Where I live, we have a lot of small livestock farms. Having spent a little time around those cows, I’ve learned they can teach us a very valuable lesson about money and money behavior – live inside your fence. Next time you’re near a farm, take a moment to consider what I’m about to share – it could just change the way you handle money from now on.
This is not going to be a lesson in cattle – I’ll leave those to the farmers out there. But as a casual observer who likes cows (they’re delicious), even I’ve noticed there is a good parallel here. Your income is your “fence.” You can do pretty much whatever you want, provided you don’t try to outspend your income. Too many of us are like the ornery cow that drives the farmer crazy and usually ends up on the family dinner table as a big juicy steak. Let’s break things down a bit.
Cattle in my area are generally given a nice, large pasture with plenty of grass to feed on. The only limitations on where they can roam are dictated by a fence – usually barbed wire or electric – that runs around a given field. Anywhere inside their fence, the cattle can do anything they like and they’re perfectly safe. But some of them aren’t content with these circumstances – just like you and me. They want to see if “the grass is greener on the other side” and try for all they are worth to find a hole in the fence or in some cases, to simply go through it. Much to the farmer’s disdain, the cow ends up in a dangerous position, roaming around lost.
That’s just like us, isn’t it? We often want to find a “hole” that would allow us to spend more money or cheat on our budget. But I can tell you, when you go outside our boundaries, there is often trouble. We end up lost, without direction and at serious risk of something going terribly wrong.
You see – even if you don’t like me calling you a cow, we have a lot in common with them when it comes to our behavior with money. We are always looking around, “chomping on something” and wondering if it is good enough. We’re always looking to see where our fences are and then, all too often, plotting how to break out of them. Knowing there is danger, we still do it. But why? We all innately know the grass isn’t greener on the other side. We all know for most of us there is plenty in the field where we are now.
Through this silly post, I want to provide one big encouragement – find your fence, establish it as your boundary for daily living and stay within it! There are very few money problems for someone who always lives on less than he makes. It is your money – it is your decision what do to with it. Just don’t spend more than you bring in. That math will never work!
Have you roamed outside your fence? How did it work out for you? I’d love to hear your story of trying to make your money work when you outspent your income. How long did it last before you realized it was a BAD move?
Great post! So true!
Well Brandy, I didn’t even know you read my blog! LOL 🙂 I’m honored! I can’t wait to tell Barry.
my husband and i somehow lost our common sense when we got married 8 years ago. Separate we were good staying in our budget. Together we lost our minds! I think we just started thinking well we need a house right now cause isn;t that what everyone does, and on and on the ball rolled till we realized our goal of me being a stay at home mom was ruined due to our living outside of our means. Debt was too high for me to stay home. But now over time with the Lord’s help we have begun to really dig our way out. 15000 dollars of debt now gone and another 15-20000 to go and i have been privileged to be stay at home mamma for 3years now which i am so grateful for. The Lord has honoured our efforts to get out of debt and given my husband double the income since our foolish spending habits of old. I would agree the grass is not greener and the still small voice that tells us don’t do it should never be ignored. But i have found God to be faithful to really help if you make the effort. It takes time, but it is worth it the noose is slowly getting looser for us. Thanks for the reminder…
🙂 I hope you’ll let us know when the noose is gone! Freedom is the only way to go.
I really appreciated this article. Great analogy.
Oh my goodness – 4.5 years ago I lost a great paying job that resulted in a huge move. Fast forward through two career changes ( my husband and I am in school and working), job loss and job changes, and spending like our income was the same, we r now 100K in debt and it is now time to pay the piper. So we are budgeting and scaling back. We didn’t get here overnight and it will take us time to dig ourselves out of this hole! I am definitely staying inside my “fence” now.
Great analogy!
Hugs,
Trish
You can do it, Tricia! If I can be of any help, let me know.
Whew! We know all too well how about getting outside of our fence! Unfortunately we’ve done it for too long so we have a lot to fix. We’re working hard on it now. Sometimes it feels like we’re stuck outside the fence. In our situation the best thing is prayer! Sticking with the budget is hard for us so we’re praying like crazy that God will help us…give us wisdom and self-control!
Great post!
Thanks, Tara!