Can you truly live generously on a tight budget?

Ralph
00:00:00

Are you struggling to balance your faith and finances? Do you feel like you can't give generously because your budget is already so tight? Imagine being able to give cheerfully, even sacrificially, without feeling the pinch of financial stress. Imagine the joy of knowing that your generosity is making a real difference in someone else's life.

Well today, we're gonna explore practical tips and biblical principles that will help you live generously on a limited budget. So if you're ready to experience the joy of giving and see your financial situation improve, stay tuned because today's episode is all about you. The question we're answering today is, can you truly live generously on a tight budget?

Podcast Announcer
00:00:46

In a world where crushing debt keeps you trapped, where living paycheck to paycheck has become your new normal, and where the dream of retirement seems impossibly out of reach, there's hope. Join financial evangelist Ralph Estep Jr. A man who's walked through the fire of financial failure and emerged stronger on the other side.

Welcome to Ask Ralph, the show where real world experience meets biblical truth to break the bondage of financial despair.

Get ready to take control of your money, break free from the financial stress and align your resources with God's purpose for your life. This is Ask Ralph with Ralph Estep Jr.

Ralph
00:01:23

Welcome to our Sunday show. I'm Ralph, your Financial Evangelist, and I am absolutely thrilled you've chosen to spend this sacred time with me. Today, we're diving deep into the heart of generosity. It's an important topic. I talk about this on the show routinely, and we're gonna explore how you can live a generous life even when finances are tight. And I promise you, this episode is gonna be filled with practical advice, I'm gonna fill it with biblical wisdom, and I'm gonna give you heartfelt encouragement to help you live generously, even on that tight budget. Now yesterday, we had a lively discussion. We talked about whether that 30% rule for housing costs is still a wise guideline today.

The key takeaway was while 30% rule can be a helpful benchmark, it's important to consider your unique financial situation and adjust accordingly. So if you have missed it, I'm gonna encourage you to check it out at askralph.com.

Well, now let's get to today's topic and let's get to this heartfelt question that we got from Kim, and this is what she writes. "Dear Ralph, I'm a single mom of two beautiful children. I work hard to provide for them, but finances are always tight. I want to be generous with my time and money, but I often feel like I can't afford to give.
How can I generously give on a tight budget without compromising my family's needs?"

Well Kim, let me start by thanking you so much for your question and for sharing your story with us. My heart truly goes out to you. I remember the struggle my own mother had when she was raising my sister and I on a really tight budget, and I know firsthand how challenging it can truly be to balance your finances, especially as a single parent.

And the thing that I love about what you said, that desire to be generous. Listen Kim, that is super commendable. But that desire can also feel overwhelming at times. It can feel tough when you're struggling to make ends meet. And I want you to first know this Kim, you are not alone on this journey. I am right here with you and many people face that same dilemma, and I'm here to help you navigate this journey.

I've got some great tips today that can help you maintain that generosity even on a tight budget. I remember a time when a client of mine was in a similar situation. She was a single mother, had a limited income, but she was one of these people that had a true heart of love, and she had this strong desire to give back to her community.

She was able to do it because through careful planning and commitment to biblical principles, she was able to find ways to be generous without compromising her family's needs. So today we're gonna explore how you can do that same thing Kim, because here's a big takeaway. At the start, Ralph's dropping takeaways right away.
There is hope and I'm gonna give you concrete action steps today to help you live generously on a super tight budget.

Now if you've got a question you'd like me to answer, just like Kim's, head over to justaskralph.com. Because listen, this is the truth. I love answering your questions.
It's what fuels me, and it's the central part of what we do here on this show. It's my goal to provide you with the answers you need to find financial peace of mind.

So Kim, with your question to mind, let's transition to what I found is a powerful Bible verse. It speaks directly to that heart of generosity, and it comes to us from 2 Corinthians chapter 9, verse 7, and it says this, "Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." You think about it, that cheerful giver in many ways, that's the whole point of this whole show. That's the whole point of today's episode for sure. And I don't know about you, but I've had times when I didn't feel so cheerful when I was doing that tithing or when I was doing that gifting.

But if we really focus on what this verse is teaching us, it teaches us that generosity is not about the amount we give. A lot of people get hung up on that. It's not about the amount. It's not how many zeros come after that. That's not what the point is. You are never gonna outlive or outgive God.

The main focus though, is your attitude. It's the feeling of your heart. So Kim, ask yourself this. What is the attitude of your heart? That's where you gotta start, because God himself says he loves a cheerful giver, and that's the spirit we wanna embody.
Sometimes that's not easy to do. I'm gonna talk about how to get to that in today's show.
But that verse also reminds us that our giving is an act of worship. It's an act of gratitude, and it should never be done out of an obligation or a feeling of guilt. And in the end, one of the beautiful things about this Bible verse, it reads us to this point that it's about recognizing that everything we have is a gift from God.

Everything we have, you've heard me say this probably a million times on this show. Everything we have is a gift from God, and we're called to manage those gifts. We're called to manage those things, he gives us wisely and generously.

So today, I am so grateful for the opportunity to share this message with you.
I am super excited about what I'm gonna talk about today. And I'm also thankful for the Lord's guidance in my life and those experiences He's given me to help others navigate these same financial challenges. It is truly a privilege to serve as your financial evangelist and to share this wisdom that I've gained over almost 30 years of practice and working with people, who Kim, find themselves in the exact same place you found yourself. And today, I am just grateful for the chance to make a difference in your life, Kim and anyone else listening.

That is what I am grateful for today.

Well, let me tell you about a client I had named Lisa. And listen, this story is the definition, I mean the absolute definition of the power of generosity, even on a tight budget. And when I say tight budget, I mean a super tight budget. I'm talking shoehorn type.

So, let me tell you about Lisa. Lisa, is a client I met a few years ago. She was just like you Kim, a single mom raising two children. And Lisa was one of these hardworking people. She worked multiple jobs to make ends meet, but her finances were always tight. There was always braces or there was this car repair or this home repair.

There was always something that was getting in the way that was making that budget tight. I know she got so frustrated at times. She says, Ralph, I'm working two jobs. I'm scrimping here, I'm saving there. But it seems like no matter what I do, it's always tight. But even in the midst of those financial struggles, Lisa had this heart for giving. Kim, have you ever met somebody like that? Somebody that just seems to have a heart for others, no matter what their circumstances were. And she, Lisa was one of these people. She would often bake cookies for her neighbors. She asked them if they needed help, she'd babysit for free for them, and she even donated her clothes to local charities.

Because here's the thing, as her kids were growing older, Lisa made a point to make sure that those clothes, if they were slightly used, I think she used the word vintage or something like that, that they were given to another family. That was important to her. That's just who she was. She had this cheerful and this grateful heart.

So one day Lisa comes to me with a dilemma. She had been a tax client I think for five years at this point. And I always look forward to seeing her. She was one of these people that was just bubbly. She was positive. As soon as she walked in the door, you could feel that positive energy. She always had a smile on her face from ear to ear and truth is she did struggle financially, but you would've never known that from the outside.

So she reached out to get some financial counseling. So she comes in one day, she sits with me, but she says to me, she says, Ralph, you know, I'm really struggling. And all of a sudden I noticed that grin started to get a little more somber. And she had received this unexpected medical bill. As I recall, one of her kids had a broken arm or something along those lines. And she said, Ralph, she says, you know, insurance didn't cover it.

I'm not sure what I'm gonna do. She wasn't sure how she was gonna pay for it. So as I do with all clients, we started to outline where she was financially. We talked about what she had. We talked about her debts, we talked about her income, and I noticed that Lisa actually had a pretty decent size emergency fund.

It wasn't astronomical. As I recall, it was maybe a thousand dollars or something like that. And I said to her, and she thought I was crazy when I said this. I said, Hey, Lisa, have you ever considered using that fund to help others in need? Now as I think about it now, I think what an odd question I asked her, but at the time I had a point in mind. And she looked at me and surprised and she said, Ralph, wait a second, dude, I need that money for emergencies.

You know, here she was worried about a bill she didn't know how to pay, and I was suggesting that she used those limited funds to help someone else. And I know deep down she must have thought Ralph has lost his mind. Probably thought that I was thinking about somebody else and that I completely forgot about her situation.

I hadn't, because I had something else in mind. I had a lesson, I had something that I thought she could profit from. And I said to her this, I said Lisa, it's important to have an emergency fund. I preach about that. I talk about that three to six months worth of income, but sometimes the best way to use it is to help others.

And at that point, I know what she's thinking. Her eyes rolled back in her head. She's thinking, Ralph, let me just tell you something, pal. Charity starts at home. Let me ask you Kim, and everyone else listening, what would you have thought? Wouldn't you have thought the same thing? But as I talked to Lisa more, I said, listen, I'm gonna encourage you, Lisa.

You're a faithful person, trust in God's provision. And I said to her, listen, just trust me on this. Work to give generously even when it's difficult. Now, that was not something that Lisa wanted to hear. Hey, she was here to, she was at my office for me to help her get through a tough time financially.

She's figuring out how am I gonna pay this bill and here I am telling her to do something completely outside the realm of reasonableness. So reluctantly, Lisa, you know she trusted me. We had worked together for a long time and she took my advice to heart and she decided to take a bit of that emergency fund to help a neighbor who was struggling with their own medical bill.

Now, let me just tell you, think about what I just said. Here, Lisa is at a small emergency fund. She's got this bill for this broken arm that one of her children had, and she's taken money out of her emergency fund and helping out her neighbor. So let me just tell you, I mean, this was a complete act of faith, but wait to hear what happens next.

A lot of people don't believe this. So fast forward a couple weeks later, Lisa gets this unexpected check in the mail. It turns out that neighbor that she had helped was so touched by her generosity that they shared her story with other people. And all of a sudden, this group of friends had come together to raise money to help Lisa with her own medical bills.
Lisa was overwhelmed. She couldn't believe the, she was amazed at how God had provided for her needs, and she was so overwhelmed with gratitude. I remember she called me when she got that check and she said, Ralph, you're never gonna believe this. She told me about this story. She said, I was amazed.

And I simply said to her, I said, Lisa, I said, listen, and this might be a cliche thing to say, but I see that's what faith can do. So don't we serve an awesome God? But this story illustrates something even deeper. It illustrates that power of sacrificial giving, and that's the whole point. When you give out of abundance, it's easy.

Giving when it's a sacrifice, man, that's where the rubber meets the road. So when we give generously, even when it's difficult, that's when we're truly reflecting God's abundant love and provision. It's just that is the truth. See again, I'm going to say something I said at the beginning. It's not about the amount we give.

It's not about the amount. Like I said earlier, you're never gonna outgive God. He's got more resource than any of us will have. It's about that attitude of our hearts. So let me ask you again, how's your heart? Ask yourself this. What would you have done? Would you have been like Lisa, would you stepped out in faith?

Would you have sought first to help someone else or would that flesh have come through and would you have circled the wagons and just worried about yourself? Listen, I'm sitting here as I record this. I'm not even sure what I would've done looking back at it now. That's a tough one, isn't it?

But Kim, that's the whole point. That's the whole point of today's show. It's about being generous when it's tough. It's about being charitable when you've got those limited resources. And the biggest piece of it is finding joy and giving. It's all about finding that place of cheerful giving.

So I bet you're asking Ralph, that sounds beautiful, man. I would love to do that, but Ralph, I got limited resources. Man, you're talking about how great it is. You're talking about stepping out in faith, but how do I make that happen? I'm glad you asked, because guess what? I've got some practical tips for you, Kim.

So Kim, let's get to some practical tips to help you live generously on that tight budget. Here's the first thing I'm going to say to you. This is going to be completely counterintuitive. Give first. When you create that budget, when you make that intentional spending plan, make giving your first priority. Make that at the top of the budget. You might be saying Ralph that seems very strange. I thought I was supposed to do my critical expenses. My essential expenses. Well, let me let you know a little truth bomb. Giving is essential. See, this seems very strange for those who don't share our faith. It seems almost counterintuitive, but at the very start, give first, decide how much you'll give, and then allocate the rest of your income to those essential expenses and to those wants.

Because remember this. This is a truism. It's not yours in the first place. This has been given to you by God. You are to shepherd it. You are to steward it. You are to use it wisely. And see, if you give first, here's the beautiful thing. That's gonna ensure that giving is not an afterthought. It's not gonna be something, well, you know, I get to the bottom line at end of the month, I got a couple extra bucks.

Let me throw it in a collection plate. If you make it the first thing, guess what it becomes? It becomes the central part of your financial plan. So that's the first thing. Give first. Second thing, yes, Ralph's gonna talk about budgets. Seems like every day Ralph talks about budgets. Well, guess what? What gets measured gets done.

If you wanna keep yourself moving forward financially, create a budget. Track your income and expenses to get a clear picture of where your money's going. You're never gonna figure out a way to make giving work if you don't know where your money's going. Do that budget, track those expenses, identify areas where you can cut back and prioritize giving as a regular expense.

Like I said, put it at the top and find savings not to hoard for yourself. You know, don't just worry about, well, how much do I have in my bank account? How much do I have in my retirement account? How much do I have in that vacation club savings account? That's not what God intends for you. He doesn't want you to hoard what you have.

I'm not saying don't plan. I'm not saying don't have an emergency fund. I'm not saying don't plan for retirement. But listen, you've got to build into that budget. Make that a catalyst for giving. One of the best ways you can do that, and this is the third thing on my list of things to do, is set some savings goals.

You know, we set goals for a lot of things in life, but how many of us sit down and put together a savings plan. Building that emergency fund. That's so crucial. Well maybe you're thinking about buying a house, talk about building that down payment fund or whatever things you're looking at. Maybe you've got a child that's getting ready to go into college.

Build that education fund. Because here's the truth. When I've worked with clients over the past 30 years, that can motivate you. Once you start seeing money going into that account, it's a motivator. And here is a very simple truth. Listen to me on this. The more you can save, the more you can give. That's just the truth. If you're saving money, if you're spending wisely, that opens up the door to be able to give more.

I say this on the show routinely. You've got to get your own financial house in order before you can ever hope to bless someone else. You got to fix your roof first. You can't go fix the neighbor's roof if the water is steaming through yours, fix your house first. One of the best ways to work with savings is to automate that. Set up automated savings to just automatically, let's say you get paid once a week, set up a separate account that money goes right out into that savings account right away.

Because what does that do? It makes it consistent. It helps build that habit. See, because it's all about savings, because like I said, a few minutes ago. The more you save, the more you can give. Now, maybe you're already doing that, but you're like, Ralph, man, things are still tight. I can't even afford to save.

Well, then maybe you gotta think about reducing some of your expenses. But again, you've gotta look at what they are. You've gotta measure those. You gotta track those things. So look for ways to reduce your monthly expenses. Then maybe that means you cook at home more often. Maybe you're using coupons. We talked about this on the show yesterday.

What are some things you can do to slash that grocery bill? What are some things you can do to save money all around, negotiate rates for services, whatever those things are. Measure them and then look at what you can cut. Now maybe you're like, Ralph, dude, I'm at a bare bones budget, man. I'm just hitting my essentials.

Well, then maybe the next step is you gotta figure out ways to increase your income. It's a simple process. What comes in? What goes out? Either you gotta increase what's coming in or decrease what's going out. It's kind of like a diet. You know, I've been really working at losing weight, and I'm about one pound away from losing 20 pounds in the last two months because I'm really paying attention to it.

I'm measuring every single thing that goes into my body. I'm measuring my exercise. I'm looking at what I'm doing every day. You got to look at your finances the same way I look at how many calories come in, how many calories go out. And guess what? The simple truth about weight loss. The simple truth about finances is it's just a measure of what's coming in and what's going out.

So maybe you've gotta focus on doing some side work. Maybe you've gotta look for some ways to enhance your money, ask for that raise at work, or something along those lines. And it really comes down to those two things. A lot of times you'd be like, Ralph, okay, great, that's fine. I have done everything I can do.

I got two kids at home. I can't take on a second job. One of the other things you can do is give creatively. See, generosity is not limited to financial giving. So many people miss this truth. It's not just money that you can give. You can give your time, you can give your talents, you can give your possessions to those in need.

Just like Lisa was doing with giving her slightly used children's clothes to somebody else, that's an act of generosity. You can volunteer at a local charity. You can offer to help a neighbor. You can bake them cookies. It doesn't take a whole lot of money to bake cookies. Of course, the price of eggs right now, that might be a different story, but you can, like I said, you can donate gently used items.

You also can consider giving non-monetary assets. Maybe you've got some stocks or property that you inherited or something like that, and those could be tax efficient ways. I'm not gonna spend a lot of time talking about that, but they could, they could really impact organizations that you support. And this one, I love this one.

Somebody said this to me the other day. They said Ralph, I'm learning to practice frugality. I'm learning to be more intentional with my money. And guess what she said to me. This client said to me, she goes, Ralph, as I've been more intentional, I've found ways to be more generous. And see in the end, big takeaway at this point. It's all about being intentional. It's all about being aware of what's going on. Just like me with my diet, I'm looking at what's coming in, what's going out, what are the exercises I'm doing? Look at your finances the same way. Because the truth is by spending less on those non-essentials, those things that you don't absolutely have to have, I'm talking about the wants here.

You can free up those resources to give to others, and I'm gonna tell you, that will change the dynamic of your world. Now Kim, these are just some of the ideas I've shared with others throughout the years, and if you can implement just a couple of these, just one or two of them, you're not gonna only improve your financial situation, but you're gonna find abundance that you can share with others. You're gonna be that cheerful giver. Now, you might be thinking, Ralph, listen, I hear what you're saying. But there are often obstacles to being generous, and I'm gonna go through some of those now because I want to talk about those. I want to give you ideas of how to overcome those obstacles.

The first thing we've gotta do is acknowledge them. You gotta admit that they're there. So let's discuss a few of them. I'll share some creative ways to overcome them at the same time. So let me ask you this. Are you ready to overcome the obstacles to generosity? Alright, well let's get started with that. Here's some common obstacles of generosity.

The number one thing. When I looked at this, I thought about my own life. The number one obstacle is that fear of scarcity. All of us has felt like this. When finances are tight, it's easy to fall into that scarcity mindset.

Take on that false belief that there's just not enough to go around. And listen, that's what Lisa thought. Kim, you might be thinking the same thing. Maybe you're thinking, how in the world am I gonna pay my medical bills? How can I do that? Ralph's encouraged me to help my neighbor. I can't even pay my own bills. She started that scarcity mindset.

And it takes over. But here's the thing. The Bible teaches us all over that God is our provider and He'll meet our needs. And that's where we get that trust. We gotta trust in God's provision, and He can help us overcome that fear of scarcity and learn to give generously. So just ask God, listen, God, I'm fearful of this.

This scares me. Trust me, He will help you overcome that. The second one, lack of trust. And let me just tell you, this is something I battle with personally. I don't know about you, Kim, but how about you? You know, sometimes we hesitate to give because God, we don't trust that God will provide for us. We think, oh, you know what, that sounds good for everybody else.

But, and maybe you're listening to this story about Lisa and you're going, sure, Ralph. Yeah, sure. That's not gonna happen to me. My neighbors aren't gonna get together and send me a check. Try it. Just try it. Test God. God will surprise you. He has done this so many times in my 52 years of life. I remember when my wife and I were first starting out with two little kids and man, it was tough making ends meet and we would get to the end of the month sometimes. at the time I was getting paid once a month with, if you've ever gotten a once a month paycheck, man, you learn how to budget and I wasn't very good at it. I remember this one particular month, we were really struggling. I'm talking about we, and now we got two young boys, I think at the time, maybe like two years old and maybe four or five years old.

And we're looking at the cupboard and the cupboard's bare. We're looking in the refrigerator. There's a couple things in there and we're thinking, oh boy, what are we gonna do? And we're struggling. We're asking, you know, can we borrow from this one? Can we sell this? I'm thinking about, you know, trading in stuff.

What can I do to find some money? And we were just sitting at the kitchen table. The wife and I were thinking, you know, this is a challenge. And we weren't all that faithful at the time, but I remember in my own mind saying, God, you know, show me a way with this. Well, all of a sudden, my wife walks out to the mailbox, and this is an absolutely true story.
She walks out to the mailbox. The normal thing,let me go get the mail. She comes back in the house and she's so excited. She's like, Ralph, Ralph, you're never gonna believe this. I said, what's going on? And my wife's name is Jennifer. I said, Jennifer, what's going on? She goes, look at this.

Look at this. It is a check. And it's a check for like 300 bucks from an insurance company. Well, turns out we had gotten a rebate on our auto insurance because we hadn't had any accidents, we hadn't had any claims. And here they are sending us this money and let me tell you right now, that $300 or whatever it was.

I can't remember the exact amount. That's exactly what we needed to make it through the end of the month. So tell me we don't serve an awesome God. See? You're never gonna outgive God. And just in that, that's just a small little thing. He just showed up there and He made it work. And the thing is, the Bible is full of stories of God's faithfulness.

And as we step out in faith and as we give generously, we're gonna experience God's provision and we're gonna grow in trust for Him. Lisa learned this, that first step when I said to her, help your neighbor is probably the scariest step that she had to go through. She had that lack of trust coupled with that feeling of scarcity, and that is not easy to overcome, but she took that first step.

She put that trust in him. Well, the third thing I'm gonna talk about is materialism. Listen, we are surrounded by materialism. Our culture promotes this materialistic mindset. So many of us find our identity and security in what we have, our possessions, our cars, our houses, our clothing, our jewelry, and that can make being generous difficult.

Let me dare say this, almost impossible. If you think all you are is based on what you have, I feel so sad for you, but I've been there. I've mentioned on the show many times. I've had the fancy sports car, I've had the flashy watches, I've had this, I've had the vacation, I've had the trips, but guess what?

That wasn't who I am as a person. But the world will tell me, oh, Ralph, if you don't have this, you've not arrived. You know, if you don't have the highlight film to put on Facebook and Instagram and TikTok, man, you haven't arrived. But let's get back to scripture because the Bible teaches us a very deep truth. And that is wealth is found in our relationship with God and serving others.

It's not found in the stuff we have. Because here's a simple truth. Guess what? When you reach to end to your days, you're not taking it with you. It's not going anywhere. It's all about that relationship with God. It's all about serving others. It's all about focusing on eternal values. When we focus our sights on that, we focus what that looks like, what that feels like, that's when we can overcome this grip of materialism. That's when we can overcome that and we can start to give generously. Now Kim, I found few verses from scripture which speak to this, and I just wanna share them with everybody today.

Here's one from Proverbs chapter 11 verses 24 and 25.
"One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty." And I love this part. "A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed." Listen, when I read that in preparing for this show, all I could say was, wow. Think about that for a second. A generous person will prosper.

Whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. And see, what does that say to us? What do we hear in that? It emphasizes that blessings come from being generous. They come from that generosity. See, we can give freely and refresh others, and at the same time, we are refreshed, we prosper. It highlights a simple truth of the Christian faith, and it's that reciprocal nature of generosity.

And think about that story with Lisa. She went to that neighbor who was struggling with that medical bill, and she said, listen, I want to help you. And I don't, I wasn't there at the time, but I'm sure that neighbor probably said, oh no, Lisa, no, I can't take your money. I don't wanna do that. No, no. You, you worry about you.

You got those sweet little kids over here. You worry about you. And Lisa insisted, even when she felt that scarcity, she had that fear, she had that doubt, she had that lack of trust. And in the end, this person shared that blessing with others. And what came back, it came back full circle. Let me give you another Bible verse, and this one comes from Malachi chapter 3, verse 10.

I love this one. I talk about this one on the show all the time. "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this." Listen to me. What did he say? "Test me in this, says the Lord Almighty, and see if I will not throw open the flood gates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it."

Think about that for a second. The Lord said, test me on this. He's telling you, He's saying to you, He's commanding you to test Him. God is saying to us in this verse, test my faithfulness. Give generously, and I promise you will find abundance in those blessings when you are faithful in giving. And it underscores the beauty of our Christian faith, and that is the importance of tithing and the importance of stewardship, even when we feel like we can't do it, even when we're fighting the battle to try to pay our own bills.

And finally, this great one from the Book of Luke, chapter 6, verse 38. And I love this one because this just sums it up. Very simple. "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

And see, this verse just encapsulate the whole picture of what we're talking about today. Cause it teaches us that the more we give, the more we receive. It emphasizes the principle of reaping what we sow, encouraging us to be generous with our resources and knowing that God will bless us in return. Now Kim, let's talk about some practical applications right from scripture, because listen, I've given you a lot to digest.

I've given you a lot to reflect on, a lot to think about, but right in the scripture, here are some things that are mentioned in the scripture routinely. There's a reason that it's in there. It's in the Good Book. So here are some great ways that you can put generosity into practice.

I'm not saying to do all these things, but these are some great ways that don't cost you much. First thing, random act of kindness. Start by performing, you know, small acts of kindness each day. This could be something simple as paying for someone else's coffee. Helping a neighbor. You see them out there with yard work going over there and grabbing a rake and helping them rake the yard.

Or maybe it's something as simple as writing a handwritten note, a thank you note to a friend. Man, we gotta do more of that. We gotta interact with each other and stop all this electronic texting and emails. Write a note. Put your heart into it. Don't you think in today's crazy world, we could all benefit from just a few random acts of kindness.

Another thing you can do is volunteer your time. Listen, local charities, local churches, community organizations are looking for people to help. And see, it doesn't cost you a dime, just your time. That volunteering, it not only helps others, but it will enrich your life. And like I said, the best part of that is it won't cost you a dime besides maybe a little gas to get there and your time.

One of the other things I'm gonna encourage you to do Kim, is share your skills. God has given us all talents. He's given us all skills that we should use to help others. If you're good at cooking, offer to make meals for those in need. You don't want me cooking. I'm not a good at that. If I make meals with people, but they're gonna be in trouble.

But if you're skilled in a particular area, maybe you offer classes or workshops to share your knowledge, Hey, this is why I do what I do. God has given me the skill to understand finance. He's given me the tools to reach people. I'm gonna encourage you to do the same thing. Use your God-given talents to bless others.

And if you haven't heard me on this, hear me on this, you got to tithe regularly. Make that the part of your budget at the first. Set aside 10%. If you can't get to 10%, start at something, but build that momentum. Work towards that. Give that to your church, give that to missionaries. Give that to some local charitable organization that you support and make it a regular practice.

And like I said, even if you start with just a small amount, just look to increase that over time. And like I said earlier, put that as the first item in your budget so that you focus in on that. One of the great ways to make that happen is automated giving. Set up those automatic donation. This is something our church and many other organizations promote because it's a great way to make sure you're doing it consistently. And learn to give sacrificially. Challenge yourself to give more, even when it's difficult, even when you're writing that check and you're like, man, I just don't have this to give today, but give a little bit more than you thought you could.

Maybe you've got to save money. Maybe you've got to scrimp and save. Maybe you got to pick up a side job, but you wanna be in that place where you're being cheerful about that sacrificial giving. One of the things you can do is create a giving plan. Lay it out. Hey, this is what I'm gonna do. Look at the calendar and say, you know, our church does this in this month or this organization needs help in this month.

Include that in your plan. Maybe that's time commitments. Maybe that's sharing resources. Maybe, you know, there's a particular event like at our church, we do a fall festival, or maybe there's an Easter event. Put that on your calendar. Make that a priority. Make that a plan. Give cheerfully. Like I said, the big takeaway from this is make giving a joyful act.
Do it with a grateful heart, knowing that your generosity will be blessed in return. You can invest in others, you can educate yourself. You can read books and articles. Listen to this podcast, study Biblical principles. Attend workshops and seminars. Get your family involved. Teach your children about generosity, because here's the thing we've got to do.

We've got a generation of children that are looking to us and saying, mom, dad, grandma and grandpa, aunt, uncle. Show me the way here. Think about the impact if you can demonstrate that generosity to the people behind us, the people who are coming up behind us. So model that generosity, show them what that looks like.

And these are just a few ways that you can find ways to be generous even when your finances are tight. So let me ask you this as I close today, before we get to some other things we wanna talk about. What are you gonna start doing today? Listen to me. If you're listening right now, Kim or anyone else listening, what are you gonna start doing today?

Because I don't want you to wait till tomorrow. Now is the time to take action because here's the truth. The Lord is counting on you. He is counting on you. So start today and do something.

Now, if you wanna go a little deeper, I did write a blog post like I do for every show.
You can check that out by going to askralphpodcast.com/blog. You're gonna find more detailed information. I got some resources there and some insights to help you live generously on a tight budget. So I'll encourage you to check that out. Again, that's at askralphpodcast.com/blog.

Now let's get to our reflection questions cause I always like to come back and talk about some of the things we shared on the show and I want you to reflect on these things Kim. Number one thing. What are some ways that you can give creatively, even if you don't have money to spare? Maybe you're listening to this, you're going, Ralph, that sounds great dude, but I don't have a extra nickel.

That's fine. What are some creative ways that you can give, that you can give your time, that you can give your talents, that you can give your skills? Second thing. Think about that budget. Think about that intentional spending plan. How can you incorporate giving into your budget as a regular expense? How can you make that the top line?

How can you make that the central part of what you're gonna do? And then the third thing, I really want you to reflect on this today. Maybe you write these things down. Ask yourself this. What are some common obstacles you face when it comes to giving? What are those things that the devil's telling you, oh, I can't do this.

I got scarcity. Or I've got, you know, fear of this, I don't trust. What are those things? But more importantly than that, what are you gonna do to overcome them? You can overcome them. You can get past that. So think on that. Reflect on that.

And let me just ask you for a favor.

If you're finding value in today's episode or if you're finding value on the show, I would really love it if you would support the show. Please consider supporting us by going to askralphpodcast.com/support. Because here's a simple truth. Your support helps us reach more people with this message of hope, with this message of faith, with this message of generosity, and with this message of helping them with financial wisdom. And see, you're not just supporting us, you're partnering with us. You're helping someone else who might be facing the very same issues that we're discussing today. So why don't you consider that?
Why don't you consider supporting the show? Just go to askralphpodcast.com/support.

Well, let me just reinforce a few things that we covered today, what I call my key takeaways. These are the 1, 2, 3, 4 things that I want you to take away from today's show. Number one, living generously on a tight budget is possible.

It is possible. You can do it Kim, but you gotta align your heart with God's word and you've gotta prioritize giving as an act of worship and obedience. How do you do that? Well, by implementing practical budgeting and saving strategies, you can free up resources to support others. You can free up resources to help those in need and make a positive impact in your community.

And one of the things I want you to write down, and I want you to think about this. See, generosity, and I've said this a few times and I want to just hammer this home. Generosity is not about the amount you give. It's so much bigger than that. It's about the attitude of your heart. And finally, I encourage you to do this. As your trust in God, as it increases, as you work with your finances and you give cheerfully and sacrificially, I'm gonna make a promise to you, you will experience joy, you will experience blessings that come from living that generous life. I promise you. Take a step in faith and look for ways to be generous. Look for ways to give, even if you're on that tight budget.

Now, let me just ask you this. If you're struggling with your finances and you're like, Ralph, man, I hear what you're saying.

I want to be generous, but I just do not understand how to do it. I need help. I need someone to guide me through this. I wanna find success. I want to find peace. Well, let me encourage you. Don't wait any longer. You can book a call with me. Go to right to askralph.com. When you get to there, you'll see a button at the top.

It says book a call with Ralph and let me help you. You don't have to walk this path alone. These are not always easy things to do. You know, it's easy for you to get stuck in the quagmire of that. But let me help you, let me help you walk along that path. I help you build an individualized plan that's tailored to your unique situation.

So I'm gonna encouraging you, reach out to me today, take that first step towards financial peace of mind today, Kim and anyone else listening.

Well, before we pray today, I just wanna share a few letters from our listeners who have found hope and help through the show. This one comes to us from Bernie and he said this.
He says, "Ralph, thank you so much for your podcast. Your practical advice and biblical wisdom have been a lifeline for me. I've been able to pay off debt, I'd be able to save more, and even start giving generously. Thank you for being a beacon of hope." Listen Bernie, I'm just reflecting what the Lord is showing all of us.

I am so happy to hear that you're paying off debts, that you're saving more, but even more importantly, and this is so critical for today, you started giving generously and you're seeing the benefits of that. This next one comes from Desiree and she says this. "Your show has been a game changer for me.

I've learned so much about budgeting, and saving, and giving. I've been able to help others in need and experience that joy of generosity. Thank you for your guidance and support." Well Desiree, I say thank you for your support. Thank you for listening. Thank you for taking the things that I'm saying. I'm not talking out there into the ethos and nobody's hearing me.

It is so great to hear this and I want to hear from you because that's what keeps me going. That's what helps me continue to produce this daily content. So do me a huge favor. Send me an email. Just tell me what's on your mind. You can do that by going to ralph@askralph.com. Just send an email to ralph@askralph.com.

Tell me about your stories. Tell me about your triumphs. Tell me about your challenges. Tell me about your questions, and give me feedback of what this show has meant to you, because I wanna share that with others. I want them to also see that the dynamic can change and that they can change their paradigm and they can find financial peace.

So remember this Kim. Generosity is not about what we have. It's about who we are. It's a reflection of our hearts and our trust in God's provision. Because when we give, we're not just helping others, we're also allowing God to work through us. We are the catalyst. We're allowing God to work through us to be a blessing to those around us.

It's in giving that we truly find joy and we truly find purpose. So I encourage you, don't let your circumstances dictate your generosity. Instead, like Lisa did, like so many other people I've worked with, let your heart lead the way. Trust in God, step out in faith and watch as he multiplies your giving and blesses you abundantly.

So let's close in prayer. Let's pray together. Dear Heavenly Father, we come before You today, grateful for Your love and provision in our lives. Thank You for the reminder that everything we have is a gift from You, and that You have called us to be good stewards of these gifts. Lord, we lift up Kim and her family to You.

We ask that You would help her to live more generously, even when her resources are tight. Help her to trust in Your provision and give cheerfully and give sacrificially, knowing that You will bless her in return. Father, we ask that You guide Kim in her giving. Show her where to give, show her how to give and show her what to give.

Help her to be creative in her generosity, and to see the needs of those around her. Lord, we ask that You would help Kim to overcome any obstacles to generosity, help her to overcome the fear of scarcity, to trust in Your faithfulness, and to let go of materialism. We want You to help us to do that as well.

Help her to find her identity and security in You, and not in her possessions. Father, we ask that You bless Kim's giving. Multiply her gifts and use them to bring joy, use them to bring hope and use them to bring healing to those in need. Help her to be a blessing to others just as You've been a blessing to her and You've been a blessing to us.

Lord, we thank You for the promises that when we give, when we truly give sacrificially, when we give cheerfully, it will be given to us. Help Kim, help us to live with open hands and open hearts. Help us to live, ready to receive Your blessings and to be a blessing to others. We ask this in the mighty name of Jesus.

Amen. So Kim and everybody else is listening as you go for it today, may the love of God surround you. May the peace of God guard you, and may the joy of God fill you. May you live generously. May you love extravagantly. Trust boldly in the provision of our Heavenly Father. Go in peace and may the blessings of God be with you always.

So until next time, this is Ralph, your financial evangelist, reminding you always to master your finances, but maintain that Christian perspective. As I always say, stay blessed and God bless you abundantly.

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