My wife and I were both approached by people in need in the same week. People who appeared to be genuinely in need instead of folks simply pan-handling to be lazy (which is a bit of a generalization, and I apologize). One of the things that we wrestle with this is that we want to be generous, we want to look for opportunities to help others, and we really like the idea of serving people as Christians. However, we’re paying off debt because as a moron (instead of a Christian) I allowed the family finances to get way out of whack. That being said, we’re considering pulling $40.00 aside from somewhere to setup someone else’s emergency fund. That is $20.00 for each of us to help others in an emergency.
We don’t anticipate tapping into it regularly, but the opportunity to serve is great, and sometimes we may have the ability to use our finances when others are in a teachable moment. Of course, in those same moments we need to remain teachable, but we’re glad to have learned to live on less than we make. What do you think? Would you create an OPEF category in your budget?
I’m reminded of Bob at ChristianPF and his story of compassion. God uses us, others needs are met, and we can learn something. That’s worth more than $20.00 to me.
My sister is a brilliant cook. She and her husband are both brilliant cooks. I hate to say it but they rock my pallet better than most restaurants. Someone needs to hire them to help create menus to keep a restaurant wait list long. She’s going to, at my request, attempt to create some fun posts discussing a low cost recipe and money saving opportunities to give you some fun ideas to stay frugal and full. You should totally check out this week’s recipe on her blog 
