Why Should I Track My Spending (Isn't it Depressing?)?

Today, we're getting real about tracking your spending and why it doesn't have to feel depressing. Hey friend. Welcome back. I'm Ralph and it's always an honor to spend a few minutes with you today here on Financially Confident Christian. The show where we break the cycle of financial shame and take bold faith-filled steps towards confidence with money. Now, right now we're in a series about dealing with the stress of money worries, and maybe that's exactly where you are today. Are you stressed?

Are you overwhelmed, maybe even ashamed about your finances? I. Well, if so, let me just start by telling you you're not alone and I've been right there where you are. I've been there too. And listen, I can remember seasons when I avoided looking at my bank account where I didn't even wanna know what the numbers said, I guess, because I felt like if I didn't see it, maybe it wouldn't hurt so much. But I've learned that I learned this the hard way that clarity brings peace.

Today, I want to help you start getting that clarity gently and without judgment.

Now, you might be thinking, Ralph, tracking my spending That just sounds exhausting, maybe even sounds depressing. And listen, maybe you've tried it before, you downloaded an app or you started a spreadsheet and it lasted all a three days. Or maybe like me, it didn't even last a few hours, then life just got messy. A few emotional purchases, a few unexpected bills,

and then you just stopped. Or maybe like many of us, you never even started because the idea of seeing where your money really goes feels like it would open up a floodgate of guilt and, and overwhelm. So maybe it just feels better to just continue to ignore it. We, you pretend like it will fix itself. But here's the truth, and I want you to hear this today. You are not lazy, you are not broken, and you are absolutely not irresponsible. Hear me on that?

You're just overwhelmed. And here's the truth. Overwhelm. People don't need shame. What they need is help. And that's what I'm gonna give you today. See, tracking your spending isn't about judgment. It's just not in the end, it's really all about freedom. Think of it like this, like turn it on The lights in a dark room. Tracking your spending is not done to punish yourself. You, you do it so you can see clearly and avoid stubbing your toe Again, let's look at Luke chapter 16, verse 10.

And Jesus said this so beautifully. He said, whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much. Just think about that for a second. Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much and see tracking. What may feel like. Those little things like Jesus talked about, those coffees, the impulse buys, the subscriptions you forgot about in the end friend, it's actually a holy act of stewardship 'cause you're not just managing money.

You are truly managing what God has entrusted to you. And let me just tell you right now, this isn't about being perfect. It's about being present and it's about being intentional. You know, I talk about intentionality all the time. That's why I don't even like the word budget. like I talked about on the show yesterday, I prefer to call it your in intentional spending plan, because that's what this is really all about. It's all about being deliberate with the blessing you've been given.

So now you're asking Ralph, how do we make this manageable? Well, I've got a simple way to do it. I want you to pick a tracking method that fits your life. Not someone else's, not someone, something that someone else has done. You can use a small notebook. You can use a notes app right on your phone, or even if you want, you can use a basic spreadsheet. It doesn't have to be fancy. Then I just want you to commit to just one week of tracking every single thing you spend. No judgment.

It's not about judging, just observation. The goal isn't to make yourself feel bad, but it is to finally see what's going on so you can take back control. Here's your action step for today. Just one thing, I want you to track everything you spend for the next seven days, and I'm gonna tell you exactly how to do that. Start by choosing a simple method. Decide first how you're gonna track. You can use, like we talked about, a small notebook dedicated to just expenses.

Maybe a simple note on your phone, a basic spreadsheet. There are some user friendly budgeting apps, but I want you to just pick one method that seems easiest for you that you're gonna stick with when you're on the go. The next thing I want you to do is I want you to make a commitment to do it for one week. Make that commitment right now to record every single dollar you spend starting today for the next seven days. And this is just an experiment to gain awareness.

Again, no judgment, and like I said, I just want you to record it. I don't want you to judge yet. We may do that later. When you spend money, simply write down the amount and a brief note about what it was for. So here's some examples. $5 for coffee. $60 for groceries, $35 for gas. Don't worry about whether it fits in your budget right now. I just want you to record it faithfully.

And then finally, I'm gonna give you a little encouragement. I want you to set a daily reminder. You can put a recurring reminder on your phone maybe for the end of the day to just quickly record any expenses you forgot, because here's the deal, consistency here is the key. Now you're thinking, Ralph, does this really help? You know, this is just another task in my already busy day.

Well, the answer is yes, and here's why It helps, because this single action directly fights that struggle of not knowing where your money goes. You're, you're working in the dark. And it also fights that stress of unintentional spending. It replaces guesswork with real data about what your habits truly are, and it provides the information you need to see if you are spending aligns with that intentional spending plan from yesterday, but bigger than all of that. And I think this is the key.

It empowers you. It empowers you to make informed adjustments later. As we continue this journey together, I want to give you something to help you. So for the first a hundred listeners who visit financially confident christian.com/master, I'm gonna give you a free copy of my book. That book is called Mastering Your Finances. Now it's just 47 pages, but it is powerful, it's practical, it's faith filled, and it's a great place to start.

if you're serious about breaking that cycle of financial stress. And again, that's financially confident christian.com/master. I want you to grab your free copy while it's still available because this is the truth. I truly believe it may be the very tool that you need right now to break that cycle of financial shame and step into your next season of confidence. Well, how about we pray together? Father God, you've entrusted each of us with resources.

Vast resources at that, and sometimes we struggle to handle them wisely. Lord, we just ask that you would give us courage today to track, not out of fear,

not out of guilt, but just out of a desire to grow in wisdom and grow in stewardship. Lord, help us to see clearly where our money goes and help us to do it with grace, with honesty, and Lord, most importantly with hope, and we ask this in the powerful name of Jesus. Amen. Friend, you can do this. You're not alone on this journey. I'm here to help you, but I want you to start tracking today, not to punish yourself, but to free yourself.

And tomorrow I'm gonna walk with you again as we talk about what to do with all that tracking data and how to turn it into powerful financial insight. So until then, let's all go out there and be financially confident. Christians, you can do this. I have confidence in you. Have confidence in yourself. Stay financially savvy. God bless you, and you have a great day today.