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Review: The Secret to a Successful Budget

A few months ago, Craig Ford, founder of Money Help for Christians, did a guest post for us titled "The best financial tool of them all." In this post, Craig talked about the importance of having a budget. He also makes mention of his e-book, The Secret to a Successful Budget. I recently took time to read it and would like to share some thoughts on this excellent resource.

First, a little background on Craig. Having worked in both youth ministry and pulpit preaching ministry, Craig is currently a missionary in Papua New Guinea with his wife and three children. He has attended Rochester College, York College, Abilene Christian College, and Harding University Graduate School of Religion, and he holds an AA, BA, and a Masters of Divinity degree, all in the field of Biblical Studies.

Oh, and he's debt free (mortgage excluded).

What I first noticed about his e-book was how professionally it was done. From the table of contents to the use of images, formatting, grammar, it all has a top-notch feel. This isn't always the case with self-published e-books.

After the introduction, Craig details what he calls "The Menu for Financial Health." This is his creative way to approach a financial plan. On his menu, he has listed (among other things):

• Beverage — Give Generously
• Soup — Pay off all debt with an interest rate above 6%
• Salad — Save 3-6 months worth of living expenses
• Dessert — Save for major future purchases

I found this to be a great outlook on finances and should appeal to many who haven't been persuaded by other financial plans.

After this, Craig talks briefly about "Financial Focus Points — The FFP is where you send all the dollars your budget helps you create. For example, if you are trying to get out of debt, that is your FFP."

From here, we move into the nuts and bolts of the e-book, and that's defining a budget, working with a budget, creating a budget, budgeting methods, budgeting tips, and budgeting questions.

One of the things I appreciate about his writing is that while he does it with honesty, he does it without beating you up over things. For instance, he writes:

The question we must each ask ourselves is — when budgeting gets hard, will I quit?

If you respond to the difficulty of trying to get control of your finances by avoiding any period of discomfort, then this budgeting system won't work for you. My best advice would be to email mhforc@gmail.com and ask for a refund. However, if you are willing to endure a season of discomfort, adjustment, and transition, then you'll really enjoy the rewards.

I love that kind of gentle candor.

Another thing I appreciate is the lack of rigidity. Craig doesn't claim to have all the answers, nor does he say there is only one right way and it never changes. In fact, he says quite the opposite when he mentions, "Budgeting is a process, not an event... There is no such thing as a perfect budget." I believe this kind of perspective makes the book more accessible and easier to digest.

Craig has also sprinkled in personal stories, Bible illustrations, analogies, and tips throughout the book. One of my favorites is on page 42 when talking about how to decide what to cut from the budget, he says:

When we buy things, we don't just spend money. We spend our time. When deciding what stays and what goes, you should ask: do I want "x" number of hours of my life to be used on buying this item?

But my favorite aspect of the book is that when reading it, you can really hear his heart — that as Christians, God is an essential reference point in how we spend our money. This is evident in how he suggests giving back to the Lord (generously, extravagantly, from the firstfruits and the leftover), as well as in his closing prayer:

I pray that you might commit everything you do to God in prayer. Ultimately, budgeting is not about you. It's not about putting another dollar into a bank. It's not about saving every penny you have. It's about doing what God would want you to do with your money.

In closing, I found The Secret to a Successful Budget a pleasure to read. Craig has a thorough, well-written resource to offer Christians struggling in mastering their budget. So if yours is non-existent or in need of some direction, I think Craig could provide you both the encouragement and motivation you've been needing.

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