Manage Your Money God's Way

Financial challenges due to debt can be a hidden monster in many families and marriages. We can tackle and tame the debt monster by learning that every area of our life, including how we handle money, has a spiritual impact. The Compass Catholic blog  has more about the spiritual cost of debt.

The Compass Catholic Money Coach Training Program just launched this week. In this episode of Money Stories, Caitlyn Kano talks about her personal money story and how the new Money Coach Training Program came to be. If you are interested in the Money Coach Training Program, please visit  www.CompassCatholic.org . 

Finally, we are beginning to recover from all the shutdowns that began in February and got worse in March and April and people are going back to work.  When you get back to your job, it’s also the time to get back to your new financial normal. Create a budget, and use that to create a crisis budget.  Build up your emergency fund and start digging out of any debt you incurred.  It will be a long hard road, but starting now will put you in a better position if there is another emergency around the corner. The Compass Blog  has more on how to get back to some sense of financial normal.

Lauren and her husband have been blessed with five children including triplet boys. With five children under four years of age, Lauren learned many lessons about prioritizing and the logistics involved with having a large family. She shares those lessons and explains how she and her husband decided to make a career change to benefit their large family. For more information about Compass Catholic, please visit www.CompassCatholic.org.

Planning retirement while there is a recession can be tricky.  Start by looking at your current monthly expenses. Exclude expenses related to work and include new expenses related to retirement.  Subtract the monthly expenses from your monthly retirement income. If your expenses are more than your income, how much do you need to withdraw from savings each month and how long will your savings last? Doing these calculations before you retire will either bring you peace of mind or the realization that retirement needs to be delayed. The Compass Blog  has more on details to consider if you are retiring during a down market.

Allison Gingras shares the story about her financial journey. Allison realized the extent of her debt when the bank refused to extend her any more credit. Around the same time, she met the co-founders of Compass Catholic Ministries, Jon and Evelyn Bean. They presented her with the opportunity to participate in a Compass Catholic Bible study, which she now credits for her much of her family's financial wellness. It hasn't always been easy but now Allison can use her family's financial journey to glorify God.  Learn more at the Compass Catholic website .

How has your life changed for the better since the pandemic? Have you looked for the good in the stay at home orders and the chance to stop the crazy busyness that pervaded our pre-pandemic normal? While this situation wasn’t something anyone wanted, there is always some sort of good that comes out of any situation.  Maybe now is the time to think about the good and say a little prayer of thanksgiving for whatever bright spots you can find. The  Compass Blog  has more on some of the positives that will come from our new normal.

Diana is a teacher in south Florida. She was taught her money management skills by her parents. As an adult, Diana participated in a Faith & Money Matters Bible study which unified her money management skills with her Catholic faith. Now Diana "pays it forward" by utilizing a classroom management program called "My Classroom Economy."