Tired of struggling to save money despite your best efforts? In this episode, Shani Tené reveals 3 powerful money-saving habits for Christians that can transform your finances.
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TIMESTAMPS ⏰
0:00 Intro
0:26 Episode Topic
0:51 Money Story
3:08 Habit #1
6:18 Habit #2
9:04 Habit #3
11:50 FREE Money Tool
12:26 Prayer
15:30 Outro
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TRANSCRIPT
(0:00) The biggest mistake I see people make (0:02) is not inviting God into their finances. (0:05) In today’s episode, we’re diving into (0:07) three practical money-saving habits (0:10) specifically designed for Christians (0:12) so you can break the cycle (0:14) of struggling to get ahead financially (0:16) despite your best efforts. (0:20) What’s up? (0:21) I’m your favorite money coach, Shawnee Tenay.
(0:23) Welcome to Eternal Wealth, where finance meets faith. (0:26) In today’s episode, we’re gonna first cover (0:29) the common financial traps (0:32) that keep you from saving effectively (0:34) and how to overcome them. (0:36) Then we’ll talk about how faith-based principles (0:39) can guide you to grow your savings in a meaningful way, (0:43) and we’ll wrap it all together (0:44) with a simple God-centered approach (0:46) to transforming your finances (0:48) without sacrificing your spiritual values.
(0:52) So if I’m being completely honest, (0:55) I did not learn good money-saving habits (0:57) from school, from my parents, (1:00) or even from the financial gurus. (1:02) Growing up, everyone in my family (1:04) was just doing the best that they could (1:06) with what they had. (1:07) I wasn’t really aware of any real plan to build wealth, (1:11) and we definitely didn’t speak about money very often, (1:14) so I had no idea how to manage it well.
(1:18) And then, with the mindset gap (1:20) between my parents and my generation, (1:23) it made it very hard to know what to do with my money, (1:26) because they had a completely different take on things, (1:30) and as the times changed, (1:32) we weren’t adapting to the new methods of wealth-building. (1:35) I always felt that they had an old way of thinking, (1:38) and it’s like, no, we in the modern times now, (1:40) there’s new tools, there are new things, (1:42) and I was just lost. (1:45) And so, it’s crazy that as kids and adolescents, (1:48) we subconsciously learn all these bad money habits (1:52) that we carry with us into adulthood, (1:55) and now we end up paying the price.
(1:57) And I don’t even blame my parents or anything like that, (2:00) because they went through the same struggles (2:02) with their parents, and their parents of their parents, (2:05) and those parents of those parents. (2:06) It goes back generations, y’all. (2:09) This is generational.
(2:11) Proverbs 22, six says, (2:13) start children off on the way that they should go, (2:16) and even when they are old, they will not turn from it. (2:19) So, although you may have started (2:21) with bad money habits as earthly children, (2:24) the good news is you are born again in Christ (2:27) as God’s children, which means you can start over (2:31) as daughters and sons of our Father in heaven. (2:35) That’s the best news ever.
(2:37) So, if you can submit to God’s ways as his children, (2:41) and implement new money habits rooted in his word, (2:45) then you can break generational curses, (2:48) and finally experience the financial freedom (2:50) and purpose God’s called you to. (2:54) So, let’s dive into the three money-saving habits (2:58) that took me from constantly, constantly struggling (3:01) to make ends meet, to confidently building (3:05) a financial future rooted in faith and purpose. (3:09) Habit number one, first and last 15.
(3:14) This is my favorite habit of all time. (3:16) So, basically what it is, is giving God the first 15 minutes (3:20) and the last 15 minutes of your day. (3:23) It’s perfect because you literally start (3:25) and end the day with God, which means everything (3:27) that happens in between is protected and covered by God.
(3:32) This makes handling any obstacles that you may come into (3:35) throughout the day much easier to deal with (3:38) because God’s literally got you covered (3:40) on the front end and the back end. (3:43) You’re basically in a God sandwich. (3:45) I don’t know why I’m always going back to food, (3:47) but y’all know I’m a foodie.
(3:49) So, anywho, Matthew 6.33 says, (3:52) “‘But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, (3:56) “‘and all these things will be added to you.’ (3:59) “‘This speaks to the principle of prioritizing God (4:02) “‘above all else, trusting that he will take care (4:06) “‘of your needs in return.'” (4:07) And so, the biggest mistake I see people make (4:10) is not inviting God into their finances. (4:13) Adopting the first and last 15 habit (4:15) allows you to do three things. (4:19) First, it allows you to prioritize God first.
(4:22) The verse encourages us to seek first God’s kingdom. (4:26) Starting your day by dedicating the first 15 minutes (4:28) to God in prayer, scripture, or meditation (4:31) demonstrates that your relationship with him (4:33) is your top priority. (4:35) By making God the center of your day, (4:38) you align yourself with his will (4:40) before getting caught up in all of life’s demands, (4:43) because you know just as good as I know, (4:46) life be lifing, and if we wait, we may never get to it.
(4:49) That’s why you have to do it first. (4:52) Second, it allows you to anchor the day spiritually. (4:56) Ending your day with the final 15 minutes in God’s presence (4:59) allows you to reflect, seek guidance, (5:02) and thank him for the day’s blessings.
(5:04) This mirrors the idea of seeking his righteousness, (5:08) letting his principles guide both your actions (5:11) and your reflections at the end of the day. (5:14) And lastly, it allows you to trust God with your needs. (5:19) The latter part of the verse promises (5:21) that all these things, your worries, needs, and desires (5:26) will be taken care of when you prioritize God.
(5:29) By dedicating time to God at the beginning (5:31) and the end of your day, you’re demonstrating faith (5:35) that he will provide for you in between. (5:38) So in the morning and nighttime with God, (5:40) you can speak specifically to your savings (5:43) and trust that God will provide. (5:46) So this approach really fosters a habit (5:48) of spiritual consistency and trust in God’s provision, (5:52) grounding your daily routine in faith (5:54) and aligning with the promises of Matthew 6.33. (5:58) The first and last 15 are something (6:00) that I personally do every day, (6:02) and I’ve seen it make such a positive impact (6:05) on my finances and in life in general.
(6:08) So if you wanna try the first and last 15, (6:11) I want you to comment, (6:12) I’m spending time with God in the comments. (6:16) All right, let’s hop over to habit number two. (6:22) Review progress regularly.
(6:24) So at this point, you’ve prioritized God, (6:27) you started to renew your mind, (6:29) you begin implementing the financial strategies (6:31) you’ve been learning. (6:32) Now it’s time to make sure that what you’re doing (6:35) is actually working. (6:37) In Lamentations 3.40, it says, (6:39) let us examine our ways and test them (6:43) and let us return to the Lord.
(6:45) Examine being the key word here. (6:48) This verse emphasizes the need to self-reflect (6:51) and evaluate your actions. (6:53) It’s about taking time to look back, (6:55) assess how you’re living and stewarding your money, (6:57) and most importantly, adjust your ways (6:59) to align more closely with God’s will.
(7:02) So let’s just say your savings goal is $500 this month, (7:06) but for the past two months, you have only saved $50. (7:10) So what needs to happen is you need to review that (7:13) and figure out why. (7:14) You don’t just let it keep happening over and over (7:16) like, y’all, I was supposed to save this money, (7:19) I didn’t save again.
(7:20) Like, no, we don’t just let the same thing (7:22) happen over and over. (7:24) So what needs to happen is you should take a deep dive (7:27) and determine what’s going on. (7:30) And if you’re anything like me, (7:32) it’s probably because you’ve been spending (7:33) too much money on food.
(7:35) So you wouldn’t know this (7:37) if you didn’t review your progress. (7:39) So let’s make sure as we save, (7:41) we keep track of what’s working and what’s not working. (7:44) So for me, the way I like to track my progress (7:48) is in my eternal wealth journal.
(7:50) This is where I write everything about my finances, (7:53) making it easy for me to review and recall God’s goodness. (7:56) So in my journal, I not only track my savings goals, (8:00) but I also track my progress in the form of gratitude. (8:04) So during the first and last 15 sessions (8:07) that we just talked about, (8:08) I write down all the things that I’m grateful for, (8:11) including the things around money.
(8:14) So by doing this, you’re able to reframe (8:16) what you’re seeing in the physical (8:18) with what you are seeing in the spiritual (8:20) and recall all God’s done for you. (8:23) So let’s just say you might not have the money (8:25) for your phone bill today, (8:27) but you can look back in your eternal wealth journal (8:30) and see God provided last month (8:32) and that will increase your faith (8:34) and help you keep the momentum going (8:36) because you are physically seeing the results (8:40) and the blessings that he has provided for you (8:43) over these past months. (8:46) So if you wanna grab my eternal wealth journal, (8:49) I’ll link it for you in the description (8:50) so you can start tracking your progress and your gratitudes.
(8:54) And then once you start making a habit (8:56) of tracking your progress, (8:58) then you will just naturally move into this next habit. (9:02) So habit number three, implement practical solutions. (9:08) So now that you know what’s working and what’s not working, (9:11) you want to put in place solutions (9:14) to fix what’s not working.
(9:16) Because again, we don’t wanna keep doing the same thing (9:18) over and over expecting different results. (9:20) That’s what they call insanity. (9:21) So going back to the example (9:24) of your goal being $500 savings, (9:26) but you’ve only saved $50 and you know this (9:29) because you’ve been spending too much on food.
(9:31) So now that you know that, it’s time to put a plan in place. (9:34) Get practical, y’all. (9:36) So you might create a plan like this.
(9:38) First, you might say, I’m going to eat out one time a week (9:42) rather than three times a week. (9:44) So we’re not completely eliminating it, (9:46) we’re just reducing it, okay? (9:48) Cause we still wanna be able to have that freedom. (9:51) Two, I’m going to plan my meals using my Kroger app (9:55) to get savings and coupons.
(9:57) And I’m gonna grocery shop on Sundays. (9:59) So you see, I’m being specific (10:01) with the day that I’m shopping. (10:02) And I’m also being specific (10:04) with how I’m gonna be able to save more by using the app.
(10:07) Three, then I’m going to meal prep for the week (10:10) to ensure I have food and don’t get tempted to eat out. (10:14) So you gotta put measures in place (10:16) that prevent you from repeating the same mistake. (10:19) So if I’m going to meal prep, (10:21) that’s gonna prevent me from eating out, okay? (10:24) And then four, finally, I’m going to look (10:27) for even more savings by using the bill negotiator tool (10:31) that Shawnee is always recommending.
(10:34) And if you’re curious to what I’m talking about, (10:36) I’ll drop it in the description. (10:38) It’s a game changer. (10:39) So you definitely wanna check it out (10:40) so you can start to be able to save even more money (10:44) from your bills.
(10:45) And so now that you have a real plan in place (10:47) that you’ve physically written down (10:50) inside your eternal wealth journal, (10:52) and y’all, writing is very important. (10:54) When you put it to pen, it makes it real. (10:58) So it’s not just in your head.
(11:00) When you put it into paper, it’s getting out of your head, (11:03) it’s becoming more real, (11:05) and now it’s becoming more easier to manifest. (11:08) So writing is very crucial. (11:09) And so going back to our verse, (11:12) the second half of Lamentations 340 says, (11:15) and let us return to the Lord.
(11:18) This is a reminder that regular adjustments (11:21) help ensure that your goals, plans, and actions (11:24) are in alignment with God’s purpose for your lives. (11:27) So by implementing this solution, (11:29) you will allow yourself to actually save more, (11:31) which leads you back to having more money (11:34) to fulfill the purpose that God has for your life. (11:37) It’s all interconnected.
(11:39) So savings isn’t just about the money. (11:41) It’s about positioning you to advance the kingdom. (11:45) When you think about it like that, (11:47) savings now takes on a whole new meaning (11:49) and becomes more important.
(11:51) So if you want help creating a biblically-based savings plan (11:55) to help you reach financial freedom, (11:56) go ahead and check out my (11:58) Seven Keys to Eternal Wealth mini course. (12:00) So the mini course contains practical steps and tools (12:03) that you can use to achieve eternal wealth (12:05) while staying true to God. (12:07) So I’ll drop the link to the mini course in the description, (12:10) and you can check it out.
(12:12) So that’s all, y’all. (12:14) The first and last 15, review your progress regularly, (12:17) implement practical solutions. (12:19) That is it.
(12:21) And when you do that, (12:22) watch how God transformed your savings and your finances. (12:26) So let’s pray before we end the episode. (12:31) Dear Heavenly Father, thank you today.
(12:33) Thank you so much for my listeners, Lauren. (12:35) I pray that you just help us develop better money habits (12:39) that glorify you and allow us to move further (12:42) in our pursuit of financial freedom, Lauren. (12:45) I pray that you just unlock these habits, (12:49) that they become everyday pieces of our lives, (12:52) that we start to implement putting you first (12:55) in everything we do.
(12:56) As soon as we open our eyes, Lord, we think about you, (13:00) we give you our praise, and we thank you. (13:02) We invite you into our day. (13:03) We pray that by doing this, Lord, (13:05) that we see a transformation in our lives.
(13:08) We see protection over our lives. (13:10) We see coverage over our finances. (13:12) We see our wealth increase.
(13:14) We see our relationships grow. (13:16) We see everything in our life just prosper (13:19) because we choose to put you first. (13:22) Please let us release the bad habits (13:24) and replace them with good habits that glorify you, Lord.
(13:28) Please take us out of the mind frame (13:32) and the money mind traps that we currently have, Lord, (13:36) and move us into a prosperous mindset (13:39) where we truly believe that we are called to be wealthy (13:42) and that we are wealthy, Lord. (13:44) We pray these things in your name. (13:45) In Jesus’ name, amen, amen, amen.
(13:49) And so I never want to end an episode (13:50) without giving you the opportunity (13:52) to enter into a relationship with Christ. (13:54) So maybe you’ve never got to experience the love of Jesus. (13:58) You’ve never really understood the Father (14:01) really being in your life and guiding your steps (14:06) and redirecting you to a better life.
(14:08) Maybe you really want your finances to be fixed, (14:12) but you just don’t have that relationship with God. (14:14) So you’re continuing to see lack and poverty mindset. (14:22) If you want to renew your mindset, (14:24) you do that through Christ.
(14:26) And so if you want to step into a relationship with Christ, (14:28) all you have to do is repeat this simple prayer. (14:31) And if you are already saved, but you have gone astray (14:33) and you want to come back to your Father, (14:35) you want Him to embrace you (14:37) and take you in under His wing again, (14:39) you can also pray this prayer. (14:41) So we’re gonna say it all together.
(14:43) It’s Jesus, I accept you as my Lord and Savior. (14:49) And that’s it. (14:50) If you prayed that prayer, congratulations (14:53) and welcome to the kingdom of heaven.
(14:56) God is so, so, so proud of you. (15:00) The people in heaven, I’m proud of you. (15:02) Everyone in the kingdom is jumping for joy (15:04) because you just made the best decision of your entire life.
(15:08) And we want to celebrate you. (15:09) So go ahead and click the link in the description (15:12) to grab your gift that’s gonna help you on your journey (15:15) to your new salvation. (15:18) And so thank you so much for watching.
(15:21) I appreciate every single one of you. (15:23) Until next time, peace, love, and eternal wealth. (15:28) Love you guys.
