a perspective that […]

Family, Finances, For the Love of Family

Almost Debt-Free College – is it worth it?

A few weeks ago we celebrated our son Collin’s college graduation  At both the senior dinner and the graduation ceremony, graduates were encouraged to practice generosity – not forgetting the private institution from which they were graduating. Within six months over 70% of American graduates will begin their student loan payments. In 2014, Wall Street Journal reported that the average student debt for that year’s class would be $33,000. And with an upward trend of over 70% of college students choosing to borrow money, coming out of college debt-free is really a minority position. In order to do so, students […]

Family, For the Love of Family

When Silence Isn’t Golden

As he pulled out of the church parking lot, Ken engaged in thought. The lesson was inspiring, and he was looking forward to discussing with friends over lunch.  Yet, it was silent in the car; what had he done now? Did he say something wrong causing embarrassment?  or was she too, pondering the sermon?  That uncomfortable feeling set in: the fear of saying something when he shouldn’t, and the fear of keeping quiet when he shouldn’t.  Two more blocks and if the car was still silent, he would muster the courage to say something.  Here goes: “so what’s wrong with you?” […]

For the Love of Family

use what you’ve got….

“She gave birth to her first son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the village inn.” Luke 2:7 As I listened to this familiar story, something struck me; I had never seen it before. Mary and Joseph used what they had, what God provided. Mary and Joseph were being obedient to the law, and had left their home so that Joseph could take part in the census. The baby came at an inconvenient time. Mary and Joseph were traveling. There wasn’t a place to […]