“If among you, one of your brothers should become poor, in any of your towns within your land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother, but you shall open your hand to him and lend him sufficient for his need, whatever it may be.  Take care lest there be an unworthy thought in your heart and you say, ‘The seventh year, the year of release is near,’ and your eye look grudgingly on your poor brother, and you give him nothing, and he cry to the Lord against you, and you be guilty of sin.  You shall give to him freely, and your heart shall not be grudging when you give to him, because for this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake.  For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land’ - Deuteronomy 15:7 ESV

The point behind this post really is to say that Seventh-day Adventists aren’t strange people who are simply bent on saving all of their money. The following comes from the Guardian, the well-known daily newspaper. The introduction is mine but the continuation is entirely from the Guardian.

SmartStewards aren’t freaks. We aren’t the only ones who think that to have a stable financial base is an excellent point to start from. Where we differ from other advisors is the direction we would want to send our money in. For us, money in the bank = an opportunity to serve God.

1. Find a frugal savings buddy

Ask a thriftier friend to be your savings buddy, and support each other to make bigger savings. One idea is to do a “tenner a week” challenge together every couple of months – where £10 covers your food, drink, entertainment and other personal spending each day for seven days. Then try goading each other into starting up “Frugal Fridays” – a weekly night in watching TV.

2. Use cash not cards

Payments UK says debit card transactions will be more frequent than cash usage by 2021. But setting yourself a spending limit when you’re using a debit card is tricky. Try withdrawing a set amount of cash each week instead – then sticking to this budget for day-to-day spending. Paying with cash will feel more “real” than using a plastic card, and help you make sounder spending decisions.

3. Save in one denomination

Once you’ve decided on the specific amount you are willing to spend each week, decide on a denomination of money to stash away. This could be £5 notes. For example, after your Frugal Friday, you might treat yourself by going to the cinema on Saturday night. Pay for your £12 ticket using a £20 note and you’ll have £8 in change – a fiver of which does straight in the piggybank. Do this every time you spend money and you’ll quickly build up a decent sum. If fivers seem like too much for your budget, try £1 or £2 coins.

4. Buy food daily

Do you regularly find food rotting in the bottom of your fridge? The average UK household wastes an astounding £470 per year in uneaten food. The best way to counteract this is to shop daily, rather than doing a big weekly shop. And if you have a choice of shops near you, go to a different one each day to take advantage of different discount deals.

5. 365-day penny challenge

Start by saving 1p on day one, then 2p on day two and so on – until day 365 when you’ll be stashing away £3.65. By the end of the year you will have saved £667.95. It’s a good kids’ introduction to saving as well.
6. Use decorative containers to save up for holidays

Pimp your piggybanks, jam jars or tins and label them with your goal – Berlin: October 2016, for example – to keep the contributions flowing.

7. Make it a competition

Offer a prize among family or friends for the person who can save the most each month. Make it something everyone can enjoy, such as a weekend outing together, to ensure people give it their best shot

https://www.theguardian.com/…/…/seven-fun-ways-to-save-money

SmartStewards aren’t freaks. We aren’t the only ones who think that to have a stable financial base is an excellent point to start from. Where we differ from other advisors is the direction we would want to send our money in. For us, money in the bank = an opportunity to serve God.

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