The task that no one wants to do

Faith and Finance

We’d like to introduce Dan Deuel, a new member of the Girls Night Out blog writing team. We’re sure you’ll enjoy the wit, male perspective and wisdom he brings to the blog. Welcome Dan!

There are some household jobs — activities that the word “chore” was invented to describe — that most of us will put off for as long as we possibly can.

You know the ones.

-The single dirty fork that sits in the sink until it eventually multiplies into an overflowing pile of dishes, pots and pans.

-The half-unpacked suitcase that remains half full for weeks following a vacation.

-The three-lightbulb fixture with two burned-out lightbulbs.

A balancing act

Balancing a checkbook is another chore that most people — me included — would throw into the same category.

In fact, a large proportion of attendees at recent Girls Night Out events said (via the event survey) that they would rather scrub a bathroom than take time to balance their checkbook.

I realize that those of you under the age of about 30 may not even know what balancing a checkbook is.

Back in ancient times (i.e., before Internet banking and duplicate checks), it was common for people to sit down at their kitchen table (by candlelight, using quill pens) and reconcile their check deposits and expenditures. The goal was to ensure all written checks had been accounted for and that the account had ample funds.

An elusive accomplishment

Sounds simple right?

Not so fast.

There’s a reason why toilet cleaning was the more popular choice among Girls Night Out attendees.

While a quick and painless balancing with everything accounted for was cause for great rejoicing, it often proved to be an elusive accomplishment. There always seemed to be that extra $32.57 that I couldn’t account for if my life depended on it.

Along with endless head-scratching and recalculations came the “this-time-I-really-mean-it” promises to myself that I’d never wait four months to balance my checkbook ever again.

At those times, if my fairy godmother (hey, men can have them too) had flitted up and said, “I’ll do your checkbook if you clean the toilets,” I would’ve jumped faster than Cinderella at the stroke of midnight.

A chance to reevaluate your spending

Today, balancing our checkbook — like anything that’s good for us — is something many of us continue to put off, or don’t even do it at all.

But that’s a mistake.

While it’s true that Internet banking makes keeping tabs on account balances much easier, it does not eliminate the need to keep tabs on what we’re spending our money on.

One of the best things about the old-fashioned method of balancing a checkbook was that it forced you to take a second look at how you spent your hard-earned money.

It was a chance to give a thumbs up or thumbs down to that $59.99 late-night-TV expenditure on the “Ab Devastator” or even the $7 spent on a coffee while running errands.

Revisiting both good and bad money choices will help you establish better habits in the future — habits that will help you spend within your means and keep you on target toward your savings goals.

It can also help ensure that the way you spend your money is consistent with your values and what’s most important to you. With a little planning, the purchase of the latest electronic gadget won’t come at the expense of your ability to give to your church or favorite charity, or to fund an important family getaway.

Challenge yourself

So, whether you’ve made the switch to Internet banking or are still checking the old-fashioned way, challenge yourself to take a few minutes every month to review where your money is going.

If you’re OK with what you find, that’s great. But if you’re not, it’s a good opportunity to make some changes that will help ensure your long-term financial health.

Spend time in prayer over what changes you’d like to make and seek the counsel of someone you trust. Ask them to help hold you accountable to your goals and to hold you in prayer as you make these changes.

Who knows, you may appreciate the process enough to elevate it above bathroom scrubbing and, perhaps, just below cleaning the house in preparation for a visit from your in-laws.