I was explaining to a teenager the ‘cost’ of something. It was McDonald’s soda. $1. If you go to McDonald’s 15 times a month, and you buy $1 soda with someone else… the cost is $30/month or $360 per year.
If you add flaming hot cheetos snack size bags at the grocery store at $1 a bag – buying 2 when you go… 2 time a week that’s $16 per month… $192 per year.
That’s $552 PER YEAR on stuff that you don’t even need… She was talking about wanting a $200 camera... she could almost buy 3 cameras...
And if you don't think it's 'that much'... you can write me a check...
In our house, we don’t really drink pop, never been big pop drinkers, thankfully, but there are other things that I do spend our money on… and I am evaluating that ‘stuff’. We don’t eat chips… but we do love Nutella… or cereal… or… you get the point.
We also love to eat out… I LOVE it! LOVE IT! I love walking in after a long stressful day, and ordering food, relaxing/chatting a bit, eating, and not cleaning up. But I also know that comes with a price. It costs me not being able to go on more vacations, it means less in my savings accounts, it means less to give. Or getting a lump in my throat when I think about buying tires for my van. It means more stress than needed when think about college…
So while I help others, I don’t point out things without thinking about how what I spend my money effects us, what does it cost us?
Yesterday I ran late for a meeting… I thought about stopping and just grabbing something… quick Arby’s Wendy’s, McDonald’s subway, but I had spaghetti left over from lunch… but I thought about it… one meal out a week… That is not the meal I would choose if I only allow myself one meal out a week. So I ate cold spaghetti. I did. Because it might have not been my first choice, but it was the best choice.
There is a book by Andy Stanley ‘The greatest question ever’. And in the book it says that you should ask yourself when making a decision…
Is this a wise decision based on my past experiences, my current circumstances, and my future hopes and dreams?
WOW! Think about that for a minute or an hour… or a week. And start thinking about the decisions you make…
So back to my question… what does it cost you?
For me… spending money when I shouldn’t does cost me money, it costs me not being able to give, it costs me vacations, it costs me stress, but most importantly and really the only thing that truly matters…
It costs me a closer relationship with Jesus.
When I am stressing out and begging for Him to rescue me out of my current circumstances… When I am worried… When I KNOW what His word says, and I made the wrong choice, it makes me sin, it means that in order for me to get right, it’s an apology and repentance. All the while, we (me & Jesus) could have been laughing and making a difference for His Kingdom.
How much does it cost me?
More than I like to admit. And more than I'm willing to sacrifice.
Comments
It's those pennys that people will pass up on the street that add up to dollars!