Over the weekend I taught a class on budgeting.

I passed out monopoly money to participants in the sum of $2500.

Their task was to take that money to pay their bills for the month.

The women were given a choice of 3 scenarios of the lifestyle they wanted to live.  The lifestyle included the type place they wanted to live in and the kind of car that they wanted to drive.   What I found was many of them lied to them self about how they spent their money.  One women said she wouldn't buy any clothes.  Her sister said you know you are lying you buy clothes all the time.  You must become real with you!

One of the line items was paying your tithes or offering or both.  Some of the women paid their tithes.  There were some who would not admit that they had not given their 10%.  I saw one woman write down $89.  I don't even know where she came up with that amount.  I believe in paying my tithes.  Malachi 3:10 (AMP)  Bring all the tithes (the whole tenth of your income) into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and prove Me now by it, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.   One thing that I do know about paying my tithes.  It's that if I don't pay them my money takes wings and flies far away.  This may not be a part of your budget.  I suggest you try it and see how it changes the outlook of your financial situation.

We have to be honest with ourselves in order to really live by a budget.

If you lie to yourself about play money, how much more to you lie to yourself with your real money???

The biggest lie that is told is the one we tell our self to justify our behavior.

Living by a budget takes practice.  It will not come over night.  Neither will getting past the lies we tell our selves to justify spending every dime that we make. 

At the end of the exercise their were many women that did not have any money left.  If we are honest with ourselves there are many months that we spend more than we have even made.  By using our overdraft protection or credit cards to fill in the gap.  The budget is just a guide.  You have to put in the work.

What is the biggest lie that you tell yourself???

To get a copy of my new book click www.sexliesandcredit.com.

Miss Rene'