There are many women in my circle of interaction who are in the throes of severe financial duress.  After praying, fasting and begging the Lord for this cup to pass, relief has been slow. Couples have been stretched to the limit, children have been caught unawares, and the faith of good people is being tried. In my conversations I’ve caught glimpses of their suffering:

“We prayed to know if this was a good investment. We thought we felt the Lord’s approval.”

“I didn’t even know we had an interest-only loan. I guess I didn’t understand what I was signing.”

“My house is being auctioned today on the courthouse steps.”

“My husband just told me we haven’t been paying our property taxes or mortgage payments for the last six months.”

“We took the money out of our retirement to pay for college and weddings. How could we pay for one child’s education and not the others’?”

“Sometimes I wish I could shop at the same stores I used to. I wish I didn’t have to move into a rental. Sometimes I wish I had my old life back. I know I sin in my wish.”

“We have been out of work for over a year. Our savings is gone. Will retirement even be possible?”

“I haven’t worked in 20 years, who is going to hire me?”

My heart aches as I listen to my friends’ suffering. How can they start over at 45, 55, 65? How can I help?

I guess the first thing I can do is listen. I can help them network. I have already spent dozens of hours scouring craigslist for jobs and affordable housing. I can remember that tomorrow it could be me. I can make sure that other parts of their life are easier by providing childcare or inviting them over for dinner or a game night to relieve stress. I can increase my fast offerings. In short, I can “mourn with those that mourn and comfort those that stand in need of comfort.” And when my trial of faith comes, I can allow them to return the favor.

Years ago, I found myself unemployed and living off of savings. I was in a new town and far from family. I took a multifaceted approach to finding a new job. The first place I visited was the LDS employment center. They matched my skills to current job openings and I sent out my résumé to a few potential employers.  Next, I contacted my alumni association and found an online job board for graduates in my field. Third, I went through the yellow pages and circled every job I thought I’d be good at or like.

You’d be surprised to learn that I actually found the job of my dreams via the yellow pages. After circling the jobs I thought I’d be good at, I started calling businesses directly and asking for a job. One company invited me in for an interview the next day. A part-time job at that firm led to a full-time position which led to a management position and I was happier at that job than at any previous workplace.

Recently, I found another great resource for individuals and families who would like to increase their personal finance skills. With the help of several professors at the Marriott School of Management at Brigham Young University, Bryan Sudweeks provides a free online course to aid people in improving their personal finances. The material outlines how to buy a house, how to get out of debt, and how to make (and keep) a budget. This course is designed for the novice and experienced financier and everyone in between. While this course relies heavily on principles taught by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, this course would be helpful to any household.

One quote from the website that I really appreciated was that “wealth is not a sign of righteousness.” I love my friends, I know they are good people who love God. Financial difficulties may plague them for a lifetime, but that will not change my affection for them. I know the Lord will bless them, if not financially, then spiritually. Just like Lehi in the Book of Mormon told his son Jacob, I’d like to say to my friends “Thou knowest the greatness of God; and He shall consecrate thine afflictions for thy gain.” I also need to prepare my heart to be as Job’s for the times of hardship that currently abide and will inevitably come my way, so I can declare with Job, “The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

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Editor’s note: Following are more resources that could help with financial management and the job search.

Being Savvy about Financial Matters: BYU Women’s Conference presentation handout on financial management

On the LDS Employment Resources link listed in the post above, be sure not to miss the Job Search Tip Sheets if you are in the mode of looking for work.

LDS Employment Resources also has links to myriad websites (not Church-affiliated) with information and resources on the following topics:

• Career Counseling
• Educational Funding
• Employer Profiles
• International Education
• Interviewing
• Job Search
• Micro and Small Business
• Networking
• Resume Help
• Schools and Education
• Self-Assessment

Indeed.com — find listings in the area where you want to work (available in multiple countries). Monster.com and Careerbuilder.com are other online job search sites.

If you are going to post electronic an résumé, this Newsweek article might be of interest about how to increase the chance employers might find you.

The post Starting Over: Facing Midlife Financial Crises appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

As members of the LDS church, we believe in paying a 10% tithing on any increase we receive. For example, if we make $10 then we give $1 to the church. The money is used for all sorts of things – the building and maintenance of temples and churches, missionary work, educating church members and more.

People often wonder why we would do something like this.

We believe that the Lord has commanded to give back part of what he has given us. In return, we are blessed in many ways. By paying our tithing we are able to show the Lord our faith, love, and devotion to Him. We are also showing our gratitude for the things that we have and we are showing Him that we trust Him to help us. In return, it seems that we are blessed to have the things that we need.

I have had experiences where I have seen blessings of paying tithing in my own life.

Money is tight in our house and my boys desperately needed a dresser. They had been using bins under their beds, but it just wasn’t working. I really wanted to go and buy a dresser but I couldn’t bring myself to spend money that we didn’t have. I collected the money that I needed to pay for tithing one Sunday morning and put it with my scriptures. I checked my email and there was a message from our Relief Society President ~ a member of my ward had a dresser that they didn’t need. I was able to get my boys a dresser for their room and I truly believe that it is because I was paying my tithing.

When we lived in our old house, I had a salon. In our current home, I have no room for a salon but I still give people haircuts for extra money. I have noticed that when I pay my tithing, I seem to have people call for a haircut more often and I am able to earn money that is needed for groceries and other things around the house. I believe that this is a way the Lord is blessing me and my family for our obedience to this law.

On the LDS church’s website you can read stories of other women from all over the world who have gained a testimony of tithing. An example of a story from that article includes the following:

Josefa Margarida dos Santos Fontes of Brazil shares, “When I was baptized in 2001, I began paying tithing every month. Then just eight months later, my husband passed away. I became a widow with two small children at home and one son on a mission. Although my financial problems were serious, I never stopped paying tithing. I have been blessed with more and more work, which has enabled me to earn more money. But even more important, because I pay my tithing I always feel at peace with the Lord.

“Today my small house seems big and comfortable. I feel calm with my two little children. I will never stop paying tithing because I know the Lord has blessed me not only with physical and spiritual health but also with wisdom and peace.”

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Read more about tithing here.

Read others’ experiences with and thoughts about tithing here.

You can read thoughts from other Mormon women about tithing in the comments on this post.

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For more We Believe posts, please click here.

The post We Believe: Tithing appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

Please share ways you try to save money. Are you a coupon clipper? Are you cutting back in your purchases? Cooking more rather than eating out? Budgeting differently? Redefining wants and needs? Perhaps you have a tip that can benefit others. Or maybe you know of a helpful website about financial management.

Let’s help each other be wise with our resources! Click on the comments link below to share your thoughts. If you have a story to share, please consider submitting an essay to us (use either account at gmail: ‘mormonwoman’ or ‘mormonwomen’).

Here are some links to get us started….

Elder Hales talked in General Conference about being “provident providers.” He shares personal experiences from his life and lessons he learned about provident living.

The Church has an entire website devoted to the topic of provident living, including information about managing family finances, employment tips and resources (including job postings), and various other important topics.

Happily Living Within Our Means — Church members share thoughts on money management

Are You Prepared? — This article includes a list of various other articles and resources for financial management and self-reliance (food storage, etc.)

The post Mormon Women Share: What tips do you have for saving money? appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.