Controled Spending Resource Spending Controls by Christians copy of Index.html Uptd 07-25-06
 

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- - - - - - Jesus, Savior, Pilot Me ! - - - - - -
 

 
      TO:  Fellow Onliners FROM: Jim Bramer, Retired Auditor-CPA
      RE:  RIGHTEOUS SPENDING  CONTROL  HELPS  -   Jesus, Savior, Pilot Me  Originated: July 2006

CHAPTER FORMAT:

      I know;  I know  - this  website  does not have a lot of graphics, or it isn't very "FANCY,"  but I trust you find it "FUNCTIONAL."  In the immediate red links below you will find a content recap of this  Website  via a list of Chapter Headings and related information. 
      We will also be providing you with Internet Hyper-link resources  (see other red highlighted items that follow) which are very similar to what is done when you write an academic paper and you reference/link to other related resources. 
       Please "Left Click"  on the red links below for information about:

                                                     "RIGHTEOUS SPENDING CONTROL HELPS - Jesus Savior, Pilot Me."

     >>  PREFACE and OBJECTIVE 
     >>  CHAPTER 01:   The "RIGHTEOUS SPENDING CONTROL" System
     >>  CHAPTER 02:   Small Christian Ministries
     >>  CHAPTER 03:   Christian Family Units 
     >>  CHAPTER 04:   Associate Pilots
     >>  CONCLUSIONS:                  

 PREFACE and OBJECTIVE:   

- - - - - - Jesus, Savior, Pilot Me ! - - - - - -

       Additional words of the "Jesus, Savior, Pilot me." song written by Edward Hopper and J. E. Gould could figuratively speak to such issues as: 

      "Unknown waves before me roll, hiding rock and treacherous shoal; "CHARTS and COMPASSES"  come from Thee, Jesus Savior pilot me."  It seems that this boat trip (we construe it here as life's fiscal journey) is within an ocean  that has its ups and downs. Sometimes the water (money matters) is OK and the sailing is enjoyable.  But, at other times we encounter rocks, angry waves and treacherous shoal in a tempestuous sea (often as a result of unwise money choices.)

       At this website, we prayerfully provide applicable tools which we classify as  "CHARTS and COMPASSES"  that are designed to assist Christian Entities carry out their righteous fiscal responsibilities.  Within nautical context may I offer these definitions:

      CHARTS = Meaningful written documents that are used in making money decisions/conclusions as you live within your  “Righteously Imposed SPENDING Limits.”   Or it includes,  within this context, a weekly  "Where are we now”  and " Where have we been"  financial "Status Reports" so we have information for next week's "SPENDING"  decisions.  Please  Go Here  so you can link to and view samples of all  CHARTS  on this  website.
      COMPASSES =  Again, within nautical context, these are systems  (tools, mechanisms, devices) that assist you in this sojourn within the path of fiscal righteousness.   In our case, it is mostly the appropriate use of applicable Computer Software and meaningful use of the Internet.  Please Click Here and learn about one essential COMPASS known below as the  "RIGHTEOUS SPENDING CONTROL"  system. 

       Our objective is to provide assistance to the following Christian Entities:

1>    A Small Ministry  (SmallMins)  who handle $500,000 or less per annum - I am talking primarily about:  Churches,    Mission Organizations, Christian Schools, and Christian Camps/Retreats, plus

2>    Christian Family Units  (CFUs)  --  A Single Adult or a Husband/Wife with or without Kids.

       Many of us often need help in controlling our spending.  When you are Internet Friendly, please  Click Here  and learn how you can use applicable "Internet Centric"  resources/tools to do this.  Please go to  0300  and learn about the  FINFAX  system.  These observations might also be of interest:   a>  An indication of desirable maturity is that you can appropriately handle money.  b>  Money talks but few listen.  c> An effort like this helps you decide if a purchase is a "need" or a "want". 
       This also includes seeing that you have access to appropriate "Associate Pilots" who help you use these "CHARTS and COMPASS"  tools herein as "Our Lord Jesus"  pilots you in carrying out your disciplined and righteous fiscal responsibilities - which hopefully includes: 

1>   You keep your fiscal commitments to the Lord and to yourself,
2>   You have and stay within your categorized pre-approved spending limits;
3>   You live within your available income (no borrowing for day-to-day operations);
4>   Plus you timely pay off any applicable current and old debts.

       The information within the Chapters that follow will provide you with more details about how this is done.

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CHAPTER ONE:   The "RIGHTEOUS SPENDING CONTROL" system:

       This RIGHTEOUS SPENDING CONTROL system is Internet Friendly with a  Internet Centric  emphasis which includes said  CHART and  COMPASS   features. The Lord convicts many of us,  via such wonderful Christian resources when you Click Here, that you must "right your ship" along these lines as unto Him.  But, to actually do this, you realize that you need to go beyond simply  "Balancing the Check Book" and, in a disciplined  manner, do the bookkeeping so you can make righteous daily/weekly spending decisions.  Please  Click Here  and give yourself a grade for item 4 within this Self Exam list - you might also find of interest more Self Exam content when you  Click Here..
       What happens, fundamentally via this system,  is that you deposit ALL of  your money in the Bank and assign it to pre-defined SPENDING CONTROL areas and then you righteously spend, beginning with Credit (Debit) Cards plus the necessary Checks and Cash, only the remaining money in the applicable SPENDING CONTROL area.  We reference these SPENDING CONTROL areas as  BuxBoxes  or  Envelopes .
        Please Click Here  and learn about the "Check Stub"  CHART  and  COMPASS   SPENDING CONTROL system as you deposit ALL of  your money in the Bank and you weekly obtain Bank and Credit Card information via the Internet plus you manually update the running balances in only these two SPENDING CONTROL "Check Stub" areas:   "Spoken For Money"  and   "UnSpoken For Money"      
        But the usual  CHART  and  COMPASS   tools flow via inexpensive older versions, obtained via  www.ebay.com,  of the well known QuickBooks (QBs) software as utilized in a variety of ways that best fits your needs as it is also updated weekly from Bank and Credit Card transactions that you cleanly obtain via the Internet.  Another resource is the QuickBooks Online Edition - QBOE  as described for a Small Ministry when you   CLICK  HERE.  You no doubt have already picked up that a basic thrust of these  SPENDING CONTROL systems is that you go Online and access your current Bank and Credit Card (plastic) activity and post it to the system from these sources .... or you post "After the Fact - ATF" activity into this system.  You don't go through the usual process of originally posting to this accounting system from Check or Credit (Debit) Card document copies, etc.  Therefore, you do not have to laboriously reconcile (like the usual Bank Reconciliation process) what you have posted to what is reflected on said Online Bank or Credit Card Statements.  Of course, you make sure that such Online activity agrees with your supporting documents.  As most of you know, there is little delay in a Credit (Debit) Card transaction from the time of the purchase until it appears on your Online Statements.  You make the majority of your purchases via Credit (or Debit) Cards.  Please Click Here  for more information as to the following reasons for doing this.

     >>   You use less green stuff which is safer -  plus
     >>   You have written documentation when you buy something. CAUTION:  When you get small slips of paper upon Credit Card (plastic) purchasing, be sure you have a retainage plan - as if you where keeping your cash safe, etc.  Example: Since they are so easy to lose,  perhaps place them in a paper envelope within a certain section of your Billfold or Purse.
     >>   Rather than make frequent payments to individual Vendors throughout the month, you make a single monthly Online Payment (or check) to the Credit Card Company.  Or you write fewer checks (or make less use of your Debit Card) during the month when making appropriate purchases.   
     >>   Some Credit Card Companies offer buying rewards like Frequent Flyer Mileage.
     >>   We recommend that you weekly pay the Credit Card balance via the Online payment process.  Please Click Here  for more info about this..
     >>   If you pay monthly you have a float time (righteous use of borrowing or credit) before you must pay for your purchases.  CAUTION:  YOU MUST PAY THE CREDIT CARD STATEMENT'S ENTIRE UNPAID BALANCE MONTHLY  and PAY NO INTEREST.

        You arrange it so that the few checks that you do write are processed in/around the time you read your weekly "CHART"  or financial reports, etc.  Of course, if the information in your "CHART" reports permit it, you use the ATM resources for any needed Cash and you do not write Checks for Cash.
       Please go to  Chapter Two  and Three  below for examples of Spending Control"  "CHART" reports that inform you if you have any money to spend in that particular Spending Area, etc.
        Go Here  for a directory of this chapter of the home page.

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CHAPTER TWO:   Small Christian Ministries

     Let's say that you are one of the "Small Christian Ministries" (SmallMins) mentioned below -- or you handle $500,000 or less per year.  When you click on the following type of SmallMins, you will have access to some in depth information that I have shared elsewhere about helping that SmallMin: 

Churches  
Mission Organizations   (or like kind of publicly supported Christian Ministries),
Christian Camps/Retreats 
Christian Schools  (who generally have 100 or fewer students). 
      Click Here  for Christian Schools "Accounts Receivable" Information

      Let's further suppose that $400,000 of the annual $500,000 is “General Purpose Fund” money that is under budget control and the "Board of Leadership" decides how it is to be spent.   The remaining $100,000 is  “Special Purpose Funds.”  and the use of this money is Restricted (by Donors) or Designated (by the Leadership) --  also see "SetASides"  about that particular process. 
      Many Ministries struggle in having enough "General Purpose Fund"  money.  So a system is needed that keeps you informed, at least weekly, as to whether or not you have money to spend on "Board of Leadership" prioritized "General Purpose Fund"  expenses  (Click Here and learn more about such a system).  It further assures everyone concerned that the "General Purpose Fund" does NOT inappropriately spend money that belongs to the "Special Purpose Funds." 
      Please access below the type of SmallMins  CHARTS (11)  (Remember, Charts provide "Where are we now" and "Where have we been" information) that meet a vital need so you can make wise spending decisions.

Churches - - - - - - - - - - - - - -     Click Here and view CHART  samples
Mission Organizations - - - -    Click Here and view CHART  samples
Christian Camps/Retreats - -  Click Here and view CHART  samples
Christian Schools- - - - - - - - -  Click Here and view CHART  samples      

     Please Click Here  for information about Clergy Payroll matters.   Please also  Click Here about donation processing software that is called DonaMail.   Also ask us for information about recommended Online Payroll options.  As applicable for non-Church SmallMins, ask us about using the QBooks Class feature to account for the necessary Functional Expense  information required to annually file your IRS Form 990.  Some of you may also want information about the use of this QBooks Class feature to show types of expenditures in compliance with annually approved budgets.
      SmallMins, especially those that are new or just beginning,  will find helpful the content  of   www.rpfin.org .  I trust they also find of value these Ministry Finance Team Helps  Website  resources:     HOME PAGE   |   ABOUT  US   |  OUR PURPOSE  |  SITEMAP   |  MINISTRY HELPS  |  COMPUTER FUND ACCTG  
       Go Here  for a directory of this chapter of this home page.

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CHAPTER THREE:  Christian Family Units

     We define a  "Christian Family Unit"  (CFU)  as a single Unmarried Christian Man/Woman or a Husband/Wife with or without Kids. Your fiscal system MUST weekly keep you informed as to whether or not you have money to spend during the upcoming week within your chosen life style.  It is imperative that you:

01>  Agree to spend only earned money - you do not borrow for living expenses.
02>  Know weekly if you have such money to spend for the following week..
03>  Pay off your current Credit Card balance at least monthly (some do it weekly)
04>  Live up to your money promises to the Lord and to yourself.

        Please go to  Crown Ministry  who is making available the wonderful product known as  Mvelopes  as Crown's Coaches help  CFUs  reach their money goals and control their spending. It is our intent that this  RIGHTEOUS SPENDING CONTROLS system will provide  CFUs  with tools that go even beyond what Mvelopes provides.  Please Click Here for comparison of features of Mvelopes and this Righteous Spending Control system.
        Please  Click Here   and view  CHARTS   (Financial Reports); or  "Where are we now" and "Where have we been" Financial Report samples -- from which CFUs make spending decisions. 
        Be sure and ask us about the use of the QB Class feature to account for such things as the necessary tax deduction information that you need in order to file your annual Federal and State Income Tax returns..
        When CFUs go to this web folder  Righteous Personal Finance (RPFin)  they will find helpful resources/information.
        Go Here  for a directory of this chapter of the home page.

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CHAPTER FOUR:  Associate Pilots

      An "Associate Pilot" is a fellow Christian that we speak of when you Click Here. Often they are "Moms at Home" who prefer to be home while their kids are growing up or they are "Keenagers" who want to be productive in their retirement years.  We train, or credential them, as they use the Internet to privately serve you from either "across the street" or "across the country."   Please  Click Here  for details of how  Jim Bramer  sometimes functions as an "Associate Pilot."
      One way for an  "Associate Pilot"  to help the Christian Entity is for them to be paid to actually do the bookkeeping - or it is arranged so they can efficiently administer the finance transaction processing and timely produce the essential CHARTS   (Financial Reports).  But the preferred way is for them to help the Christian Entity get started with this system and then the "Associate Pilot" simply remotely "Look over your Shoulder" and guides you as this person makes sure that you are timely getting all of its benefits.  Our thrust is that you remotely deal with a valuable independent third party who regularly helps you carry out what you really should be doing, etc.  Let's face it ---- bookkeeping at Christian Entities (especially Christian Family Units)  is all too often not what it should be.    Please Click Here and go to a probable task list (another CHART, if you please) when you together do this effort and conclude who is responsible for each task.
       Go Here  for a directory of this chapter of the home page.

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CONCLUSIONS:

                                                                                         - - - - - - Jesus, Savior, Pilot Me ! - - - - - -

      Our prayer is that you, via these  RIGHTEOUS SPENDING CONTROLS  resources/tools,  and hopefully via the applicable "Associate Pilot", will get "scratched where you itch."   If this rings some bells with you, or your Christian Entity, please contact me preferably via Email at Jim@bcidot.org  in Fresno, CA ---  but you can leave a message at "1- 509-298-5507" and we can interact as to your specific situation, etc.   Please. Click here  for access to a  Truism  list  plus a  Glossary  unique to this effort.

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     It is our desire to enhance your effectiveness and be "Your Servant for Jesus Sake:" Thank you.   II Corinthians 4:5B  

Updated  on: August 03, 2008

        2628 East Goshen Ave. - Fresno, CA 93720
http://www.QBuxBox.org    (559) 298-5507  Contact by Email:  Jim@bcidot.org