Five things I have learned about…financial planning

Cathy Madavan shares what she has learned about budgeting and finding your value in more than just what you earn 

It can be a bit awkward, talking about our finances. And yet, wouldn’t it help if money management was a little more mainstream and less hidden? After all, most marriages that break down cite disagreement about money as a factor, and issues such as debt or the cost of living can cause untold stress to us all. I’ve always thought it is strange that we are taught algebra at school, but never taught how to run a budget, or what mortgage and pension options there are. In church, some pastors avoid talking about money, feeling awkward because it seems as if they are asking for their wages. And many Christians feel like there’s something vaguely distasteful or prying about talking about money – it’s a private issue, surely! And yet Jesus spoke more about money and possessions than about prayer, naming money as a key competitor to our devotion to God. How we live and give is profoundly spiritual, and learning to manage money can be both liberating and God-honouring.