Missionary Tips #2

Next to organization finances is one central point of life, especially when you are a missionary living on donations. Before leaving his job Yann set a budget for the next three years and together we have decided to budget as much as possible. The idea is not to be tightfisted, rather to limit the useless expenses. We still grope around, but here are some rough principles. 

• No back payments

Thanks to Todoist we now plan to pay our bills every Thursday instead of letting them pile up and be late in payment. This means no overdue bills and no interests.

• Make a budget

Just do it. If you are married, sit down with your spouse: It should be something you both take part in. Make a list of what you pay in a month (electricity, gas, water, insurance, groceries,...). Having done that compare it to the amount of money that comes each month. Extra things like dates or trips are not to be budgeted: They are bonuses if you have money.

• Go homemade

Homemade is fun, healthier and cheaper. We often use the same recipes, but they are a hit. For breakfast Eunice cooks muffins. She always uses the same dough and adds cranberries, chocolate chips, oats, berries,... We do not have any breadmaker (yet), but our friend Charlotte gave us a very easy recipe for small breads: flour, water, butter and baking powder (or yeast).

• Plan your meal

It saves you money and time. You can plan it one month in advance or every week. For now, we do it weekly, but when we will have our freezer (we are desperate of not having one) we will try the monthly planning. You can give everyday a theme, so it is easier to decide what you eat. At home for example we eat a quick meal on Thursdays (before the Bible study) and fish on Fridays. In planning your meal you avoid frustration, takeout/fastfood charges and serve healthier meals.

• Use leftovers

We have always done that. This is fun. It is recreation, creating something completely new from something old. If you have pasta/potatoes/rice leftovers make a gratin or a cold salad with. Meat leftovers? Plan a homemade-pizza night.

• Eat fruits and vegetables

It is healthy and not as expensive as snacks. Sometimes we can even receive them from the garden of Eunice's parents.