Ever feel like you just hit a wall with your finances? The truth is, no matter how disciplined you are, sometimes we all need to hit the reset button. Here are 7 things that will help you feel energized and reinstate your purpose as a steward of God’s resources. 

1. Surrender Your Finances

Even if you have a perfect credit score, an air-tight budget, and a maxed-out 401(k), you’ll never experience true financial freedom as long as you think of yourself as the owner of everything. Your finances are about more than just money, and the best way to reset your finances is to recognize yourself as a steward, a manager, of God’s resources.

Everything we have comes from God. He’s given it to us for a purpose, but when we don’t embrace our purpose as stewards, we get distracted and (over)spend His resources on other things. 

2. Use All Cash  

Using all cash, even just for a period of time, is a great way to hit reset. It makes it more difficult to part with the money you have and prevents you from overspending. Studies show it helps you to spend less overall and like what you buy more. 

If you can’t convert your entire budget to all cash, start with one category. Food (eating out and groceries) is one of the most commonly over-spent categories, so start there.

3. Save For Emergencies 

Surprise or emergency expenses are a fact of life. No one can avoid them. Yet the majority of Americans don’t have $500 saved! Instead, we rely on credit cards to cover the emergency expenses, which spirals us into more stress and debt. 

One of the best resets for your finances is to develop an emergency savings account. Start with a goal of $1,000, and then build up to 9-12 months of living expenses. We recommend you have an emergency account before you even get out of debt.  An AdelFi savings account is an excellent way to earn interest on your emergency fund and keep it separate from your checking account.

4. Increase Your Income 

If you want to have more financial margin or reach goals faster, you may need to increase your income. There are many ways to do this, all depending on your current circumstances. 

You may need to ask for a raise at work, get a part-time job on nights or weekends, start a “side hustle”, or join the ever-growing Gig Economy. 

Be cautious to not increase your spending as you increase your income. Set parameters on what your extra income will be used for (paying off debt, investing, retirement, Education Savings Account, giving, etc.) and work unto the Lord. 

5. Give Generously

This is a powerful way to hit reset for your finances! Giving is a privilege, not an obligation, and we are in fact the ones that are blessed by it. Giving and meeting the needs of others is not only good for our hearts, but also for our health and our finances.

Proverbs 3:9 says, “Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops…”

A tithe is usually 10% of your gross income, which is a great place to start. But if you can’t give 10% right now, just give something. It may be $5 this week, but it will get you into the habit of giving. 

6. Stop Comparing 

Have you ever caught yourself buying something just to “keep up”? It’s a subtle decision, often undetected in our heart when we swipe up on Instagram or overspend to keep the status quo. So, we must guard our hearts and minds by filling up on the truth of God’s Word so there’s no room for the manipulation of the world.

To reset your finances, stop comparing. You don’t get to take any of what you have here on earth with you to heaven. You’ll spend a number of years here on earth, but an eternity in heaven, so spend for the long-term, not the short-term. 

Delete social media from your phone for a while, confess your struggles to a spouse or friend, and guard your heart and mind by serving others. 

7. Set Goals

Goals are major financial motivators! Without goals, we don’t make plans and end up just drifting along, frustrated and without progress. You may have the best of intentions to save, get out of debt, and open a Roth IRA, but good intentions take you nowhere. 

Write your plans down, set up accountability, and act upon them. AdelFi’s credit card payoff calculator is a simple way to estimate how many months you’d need to erase your debt with consistent payments.

Most of us live an affluent life that we don’t have to set goals. We can drift along in the group with relative ease and comfort. But like the faithful stewards in the Parable of the Talents, God expects us to multiply the resources we have been given. Don’t be a stagnant money manager.

Your goals will vary depending on your current financial situation.

We hope these tips can help you or someone close to you get a fresh start on your finances. As a financial institution where better banking serves a higher purpose, AdelFi exists to help our members practice responsible stewardship while spreading Christian values. We’ve been a trusted resource for over 57 years and serve a growing alliance of believers with easy-to-use digital solutions. If you’re not already a member, it’s easy to join us today!

This article has been adapted for use by AdelFi for the benefit of its audience and in exclusive partnership with Crown Financial Ministries. This article was originally written by Chuck Bentley, CEO of Crown Financial Ministries and was posted to Crown.org. To learn more about Crown’s mission go to crown.org.