Be Careful What You Volunteer For

The Enrichment Meeting (an activity once every quarter for the women at my church) last Thursday was themed "Wear It Out, Use It Up, Make It Do, Or Do Without" with tips on sewing techniques, making homemade household cleaners, saving on utilities, and budgeting. My friend EuJene' was supposed to teach the budgeting class, but since her husband was scheduled to come home from Iraq a couple days before-hand, she called me up and asked me if I would take over the class for her. I said sure.

So I gathered a few things that I found on the Internet, plus my own shopper's intuition and what I've learned thanks to all my blogging friends, and put together a 30-minute presentation on budgeting. I was so nervous Thursday night! But I manage to teach two small groups a thing or two about budgeting. I don't know if I really stunk it up or if I really did a great job, but my bishop (pastor) called me up and asked me to teach it today during the combined Relief Society & Priesthood Meeting (the women & men meet together during the 3rd hour if there's a 5th Sunday in a month, and the bishop directs what the lesson will be about). Yikes! Me? Stand up in front of 100+ men and women and talk to them?!

Well, I just couldn't say no. Thankfully, I had kept everything from Thursday night's meeting, so it wasn't too much of a stretch planning something out for today. I had created a quiz of true/false statements and used that as my "opener". Most of the statements in the quiz came from the Family Finance section in Provident Living. I definitely did not make this stuff up!

I thought I'd share with you the quiz. Test your knowledge and see how well you do. Then come back tomorrow when I post the results. :)

Provident Living Quz

1. ____T ____F Spending more money than you make is essential to your financial security.
2. ____T ____F With the exception of a modest home, education or other vital needs, you should avoid debt.
3. ____T ____F Life will be better if we surround ourselves with an abundance of things.
4. ____T ____F Debt can cause tension and stress, making the debtor a slave to creditors.
5. ____T ____F Those who structure their standard of living to allow a little surplus, control their circumstances. Those who spend a little more than they earn are controlled by their circumstances.
6. ____T ____F Successful family finances begin with the payment of an honest tithe and the giving of a generous fast offering.
7. ____T ____F It is not necessary to keep a record of your expenditures, as long as you try to keep track of your expenses in your head.
8. ____T ____F A budget worksheet is a useful tool.
9. ____T ____F Gradually build a financial reserve and spend that money on something frivolous.
10. ____T ____F It is important to teach your family members the principles of financial management.
11. ____T ____F If you are in financial trouble, there is absolutely nothing you can do except to get over it.
12. ____T ____F Bankruptcy is the first resort when you become aware that you are having financial difficulty.
13. ____T ____F A debt-free life is a worry-free life.

I didn't realize that there were only 13 questions on this quiz--oops. Hope no one's superstitious! ;)