Spending Out of Control? Start Here.

Speaker A00:00:00

Have you ever made a budget you felt great about and in two weeks later wondered, where in the world did my money even go? Budgets don't fail because they're bad. They fail because we stop tracking. But tracking doesn't have to be overwhelming.It can be simple, it can be gentle, and it can be surprisingly freeing. And today, I'm going to show you how to get started tracking your money so that you can do it right. Hey, friend. Ralph Estep Jr. Here.Welcome to Financially Confident Christian, where we learn how to walk through life and money with wisdom, with peace, and with a heart anchored in God's truth. The mission is simple.To help you break that cycle of financial shame and build steady habits rooted in faith and become the kind of believer who handles money with clarity, with confidence, and with spiritual purpose. Yesterday we built a simple life giving budget, one that actually works and doesn't overwhelm your heart. And today we're going to take the next step.How do you track your spending without feeling stressed, without feeling guilty, or feeling glued to your phone? Because tracking is where clarity grows and confidence begins.A listener recently wrote me and said, ralph, I want to track my spending, but I get overwhelmed so fast. I feel like I mess it up every time I try. Is there a simple way to do this? Maybe you feel that, too. You want to be consistent, but life gets busy.You want to stay aware, but the idea of tracking feels like way too much work. You want to be faithful, but you don't want to live with that constant pressure.And maybe deep down, you even feel a little shame when you forget to track for a few days. Friend, first thing, let that go. Tracking isn't about perfection. It's about awareness. Just gentle awareness.Studies show that even a little bit of tracking I'm talking about just a few minutes a day, dramatically increases financial confidence. Not because people spend less, but because they finally know what's really happening. That awareness creates peace. That silence creates anxiety.And I've seen this over more than three decades. As an accountant and a coach, I've taught people every tracking system imaginable.I'm talking about apps and spreadsheets and notebooks and envelopes. But here's what I've learned. The best system is the one you'll actually use. It's that simple.Simple systems build consistency, that consistency builds confidence, and that confidence builds peace. A woman in our community, and we'll call her Beth, told me she hated tracking her spending. She said, Rafa hate it. She said it feels like homework.I'm constantly behind on Kind of like when you were in school. So she tried something new. Instead of tracking everything perfectly like a financial detective, she checked in once a day for just about one minute.Just one minute. She looked at her bank account. She wrote down one or two expenses. And then she took a deep breath. Here's what she told me.She said, ralph, for the first time in my life, I don't feel scared of my money anymore. Just that one quiet check in a day changed everything. So let me ask you, what would happen if tracking didn't feel stressful anymore? But simple.Let's build that together. Here's what I want you to do. Number one thing, choose the method that fits your personality. You have options.There's apps, spreadsheets, hey, the envelope method, notebooks, even your phone notes. None of these are better or worse than the other. None of them are more spiritual than any other.Just pick the one you're actually going to stick with and you're actually going to use. Because here's the truth. Simple always beats complicated. You do not need to track 42 categories.People get scared because, Ralph, there's all these categories. No, start with the basics. Food, gas, extras, bills. That clarity will grow when complexity shrinks. That's what scares a lot of people away.Because here's the key. Awareness is power. Tracking isn't about guilt. It's about knowledge. And once you get that knowledge, it helps you catch those problems early.It helps you celebrate wins. It helps you make faithful adjustments. And in the end, it helps you feel more confident. That awareness creates a sense of peace in your soul.And those small daily check ins are so much greater than monthly panic. Just one minute a day. Hey, we can all find a minute, right? That one minute can beat hours of stress at the end of the month.A quick glance, a few recorded expenses, just a moment of clarity. That's all it takes. You're building a small rhythm and you're going to get a win every time. Look at what Proverbs 27:23 says.Be sure to know the condition of your flocks. Give careful attention to your herds. Now this one hits home for me because I raise Black Angus cows.I've got to be paying attention to what's going on with them out there. Well, in ancient times, flocks were wealthy, they were a livelihood, they were provisioned.So God is reminding us, know what you have and care for what you've been giving. Trackling is simply modern day stewardship. It can be gentle, it can be faithful, and in the end, it's wise.Lord thank you for the resources you've trusted us with. Help us to track them with wisdom and with care. Give us consistency, give us clarity and give us peace as we build healthy rhythms in our lives.And we ask this in Jesus name. Amen. Here's today's step. I want you to write down every expense for the next three days. Every one of them. Not forever, just three days.Bear with me here. Then I want you to watch for some simple patterns because that awareness is the beginning of wisdom. A member of our community shared this.Tracking used to stress me out, Ralph, but the group helped me see it's just about paying attention. No more shame, no more pressure. Just small daily steps. And friend, you don't have to walk this alone either. Come and join us.It's a free, it's a supportive and it's a judgment free zone. Get it@financiallyconfidentchristian.com join again. That's financiallyconfidentchristian.com join. We walk this road together.Remember this tracking isn't about catching mistakes. It's about gaining wisdom. Because I know that you are growing, you are learning, and you're becoming more aware of what God has given you.Go out there today and be a financially confident Christian. You can do this. I have confidence in you. And the Lord is working with you as well. Stay financially savvy.God bless you and you have a great day today.