Faithful stewards know where their money goes. They can account for their spending, and they understand how they are utilizing God's resources. But, of course, that doesn't happen by itself.

The question is, how do we actually track our spending? While a manual system, such as a spreadsheet, is a good starting point for anyone who hasn't been tracking their finances, it's not ideal over the long run. Manual systems take a while to set up and don't offer guidance for categorization. They don't provide any reporting (unless you create it yourself) and they can be hard to adjust over time (adding categories, etc.). And, perhaps most concerning, they require all transactions to be entered and tracked manually.

So, many people use an automated system - software, a website, or an app that helps with the repetitive tasks, automates transaction entry, and provides some tracking and reporting capabilities. But there are a lot of these systems out there - how do we choose?

Here are a few key considerations:

• Is the system easy enough to use that I will use it consistently over a long time?
• Does the system allow me to track my spending in ways that make sense to me?
• Can the system help me beyond basic budgeting, such as tracking investments and net worth?
• Does the system enable automatic transaction downloads and categorization?

Podcast host James Lenhoff reviews several popular financial systems in light of these and other questions to help you decide which system is right for you.

For further information about different personal financial systems, see the PC Magazine article referred to in the podcast.

To learn more check out www.GoodSenseMovement.org

Email James at: JamesLenhoff@GoodSenseMovement.org

You can see the full video of this podcast episode on our YouTube channel.

"Buy now - pay later!" Yep. But how many ways do we pay when we're caught in the trap of accumulation? Besides the initial price of the item we buy, there's the cost of interest if we put it on credit. There's the price of space to store the item. There's the price of time and energy to take care of the item. And there's the mental price of clutter created by our overaccumulation.

Buying stuff isn't wrong. Even buying stuff for our own enjoyment isn't wrong. But often, as we continue to accumulate things, our actual happiness decreases. Jesus combines the "worries of this life" and the "deceitfulness of wealth" as the characteristics of the thorny soil in the Parable of the Sower. Often, marketing deceives us into thinking that more things or newer things will make us happier. But in reality, accumulation can become a significant obstacle to walking with God.

Accumulation leads us to think of ourselves as owners rather than as stewards of Someone else's resources. And this leads to worry and discontentment rather than to peace and happiness.

Escaping the trap of accumulation is not about getting rid of all our possessions! Rather, it's about thoughtful spending and intentional simplicity. Podcast host James Lenhoff highlights tactics and thought processes to help us spend and accumulate without falling into the accumulation trap.

To learn more check out www.GoodSenseMovement.org

Email James at: JamesLenhoff@GoodSenseMovement.org

You can see the full video of this podcast episode on our YouTube channel.

If 2025 were to look financially like 2024, would you be OK with that? If your earning, giving, saving, spending, and debt trended the same in the new year as in last year, would you be in a better position than you are now? If you're hoping to make more progress toward financial freedom in 2025, what would need to change from 2024 to make that happen?

Obviously, the starting point for answering these questions is an accurate picture of 2024. If you haven't listened to our last podcast, which guides you through a review of last year, that would be a great starting point. If you have spending records for the year and have evaluated those against your spending plan, even better.

This is a time when people make a lot of new year's resolutions about their finances - and most of them fail. They fail because of unrealistic expectations not grounded in reality, for want of a plan to accomplish them, and for lack of the stewardship disciplines to support them. How can we set meaningful, achievable goals for 2025 and establish the habits we need to accomplish them?

Podcast host James Lenhoff follows up on our last podcast with tips for establishing and accomplishing meaningful financial goals for 2025 - whether as an individual or as a family.

To learn more, check out www.GoodSenseMovement.org

Email James at: JamesLenhoff@GoodSenseMovement.org

You can see the full video of this podcast episode on our YouTube channel.