In Episode 5 of the ‘Money and Me’ season, Simon and Bex talk about talking about money, and why it is a good thing to do!

Some key points of interest covered in this episode include the following:

• Bex and Simon open up the topic by discussing why talking about money can be a difficult thing to do and the extent to which our culture affects our attitudes towards money and the way that we speak about it – or not, as the case may be! [01:33]
• It is noted that it can be easier to talk about money in a business context, but therein lies a danger because that can lead to a skewed perspective in which individuals are assessed and evaluated according to their monetary worth or potential. [04:29]
• Furthermore, if ‘price tag thinking’ takes hold, it can have a detrimental influence on the ‘value’ that we place on people and on the contribution that they make to life. [09:07]
• Another factor that we have to overcome if we are to have meaningful and helpful conversations about money is the worry and anxiety that it can provoke because of its potential significance in our lives. [11:16]
• Our ability to be ‘content’ with what we have emerges as a key point of interest, prompting Bex to share a couple of extracts from the Bible on that theme. In Philippians 4.12-13, Paul comments, ‘I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation - whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.’ And Psalm 37.16-17 says, ‘Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked; for the power of the wicked will be broken, but the Lord upholds the righteous.’ [14:57]
• Simon’s top tip for opening up conversations about money is to do so in a way that draws people into an exchange of views rather than making them feel defensive as a result of feeling that they are having to justify the way that they deal with money issues. [18:31]
• For Bex, being open and transparent has helped to facilitate constructive discussions and better decision-making as far as money matters are concerned. [20:22]
• The next episode in the ‘Money and Me’ season will be ‘The Great Giveaway’ in which Simon and Bex will explore why and how we might want to make generosity an intrinsic element of our journey with money. [23:33]

Suggestions or feedback arising from this episode can be sent via email to whereyourtreasureis@freerangepodcasting.co.uk while messages via Instagram should be directed to @whereyourtreasureispodcast.

This show has been brought to you by Free Range Podcasting.

You can sign up to receive news and updates about this podcast by filling out the brief form to which you will be taken when clicking here: https://where-your-treasure-is.kit.com/13c7b5fec6

In Episode 4 of the ‘Money and Me’ season, Simon and Bex discuss strategies for anticipating and dealing with personal financial emergencies that can arise in life.

Some key points of interest covered in this episode include the following:

• In response to a question from Bex about factoring life’s uncertainties into our financial planning, Simon dives in at the deep end and talks about death. It serves as a useful illustration of the mixture of certainty and uncertainty that we experience in our lives – on the one hand, we know that we are all going to die at some point; on the other hand, we don’t know when that will happen and what financial impact it will have on others. [00:33]
• While it is not particularly pleasant to think about life’s uncertainties and reflect on the possible consequences of death and serious injury, doing so can prompt us to consider positive actions such as writing a will, taking out insurance and being prudent in our financial planning and expenditure. [06:20]
• Simon picks up on the insurance point and acknowledges that people can have mixed attitudes towards it, including querying it from a faith perspective. However, it can be extremely helpful when difficult life events occur and can also significantly reduce the impact and trauma of such happenings on individuals and families. [09:26]
• Simon goes on to offer some thoughts about limiting our exposure to the risk of redundancy and the benefits of proactively building resilience through our financial planning and the choices that we make. [13:09]
• When it comes to contingency planning, it can be worthwhile to think about setting up our finances so that some checks and balances - such as using bank or savings accounts requiring notice for withdrawals - are in place. [16:07]
• Simon’s top tips when it comes to thinking about the uncertainties that can arise in connection with buying a house is to do our best to remember all of the associated costs that come with moving home and to resist the temptation to stretch ourselves to the limit when taking on a mortgage. [17:34]
• ’Everyday emergencies’ – when expensive bills arise from unforeseen incidents and events – can be very stressful and difficult, so Simon urges listeners to put in place whatever proportionate and sensible financial contingency planning they can afford. A beneficial side-effect of taking that approach is that it increases the likelihood that we will be able to help others when they are in need. [22:46]
• After a short break, the next two episodes in this ‘Money and Me’ series will explore the challenges involved in talking about money and the benefits of being generous. [26:15]

Suggestions or feedback arising from this episode can be sent via email to whereyourtreasureis@freerangepodcasting.co.uk while messages via Instagram should be directed to @whereyourtreasureispodcast.

This show has been brought to you by Free Range Podcasting.

You can sign up to receive news and updates about this podcast by filling out the brief form to which you will be taken when clicking here: https://where-your-treasure-is.kit.com/13c7b5fec6

In the third episode of the ‘Money and Me’ season, Simon and Bex talk about practicalities (including processes as well as tools) that can help us to manage our money well.

Some key points of interest covered in this episode include the following:

• Simon starts off by commenting that because people deal with issues in different ways, there is not a single, ideal way to manage our money. Instead, we need to select - from a range of options - the strategies and tools that are going to work best for us. [01:35]
• Rather than launching straight into an evaluation of money management tools, Simon highlights the importance of adopting key attitudes from the outset: being deliberate; being diligent; being discerning. [03:09]
• Unless we are deliberate in our approach to money, we will not take on the sense of responsibility that is required if we are going to be good and effective stewards of our wealth and possessions. [04:02]
• Diligence is the action of following through so that appropriate and thoughtful actions are taken. Research and study of relevant topics can really help us to achieve that goal, and Simon mentions a couple of specific recommendations that he has found particular helpful: the work of Mark Lloydbottom and books from www.eden.co.uk [05:47]
• Building up our ‘discernment muscle’ over time can really help us to align our decision making with godly principles and practice. [08:59]
• When it comes to the practicalities of managing our money, it is important to look both backwards and forwards. Looking backwards enables us to check for mistakes and also to review our spending. [10:47] Looking forward gives us the opportunity to plan the way that we use our money so that we can achieve goals that are important to us and are aligned with God’s call on our lives. [13:17]
• In response to a question from Bex, Simon mentions some money management ‘tools’ that he has found helpful. Currently, he uses a paid product, ‘You Need a Budget’ software, for his own purposes but he stressed the availability of free products that will serve most people’s money management needs – banking apps, spreadsheet tools and phone notes can all be really useful in helping us to track and plan expenditure etc. Bex added that she finds a digital ‘to do’ list, such as todoist, a great way of setting reminders to undertake particular financial tasks. [17:32]
• Simon concludes by emphasising the importance of taking account of both the ‘certainties’ and the uncertainties of life when planning our finances. Forethought, flexibility and allowing for unexpected contingencies can therefore be very helpful strategies to identify and develop. [19:38]
• Next week’s episode, ‘Life Happens!’, will drill down further into ways in which we can prepare ourselves and build resilience that can help us deal with the range of unwelcome surprises that we can end up having to deal with in our lives. [22:49]

Suggestions or feedback arising from this episode can be sent via email to whereyourtreasureis@freerangepodcasting.co.uk while messages via Instagram should be directed to @whereyourtreasureispodcast.

This show has been brought to you by Free Range Podcasting.

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