Frugal Checklist... would like your input

[SnoopyCool]

Hello Everyone,

I've been asked by my Bishop (like the preacher/priest of my congregation) to go into the homes of those who are asking the church for help with bills, food, etc. and, I'll quote, "go over with them how they spend their money and how to live frugally."

I would like your input on what you would put on this list. This is a very tender subject and while I have an idea of what I need on there I really would like your help.

Thank you very much!!!

[GREENBACK]

I'm slightly confused. Are these folks asking for a handout? via the word "help". The bishop seems to want you to go to them and develop a budget or at least a plan of some sort versus straight money from the church based on what you've said here. I'm not catholic so forgive me if I'm presumptous about what the church might do.

The question about what to put on a list is very open ended because of so many variables such as why are you having trouble with bills?. Is it because of a job loss? excessive spending? illness in the family? or something else. I think it's tough to give any recommendations on what advice to give without knowlegde of an individual's circumstances and spending habits or obligations. I somewhat suspect these folks are are living beyond their means based on the quote "go over with them how they spend their money and how to live frugally." Not sure if that's the case but kind of looks that way. If excessive living is the case you might just give them the D.R. drill and all the recommendations that go with it.

I guess to address your original question here, the obvious answer is ,of course, to simply spend less than you earn if at all possible.

[Bimmer]

Sounds like the OP is LDS, not Catholic. The ward (congregation) will help out fellow members in need, but I'm guessing they are getting a lot of requests and want to make sure people need help with the necessities of life and not non-essentials.

[kork13]

Sounds like the OP is LDS, not Catholic. The ward (congregation) will help out fellow members in need, but I'm guessing they are getting a lot of requests and want to make sure people need help with the necessities of life and not non-essentials.

Also, I assume, budgeting could help them get off of the church aid as soon as is reasonable, and back on their own two feet.

The biggest things to go over with them would probably be expense tracking and prioritization. First, get them to carry around a small notepad, writing down every penny they spend. Seeing where their money goes frequently helps people reduce their overall spending. As for priorities, some things are critical expenses (rent, utilities, food, etc.) needed for daily life, others are less important (new clothing, eating out, cable, cell phones, etc.). Help them determine their own priorities, what expenses they could do to cut down on or eliminate.

Also, I'd go with some ways for them to save money day to day... Ways to save gas driving, being more conscious of their power/water usage, cooking at home/packing lunches for work, and so on. Do you have a bishop's storehouse near you? If so, try to provide them some recipes with the food that they get from the storehouse.

[SnoopyCool]

I'm in a RS presidency, for those of you who know about the LDS church.

We have a new Bishop, and he really wants to teach those who consistently use the church's welfare system basic ways that they can become more self-sufficient, as far as they are able. He wants to teach those people who are asking for financial assistance from the church how to stretch their dollars and also develop a plan to help them become self-sufficient. I do realize that it will be individualized. Just looking for the basics for beginners.

I think teaching them budgeting will be numero uno. For a basic outline, I thought I'd use D.R.'s budget, as you suggested, Greenback. But if you think there's an even better, basic, beginner one out there, I'd like to know about it.

The recipe thing is a good idea, kork13. The bishop's storehouse is behind our building, so it is very close. I will look into that. Though they have to submit a 2-week menu in order to receive a food order, so they should already have the recipes.

I think we want to make sure we're sustaining life, not life style. You would be surprised (or maybe not) how many people cannot distinguish the two (including me, at one time ;o).

[disneysteve]

SnoopyCool, our synagogue has a worksheet that families have to fill out when they are applying for dues relief. I'll see if I can get a copy and can e-mail it to you.

The way things work for us is that there are monthly membership dues to belong to the congregation. Families who feel they want to join but can't afford full dues have to apply for special arrangements. The finance committee reviews the worksheet to see if they actually qualify or if they're just not spending their money prudently, leaving not enough remaining to pay dues. For example, if someone has low income, that is looked at differently than someone who happens to be leasing a BMW.

[SnoopyCool]

Thanks, Steve. I appreciate that.

[snafu]

Perhaps your Bishop would consider holding classes for members who were interested in learning effective money/household management. The newsletter could have articles about how to get more bang for the buck.

People who get into difficulty seem to dumb down. When overwhelmed by their issues [job loss, estranged family, more month than money] they don't know what to do, where to turn, what is available, what the criteria is to get the help they need]. LDS could do a lot for members tettering on the edge by asking credit grantors to work with them on orderly-payment-of-debt plans for those who demonstrated discipline needed.

Our service group volunteered at 'baby clinic' in our community with classes and hand-outs to educate young mothers. Classes were social and fun. We demonstrated easy, healthy, inexpensive meals [meat portion no larger than palm of your hand], how to make environmentally safe cleaning products and how to create an organized household by implementing routines.

Handouts acquired from the City and Province listed available programs and we made it clear that each program had specific criteria to qualify. Both class time and hand-outs explained the differences between brand name and store brands; the advantages of powder milk for cooking/baking and whole milk for drinking. We talked about frugal ideas and showed math charts for buying on credit. We failed in our attempts to take away the EWWW factor of buying in charity/consignment stores. Apparently that takes a level of maturity that our groups hadn't yet reached.

Sadly, neither schools nor mothers teach or show by example.

[Granite]

I agree with the idea of holding some seminars for these people. I am not familiar with your church specifically but here are some ideas:

How to make a family budget / "budgeting 101"

How to grocery shop and meal plan

Once a month cooking / Freezer Meals

Bartering for services/goods with friends & neighbors

How to increase income

How to open a small business in a difficult economic climate

Ways to clothe your family for less/ with a Clothing Swap

How to get out of debt without filing bankruptcy

[GREENBACK]

I think we want to make sure we're sustaining life, not life style. You would be surprised (or maybe not) how many people cannot distinguish the two (including me, at one time ;o).

I think I have a little better idea of what you were talking about now. This is the problem that many have been dealing with for so long. Many folks have bought into the idea that they must keep up a certain lifestyle("live like the Jone's"). I'm not the least bit surprised at how most can't distinguish between life and lifestyle.

With that said Snoopycool I think more than anything, and this is very basic, I would stress the need/want thing. I'm no budget expert by any stretch but I know that many people can be helped (psychologically) by having someone in an authorative position tell them what they really already know. They simply need to have it profoundly stated to them. I think in your position you very well can make a difference by simply covering the basics. I think we all know here that there is no magic formula for financial freedom other than living within/below your means.

[nanamom]

I think seminars are a good idea. Make them mandatory if they want help. They need to make a list of income and outgo to be gone over as well. This needs to be done in a coaching manner, not like a test you can flunk. Perhaps the church can have a potluck or two which relieves the budget a bit too. Are they splurging on "dates" Have the church hold a games or movie night with free babysitting (teens need service projects don't they?) You could even provide snacks. Did they get in over their head mortgage wise. Perhaps they need to sell and get a smaller place. Their are lots of things that can be done but when you are so low (and most people who ask for help and really need it are) it can be really hard to see or do any of them without a friend to come along side and point out the "landmarks".

[swanson719]

D.R.'s Financial Peace University is a tad on the expensive side, especially for people who are already in financial straits. It might be a good idea for the church as a whole to offer the class, and make it mandatory for people who want to be in the church's welfare system as you put it. That way, there are people who aren't in such bad shape there to keep the ones who are hurting accountable as well. I haven't taken his class, but the steps do work. Accountability is a big thing.

Most of finance is education, so it would probably be a good idea for the church to get some books on it that they can put in the church library. I'm not talking some fly by night get rich quick, but ones that actually talk about "Live w/in your means", Spend less, Make more, type of books.

Or if you have a lot of single at home moms, or at home parents at all for that matter, it might be better for the church, and ultimately for the families, to provide child care on a sliding scale cost wise to make it affordable, and worth while, for these families to have dual incomes, at least part time. If you have a single parent with 2 kids that's living on social security and welfare, and then asking the church for help as well, how is that parent ever supposed to get ahead until those kids get into school? That's 3 to 5 years of emotional and financial distress, and providing child care 9 hours a day and teaching them how to be financially secure in their situation helps the church, and more, them. It all goes back to give a man a fish, you feed him for a day, teach a man to fish, you feed him for his life.