When I was in the process of becoming an Ethical $pender, I came across a budget recommendation called The 50|30|20 Rule. This often recommended guideline suggests you put 50% of your money towards needs, 30% on wants and 20% in savings.

It is a great plan for someone who does not have a problem with debt.

I eventually realized I was using The 50|30|20 Rule as a permit to justify purchases I could not afford. It was not unusual for me to place the 20% wants category on a credit card.

Some where, some how, I had developed the habit of  impulse buying – purchasing what I wanted when I wanted – frequently dining at restaurants, buying gifts, and spending on home goods, electronics, movies, hobbies, clothing and other non-essential items before I paid my bills.

What finally led me to money management clarity and a prosperous momentum was a slight modification of The 50|30|20 Rule.

I started budgeting using, what I now call, the Ethical $pending 10|20|50|20 Rule.

Tithing -10% | Saving – 20% | Needs – 50% | Wants – 20%

I made the CHOICE to give 10% back to God before spending on wants, needs, or savings:

• I made a weekly contribution to my church, a charitable organization, or, anonymously to a person in need.
• This became the most fun and rewarding aspect of money management for me!
• More of Him, less of me

I made the CHOICE to pay myself 20%:

• I set up auto deposit into a retirement 403B with employer match
• I set up auto deposit into savings account
• It was important to keep savings  separate from my checking (spending)

I made the CHOICE to spend 50% on needs. I identified “must haves” for survival, and “No, that new pair of jeans and $5 latte” did not make the list:

• Groceries
• Clothing
• Housing
• Utilities
• Transportation
• Insurance
• Taxes

I made the CHOICE to spend 20% on wants. But, now, what I wanted more than “stuff” was financial order. So, with God’s help, I began to make choices based on my redefined list of wants.

I wanted to reduce my debt so I made the CHOICE to:

• Pay off credit cards
• Pay off  loans
• Pay off medical bills
• Pay off car
• Pay down mortgage

I wanted to be prepared for future expenses so I made the CHOICE to establish financial goals:

• Emergency fund ($1000)
• Periodic expense fund (taxes, insurance, gifts, Christmas, tuituion, etc)
• Car (current maintenence and future purchase) fund
• Vacation fund (take in 2 years)
• Pay off house

Organization skills, savings growth, and debt reduction began to replace years of financial denial, excuses, and chaos.

Education and discipline changed my thinking.
Becoming a steward of God’s money changed my heart.

Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. “Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.”

–  Malachi 3:10 (NIV)

“There is a release from within that is liberating and pleasant indeed. This release is not only a feeling of peace and rest, but a grace to do things with more vigor than ever before…”

 – R.T Kendall

Is tithing merely an Old Testament law? Does it only count if it’s 10%? Is that from gross income or net income? I have no idea.

What I do know is when I made the choice to tithe, my money management beliefs and behaviors began to change.

I began to study the bible to see what God had to say about money. I started reading books by Larry Burkett, Ron Blue, Dave Ramsey, Ron & Mary Hulnick and many other Christian authorities on personal finance. A few of Burkett’s concepts listed below made me want to learn more.

• For a Christian who is seeking God’s will, God’s principles point the way to peace, happiness, and prosperity. The Creator of the Universe has promised to guide us in the management of our finances if we follow His principles.
• Nearly two-thirds of Jesus’s parables deal with the use of money. He equated the ability to manage financial resources with the ability to manage spiritual resources.
• Once we understand that giving is our testimony to God’s ownership, it opens a higher level of sharing: sharing offerings above the tithe out of obedience to God’s word.
• Giving is not a command. It is the outside indicator of the inside spiritual condition.

I began to test God in the area of finances because in Malachi 3:10 it says I could. I started to give away the first 10% of my take home pay.

I was almost immediately blessed with a new found sense of order and a burning desire to grow up; to be a “good steward” of God’s money.

Tithing does something for me that cannot be explained in terms of material return. It creates a spiritual change in my heart, which is  the prerequisite to a lasting change in my money beliefs and behaviors. It’s the seed that God planted in me for the growth and development of this Ethical $pending website. It’s where my dependence on God in the area of finances is rooted and my witness to His love unfolds.