 Is the Amazon Prime visa credit card worth getting? That’s what I wanted to know when I saw their ad in November to get a $200 gift card when you sign up for their credit card. See, I didn’t have any money leftover for Christmas last year. It’d been a very rough year financially. To be honest, that’s the only reason I really considered it. I can genuinely say I’m glad I got this card. It’s been a different experience having a cash back credit card for the first time. I actually make a little money back from my purchases. Sometimes I even get small purchases for free with my points.
As someone who wrote a book on being frugal, you might expect me to be against credit cards. I’m actually not. What I advise avoiding is credit card debt. When I was around 20, I got my first credit card to build my credit score. That helped me. I paid it off in full almost always. When I couldn’t, I did my best to pay it off as soon as possible. It helped me in times of car problems and unexpected expenses that I didn’t have the savings for. Other than that, I tried not to use it. 16 years later, that was still my only credit card. The interest rate is decent. I didn’t have any complaints. I realize now I was also using a card that didn’t offer any benefits. Avoiding credit cards or saving them for emergencies only is old frugal. Using credit cards to make money with cash back is new frugal. I’ve always been an old frugal gal. I’m all about saving money by living an old-fashioned lifestyle and being content with simple things. I’m learning that a lot of these newer ways to make a little money here and there actually add up. I’m still old frugal lifestyle, but I’m now someone who uses apps to save money and snaps receipts for gift cards… and uses a cash back credit card because I have discovered that I can actually save money by using a cash back card on things I’m going to buy anyway. When I got the Amazon card 4 or 5 months ago, I realized I could actually save money by opting for a method of payment that does cash back… if and ONLY IF the amount is paid in full each month. I personally use Amazon at least once a month. I buy my shampoo and all my supplements on there. Of course, my fun shopping is often through Amazon too. Let’s be real. I love Amazon! They have everything. It’s worth it for me as a regular Amazon shopper to get that cash back and put it towards necessary purchases or use the points for a gift. What do I like about this card?
The frugal part of me will tell you it’s absolutely necessary to pay off your card in full every month or those interest rates will get you. It’s not saving money if you get hit with interest. The Amazon shopper in me will tell you if you are also a frequent Amazon shopper this is one card that’s worth having. I’m going to shop on Amazon anyway. I might as well get cash back when I do so I can get discounts on the next purchase or use that cash back towards my credit card bill. If you’re an Amazon shopper and you’d like to sign up for this cash back card, do so here. Don’t forget to pay off your card in full every month! If you are someone who likes saving money – or maybe you’re someone who is reading this because you’re addicted to Amazon and need more shopping money in your budget – I’d love to teach you the frugal lifestyle. My book, Happily Frugal, has over 1,000 ways to save money. It teaches comprehensive budgeting, saving money in every area of your budget (including shopping!), debt reduction, and financial goals.
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 Fall in love with the word of God. Read the bible daily. Go beyond basic reading. Study it. Examine it. Dive into the meaning. Learn about the history. Consume the bible and get it in your head and heart. Whether you’re a new believer, new to reading the bible, or a more seasoned Christian looking to dive deeper into bible study, let’s talk about methods you can study the bible.
What are your favorite ways to study the bible? What would you recommend to others new to reading the Holy Bible? 2 Timothy 3:14-17  As a convert from atheist to Christian, the most important thing I want to tell you about my faith is who Jesus is. The greatness of God is impossible to contain in words. My best attempts to put it into words will always fall short. Jesus is my Lord, my master, my King, my savior, my redeemer, my shelter, my strength, my guidance, my counselor, and the path I center my life on. He leads me. He directs my steps. He grows me, rescues me, redeems me, redirects me, and transforms me. There really are no words that can contain the power of God or what he can do in your life.
Jesus is real. He is God. He is the only true God. If we choose to follow and obey him, we become part of his kingdom and spend eternity in heaven. He is the only path to salvation. It’s quite magnificent to look through the bible and take note of everything the Word says about God’s identity. All of the following are traits taken from Scripture. God tells us in his word that he is the Lord of lords and King of kings. God is almighty. He is the Alpha and Omega, first and last, beginning and the end, the great I Am. The sovereign One, the mighty One, majestic, and reigning. God is holy and righteous. He is the righteous One. All his ways are just. He is a consuming fire. God is powerful. He is the preeminent One. He is the God of gods and Lord of lords. He is the Lord of hosts. He is the Lord of the Sabbath, the Lord of the harvest, the Lord of glory, and the Lord of heaven and earth. He is the Lord of all. He is the majesty in heaven. He is one God. He is the only true God. Jesus is the Savior. Only through Jesus can we be saved. He is a loving God. God is the creator of heaven and earth, man and woman, every creature, and all of nature. He is the originator and founder of life. He is an eternal God. He has always existed and always will. He is everlasting. God is he who is and who was and who is still to come. He is all-powerful. Jesus is the sovereign master, holy and true. He is the one who searches minds and hearts. He gives us his love faithfully. He is faithful to his people. He is gentle. It is impossible for him to lie. He is honest and true. He is a God who vindicates. He gives his people prosperity. He is the protector, deliverer, redeemer, provider, rescuer, and healer. He blesses people. The Lord is a God who does great and unsearchable things, marvelous things without number. Jesus is the majestic glory. He is great. He is glorious, gracious, merciful, compassionate, slow to anger, kind, patient, forgiving, & redeeming. His love is loyal. He is awesome. His name is glorious and awesome. God is magnificent. He is no respecter of persons which means he doesn’t show partiality. He has a plan. He has plans for this world and plans for every person. He is a God that keeps his promises. His work is perfect. He will not abandon his people. He is my rock, my fortress, my strong tower, a shield to those that take refuge in him, my mighty refuge. He gives you security. He fights for you. Jesus is victorious. He is attentive to you and to your needs. Jesus is the one who restores me. Jesus is my source of strength. He is strong. He is the God of hope. He encourages the downhearted. He gives and sustains life. Jesus is the bread of life. He gives favor to his people. He is a jealous God. He is the judge of the living and the dead. There are things that he hates. He does get angry at evil and corrupt behavior. He does get angry after continuous rebellion. He is a just God. He rebukes. He disciplines his children like a parent. He does not get tired or weary. He is a reliable God. You can depend on him. He will not forsake his people. He will not leave you. Jesus is my lamp. Jesus is the light of the world. He is wise. There is no limit to his wisdom. He knows what you need before you even ask. He is a God that teaches his people. His teachings are marvelous. He guides his people into truth. He counsels his people. He is amazing. He is exalted. Jesus is a God to glorify. Jesus is a God to magnify with thanksgiving. God is one (Deuteronomy 6:4, James 2:19). Jesus is the fullness of the deity that came and dwelt among us (John 1:14, Colossians 2:9). Jesus is the image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15-20). Jesus was manifest in the flesh (1 Timothy 3:16). He is the eternal King, immortal, invisible, the only God (1 Timothy 1:17). The Son is the radiance of his glory and the representation of his nature (Hebrews 1:3). He came to give salvation. He was rejected. He suffered for us. He was crucified. He died but he rose again. He is alive. He reigns. Jesus is the lamb who was slain. He is the Chief Shepherd. He is Savior. He is Master. God is present among you. He is a God to be revered (respected), to honor, and to obey. Jesus is a God to follow, a God to worship, a God to praise, and a God to serve. He is a God to be loyal to, a God to rejoice because of, and a God to love. This is the God of the bible. This is who God is. He is a great God that loves you and wants a relationship with you. This is my Jesus. This is the God that created you, loves you, and wants fellowship with you as part of his family. This God is Jesus, and I want you to know him. Are you interested in learning more about the Christian faith? Check out the following resources. Web page: Written by an Apostolic Pentecostal woman Web page: Bible study from The Subject of Salvation Book: The Subject of Salvation  There are many plans in the heart of a man, and nevertheless the counsel (purpose, plan) of Yahweh, that will stand (arise). – Proverbs 19:21 It feels like that, doesn’t it? We make all these plans. We plan out when we will get married and when we will have children and how many we will have and how far apart they will be. We pick out names. We may even pick out the times of year we want them to be born. Alas, we are the carriers of life – not the givers of life. The Lord gives the gift of life in His own timing according to His will. We can only pray. For those who are in the waiting season, we can find comfort in the scripture.
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There are also more gift card options with Fetch. With most receipt scanning apps, you can choose an Amazon gift card or a Visa debit card. I absolutely love Amazon. I am always up for earning gift cards to there, but I love that with Fetch I can also get gift cards to a lot of other stores including grocery stores (Walmart, Meijer, Kroger). You can also use this to get gift cards at certain pharmacies such as CVS. Help pay for your medications. My favorite retail stores are on there including JcPenney. And you can get gift cards to restaurants. Or snap those receipts and go buy books at Barnes and Noble. They have a ton of options. Chances are I’m going for the Amazon gift card, but I love that I can get iced coffee and donuts for free from Dunkin or Starbucks.
If you’re looking to save on groceries, that’s a triple deal. Choose the current grocery deals. Scan your receipts. Then choose a gift card for the grocery store. Remember you can still use coupons if you’re using Fetch or other receipt apps. Plus you can use the same receipt for other apps from separate companies such as Ibotta.
You also have the opportunity to refer people and get points for each referral. I genuinely use this app often, and tell people about it when I get the opportunity. I actually enjoy referring people to this app because I feel like it’s going to help them get a little money back from their shopping. It’s a bit painful to buy groceries in this inflation, and Fetch makes it a little more light-hearted when we get to scan the receipts.
You don’t have to have a referral link. You can sign up directly to this app. If you do sign up with a referral code, you get points! My code is EPWF14. Get signed up with that. Then you’ll get your own code to share with your friends and earn bonus points. The more people you share it with, the more it will help your household afford what you need.
I have fun with the receipt scanning apps. They are my favorite type of frugal app. If you’d like to learn more about which apps I’ve tried and my honest thoughts, check out this blog.
Are you looking to save money and be more frugal? I’m the author of the workbook, Happily Frugal. It has over 1,000 ways to save money. Get your copy today and get to saving money so you can meet your financial goals and live more comfortably.
If you’re looking to save on groceries, that’s a triple deal. Choose the current grocery deals. Scan your receipts. Then choose a gift card for the grocery store. Remember you can still use coupons if you’re using Fetch or other receipt apps. Plus you can use the same receipt for other apps from separate companies such as Ibotta.
You also have the opportunity to refer people and get points for each referral. I genuinely use this app often, and tell people about it when I get the opportunity. I actually enjoy referring people to this app because I feel like it’s going to help them get a little money back from their shopping. It’s a bit painful to buy groceries in this inflation, and Fetch makes it a little more light-hearted when we get to scan the receipts.
You don’t have to have a referral link. You can sign up directly to this app. If you do sign up with a referral code, you get points! My code is EPWF14. Get signed up with that. Then you’ll get your own code to share with your friends and earn bonus points. The more people you share it with, the more it will help your household afford what you need.
I have fun with the receipt scanning apps. They are my favorite type of frugal app. If you’d like to learn more about which apps I’ve tried and my honest thoughts, check out this blog.
Are you looking to save money and be more frugal? I’m the author of the workbook, Happily Frugal. It has over 1,000 ways to save money. Get your copy today and get to saving money so you can meet your financial goals and live more comfortably.
Click the button above to get introduced to Happily Frugal.
Click the button below to buy it on Amazon.
Sign up for Fetch and scan receipts to earn an Amazon gift card and get my book for free!
Click the button below to buy it on Amazon.
Sign up for Fetch and scan receipts to earn an Amazon gift card and get my book for free!
Don’t forget to head over to my frugal living page to check out the series on frugal apps to save money or make money.
Holidays are a wonderful time to gather with loved ones and celebrate. It can also be a challenge to attend every gathering when you are on a tight budget. Christmas especially can be a financial obstacle for many families. Remember being together is more important than material items. Live simple. Make memories with a from-scratch holiday gathering.
Let’s talk about ways to save money on Christmas expenses.
Let’s talk about ways to save money on Christmas expenses.
Budget
- Set a budget before you start Christmas shopping. This is a good time to utilize envelope budgeting. Shopping with cash is an effective way to stay on track.
- List out who you want to buy for. Narrow it down to who you are able to buy for. Allot a budget for each person.
- Make a reasonable limit to the number of gifts for your kids that fits your budget this year without going into debt.
- It’s okay to keep it simple. Kids don’t need dozens of gifts. You don’t need to go over your budget and put yourself in a tough spot financially to be able to spend time together.
- Siblings can draw names to see who buys one gift for someone. Get one gift item within your budget for only one person. This helps a lot with big families.
Shopping
- Make your own Christmas cards.
- Buy next year’s Christmas gifts after this Christmas if you can find a good deal.
- Skip the electronics.
- Shop the sales! The prices drop in early November. Many stores now extend their Black Friday sales to be for several days. There’s also Cyber Monday. Look at the ads. Have the apps for your favorite stores on your phone so you can scan the barcode to catch unlisted sales.
- Shop thoughtfully. Choose gifts with a purpose to be used.
- Make homemade gifts.
- Gift food and make it cute with nice jars and holiday decoration.
- Do white elephant gifts for needed household items.
- Check rebate apps for cash back on gift cards before purchasing any gift cards as a Christmas present.
- Don’t forget to mail in any rebates. There are still some companies that do paper rebates to mail in (knowing many will forget to send them in).
- It’s okay to shop vintage and pre-owned. Gifts do not have to be brand-new. Thrift stores can have great gift options.
Gifting
- Reuse gift bags, boxes, wrapping paper, tissue paper, ribbon, bows, and tags when you are able to. Gift bags and boxes that have not been taped are very easy to reuse year after year.
- Buy fabric gift bags. Reuse them for gift bags every year. There are holiday-themed gift bags that are reusable.
- Wrap gifts in fabric that can be reused. Use fabric instead of tissue paper.
- Instead of buying gift boxes, utilize boxes that you already have at home. Cereal boxes, oatmeal boxes, and other boxes your groceries come in make for a free and somewhat humorous gift-wrapping package.
Decor
- An artificial tree will last years, but a live tree is only for one year. Choose a Christmas tree that is reusable.
- A pre-lit tree does not last as long. Pick the trees that last longer.
- Unplug or turn off all the Christmas lights before you go to bed. Save on electricity by not leaving them on all night long.
- If your electric bill needs to be kept as low as possible, be more on the minimal side with electric decorations especially outside.
- Purchase decorations that are not intended to be disposable. Buy things that will last. Don’t throw it away when you’re done with it for this year!
- Choose quality products. Sometimes the cheaper items only last a short time before they fall apart. Invest in products that you won’t have to replace for a long time.
- Shop clearance after the holiday/season is over.
- Buy pre-owned decorations. Thrift stores often have holiday decorations.
- Make your own decorations. If you have kids, this is a fun one.
Holiday meals
- Gather at home instead of a restaurant.
- Skip the convenience of disposable plates, cups, and utensils. Use your nice dishes and silverware for holiday meals.
- Cook from scratch.
- Do potluck style and have each guest bring a dish.
- Choose low-budget side dishes.
- For Thanksgiving and Christmas, grocery stores may have deals to get a free turkey or ham when you spend a certain amount of money. There are always stores that offer low prices per pound on turkeys the week of Thanksgiving. You could buy two turkeys on sale and save one for Christmas.
- Shop in bulk and larger packages for the main dish, side dishes, and condiments.
- Near the end of summer, start buying your usual side dishes for Thanksgiving and Christmas a little bit each grocery trip. Doing this requires less of a dent in the food budget for November and December.
- You can also envelope budget for holiday meals throughout the year.
Also
A realistic tip for holidays:
If you need to, it’s okay to decline. You don’t have to attend every gathering you’re invited to. Gifts and contributing food can get expensive.
Don’t forget to scan your receipts to make money back. Learn more about that here.
If you need to, it’s okay to decline. You don’t have to attend every gathering you’re invited to. Gifts and contributing food can get expensive.
Don’t forget to scan your receipts to make money back. Learn more about that here.
Over 1,000 ways to save money
Another option to save for Christmas is to save money on your regular monthly expenses so you can give more to others during this season.
Learn over 1,000 ways to save money in my workbook, Happily Frugal. Click the button below to learn all about my book.
Learn over 1,000 ways to save money in my workbook, Happily Frugal. Click the button below to learn all about my book.
There are ways to make extra money here and there or on a regular basis. Some of these are from home. Some of these you choose to go somewhere to offer services. Some are freelance work. A few are for companies. There are things listed here that will make a little bit of money and things listed that make a lot of money. Here’s the beauty of “side money”. You can choose what you want to do and choose what hours work for you. You choose how much time you need to put into it. The schedule is flexible, and your family can come first. These things can vary from one-time options to seasonal to regular. Do whatever works for you. When it comes to extra money earned in addition to your primary job, there are so many reasons we may need to do this. As you look through this list, be reasonable with how much you can do. Try out things and see what you like. Most of these things don’t need to be like traditional shift work. For example, you can do a freelance delivery service such as DoorDash after your regular job and only do 1 or 2 runs on your way home. If you work 5 days a week, that’s 20 runs a month. You don’t have to go out on your day off and work an 8-hour shift doing a side job. You can still have a day off. There are a lot of options to make extra money. If this is something you need to do, I hope you find something that fits you well and you can maintain a healthy work/life balance. Without further ado, let’s look at the options to make extra money. Find a way (or multiple ways) that work for you!
If you are going into people’s homes to provide services or are working in a way that puts you alone with people, please be safe. Take precautions.
If you are going into people’s homes to provide services or are working in a way that puts you alone with people, please be safe. Take precautions.
One time or occasional methods to make money
- Turn in your used ink cartridges.
- Collect and turn in aluminum cans.
- Some states pay you for recycling. You can make money from cans and bottles. Some companies will pay a small amount for your old cell phone and other electronics.
- Selling scrap metal can get you some extra money. When your washer, dryer, water heater, etc… goes out don’t throw it away. Take it to the scrap yard. If you replace piping, cash it in.
- Donate your plasma and receive compensation.
- Participate in psychological studies.
- Some companies offer free products or cash compensation for testing their products.
- Sell your items to a thrift store that pays cash for good products.
Ways to make occasional or regular money working independently in-person
- Home care
- Childcare is a classic choice. You can do this in your home or theirs.
- A mother’s helper is someone who comes to a family’s home and assists the parents with child care, cleaning, and cooking while the parents are still in the home.
- Pet sitting actually makes decent money.
- Cleaning houses as a profession makes good money.
- Offer your services in cooking and meal prep. There are people who hire for this. You can cook at their house or menu plan and prep for them.
- Are you good at organizing? Sell home organization services helping people get their household in order.
- Spend time with the elderly who need entry level home care.
- House sit for people out of town.
- Yard work is something people are always hiring for.
- Mow lawns.
- Rake leaves.
- Shovel snow.
- Offer shrub removal or tree stump removal.
- Do landscaping.
- Help someone plant their garden.
- Handyman skills are always needed. Can you do any of these things?
- Car wash and detailing
- Routine car maintenance or basic repairs and replacements
- Paint
- Carpentry
- Home remodel
- Routine house maintenance that the owners don’t know how to do or don’t have time for
- Haul stuff or help with moving… for a fee.
- Light installation assistance is needed by some for Christmas lights or other decorative outdoor lighting.
- If you have the proper training for more advanced work including plumbing, electric, and HVAC, you can offer those services around your regular work schedule.
- You can do freelance work on your own or through a company to offer handyman work, furniture assembly, help with moving or delivering, etc.
- Sell firewood from trees you cut down.
- Services can be offered in-person around your schedule.
- Work as a tutor.
- Is there anything you can teach classes on?
- Is there anything you are qualified to coach on?
- What are you passionate about? Is your passion something you can offer as a service? Many services can be offered around your regular job schedule or your family’s schedule when it works for you.
- If you happen to be musically talented, you could sing or play music at events for a fee.
- If you’re a natural at organizing and enjoy hosting, consider being an event planner.
- Do you enjoy photography? This can be offered around your family’s schedule.
Work independently from home around your schedule
- If you’ve had the proper training to be an editor, that makes good money.
- If you are good at typing, you can offer transcription services.
- Write blogs or articles for companies.
- If you enjoy writing, consider becoming a published author.
- If you have graphic design skills, offer it for hire.
- Sell illustrations or custom-make them if you can draw.
- Create fonts and sell them for commercial use.
- Do website design. This is something people are often seeking to hire for.
- Offer photo editing services to busy photographers.
- Create art and sell it.
- Market your talents. What are you good at? Do it for hire.
Domestic skills you can sell
If you have mastered any domestic skills that are no longer common knowledge, use that. The ability to do these things will always be needed.
- Have chickens and sell the eggs.
- Be a beekeeper and sell the honey.
- Garden. Sell some of your leftovers. Set up a home produce stand.
- Sell seeds you’ve gathered from your garden food.
- Start extra seedlings in the spring you can sell.
- You can also grow flowers to sell. Sell individual flowers. Make bouquets. Start spring flowers in the pot and sell them.
- Offer food preservation as a service for those who don’t know how to can and dehydrate their food.
- Make homemade jams, jellies, preserves, spreads, and condiments to sell.
- Sell baked goods. You can also offer a menu that’s made to order.
- Offer homemade meals made to order.
- Make homemade cleaning supplies.
- Make bar soap.
- Sew. There are countless things you can sew that will sell for a good price. Remember you don’t have to buy fabric that is brand-new. You can buy clearance fabric and choose what to make because of what’s on sale. You can buy clothes and other fabric from thrift stores.
- Offer your services as a seamstress for repairs, modifications, and handmade clothes.
- Offer embroidery services.
- Crochet. There are numerous possibilities. Homemade blankets are a good thing to sell.
- Knit. Try knitting scarves to sell.
- Weaving is also a domestic skill you can use to make products.
- Make candles.
- Make crafts. There are endless possibilities when it comes to crafting.
- Build furniture.
- Flip furniture. Freshen up thrifted finds. Reupholster chairs.
- Make home décor. This could be as simple as painting pickle jars or making garland. You could also do pottery. There are a lot of possibilities.
Set up shop
- Yard sales are a traditional choice to make extra cash.
- Sell things online. Facebook can be an easy and free place to sell items.
- Is there anything you enjoy making that you could sell? List your ideas.
- Consider having a booth at a consignment shop you don’t have to be at while it’s selling. This could be anything from yard sale type items to antique stores.
- Set up at a flea market. Some markets do short-term rent and others do month-to-month.
- Sell at a Farmer’s Market. It’s fairly low-cost to be a vendor for the season, and it’s often only one day a week that you have to go somewhere in-person.
- Have a table at a Christmas bazaar.
- What kind of vendor events are relevant to what you want to sell? This could be a regular thing or a yearly event.
- Sell print-on-demand products that are printed and shipped by another company. The creator gets a portion of the sale.
- Many people start stores out of their home. Is there any niche of merchandise that you would like to invest in and sell from home?
- What could you make or sell that is wanted by the communities you are connected with? For example, a cloth diapering momma could start selling cloth diapers out of her home or from a store people can visit.
- Have a website that sells digital downloads.
- Use an e-commerce website to sell digital downloads. This could be books, digital art, handwritten fonts, customized items.
- Rent out tools if you have a decent selection.
- Rent out décor such as wedding décor or themed baby shower décor.
Make money from your property
- Do you own property you want to sell? This is a one-time way to make a large amount of money.
- If you happen to own a home you are not living in, you could rent it out. This can be a big money maker and regular monthly income.
- If you have property that would work for this, rent out your rustic barn for weddings or part of your land for events.
- If you’ve got the land for it, grow a pick-your-own flower farm.
- What could you use your land for? You could rent it out, let a farmer use some of your acreage, build something, start a campground, have a pay lake to fish at, and more.
Get connected to the world
- Connect with affiliate marketing. You can promote someone’s product or program for a bonus when they get business through you. Or you can create the class that offers affiliate marketing to encourage others to promote you.
- Create podcasts that are paid or monetized with ads.
- Make money from a website. This often requires regular blogging.
- Have ads on your website.
- Have ads in your blogs.
- Use affiliate marketing links.
- Earn commission.
- Promote sponsored content.
- Get paid to do reviews.
- You can get paid to do book reviews and participate in things like book blog tours. Connect with other bloggers who review similar items.
- Use social media to promote your blogs and increase traffic to your website.
- Have an email list.
- Sell digital downloads.
- Sell physical products.
- Sell services that you promote through your website.
- Have ads on your website.
- If you gain a large following on social media, you can make money at it. This does take a tremendous amount of effort to gain followers and maintain each account. However, it’s something you can do from home to make money.
- Several social media platforms offer content creators the ability to monetize their account.
- Earn commission through affiliate links.
- Earn ad revenue.
- Get paid to do ads or sponsored content.
- Be a brand ambassador.
- Offer exclusive content for subscribers (monthly fee).
- Be open to donations.
- Sometimes they launch businesses once they are popular. They may write books, introduce a clothing line, or offer something their fans can buy.
Do delivery
- Some companies allow you to deliver packages as needed with the ability to sign up for shifts when it works for your family. You can do this locally or you can travel. (example: Amazon flex)
- Work for a company that does food delivery. You decide your availability. (examples: DoorDash, Uber Eats, Grub Hub)
- Deliver groceries when it works for your schedule. There are several grocery stores that offer this. (examples: Instacart, DoorDash red card, Spark Driver, Shipt)
- Be a personal shopper. There are apps for this as well. You go shopping for them and then deliver their items to their house. (All of the companies in the above option offer delivery for retail shopping as well.)
- Use your car for rideshare driving. Pick people up and deliver them to their doorstep. (examples: Uber, Lyft)
DoorDash, Uber Eats, Grub Hub, Instacart, Spark Driver, Shipt, Uber, Lyft, and Amazon flex are all companies you can freelance for when it works for your schedule.
Extra money working for a company
- Virtual assistant work is becoming popular.
- Social media management is something you can do from home.
- If you like to teach, there are programs you can teach under someone’s brand that uses their curriculum and they take a percentage of your class fee.
- Direct sales for a company that sells exclusively through members instead of directly to the public is an extremely popular thing to try out for extra cash.
- Work for day to day hire around your schedule.
- Check the temp agencies in your area. They may have short term jobs available.
- Work seasonal jobs. Retail jobs always hire seasonal workers for the holidays. A garden center or farm may need extra help for the summer. Search seasonal jobs in your area.
There is a lot of flexibility in this type of work
Many of these things can grow into a full income. Many of them can be a supplemental income. While it is hard to have small businesses or put in the time for side jobs, there is a lot of flexibility. You set the pace for how much you want to do. You decide when you want to do these things. Live frugally. Make extra money when you need to.
Also consider apps
- Earn cash or gift cards by scanning your receipts. I have a blog on that here.
- Get rebates on your groceries through apps. I have a blog on that here.
- Make a little bit of money with referral codes. I have a blog on frugal apps I use that offer referral codes here.
There is a blog series on frugal apps to save money and make money on my frugal living page.
Better yet
Better than any of these options, save money in your budget so you don’t have to go out and work extra. Learning ways to save on your monthly expenses can make the difference between mommas being able to stay home or having to leave their babies. Developing your skills in feeding a family frugally can be what lets you be a homemaker so you don’t have to work outside the home if you don’t want to. I would love to teach you over 1,000 ways to save money. It’s all in my workbook, Happily Frugal.
Get your copy today!
What do you do to make extra money when you need to?
Tell me in the comments below.
If you’re looking to make a little bit of extra money from home or earn gift cards here and there, referral codes and links are one way to do that. Of course, recommend apps you genuinely use and think are worth recommending.
I’ll give examples below of apps I have on my phone that offer a referral bonus. Most of these offer a bonus to those signing up, and the majority of them give a reward for referring someone.
Once you get signed up with these apps, you’ll get your own referral code to make a little extra money or points for gift cards. All of these are apps you can sign up for directly without need for referral. However, most offer a bonus when you sign up with a referral. I’ll link to my code for each one.
In alphabetical order, here are 15 apps I have that you could make money from too.
Coin Out is a receipt scanning app. Earn points when you scan your receipts.
I’ll give examples below of apps I have on my phone that offer a referral bonus. Most of these offer a bonus to those signing up, and the majority of them give a reward for referring someone.
Once you get signed up with these apps, you’ll get your own referral code to make a little extra money or points for gift cards. All of these are apps you can sign up for directly without need for referral. However, most offer a bonus when you sign up with a referral. I’ll link to my code for each one.
In alphabetical order, here are 15 apps I have that you could make money from too.
- Be frugal
- Box Tops
- Casey’s gas station
- Coin Out
Coin Out is a receipt scanning app. Earn points when you scan your receipts.
- Fetch
- Flashfood
- Frisbee
- GasBuddy
- Ibotta
- Inbox Dollars
- Rakuten
- Receipt Hog
- Shopkick
- Swagbucks
- Upside
How can you make money like this?
I’ll be honest. It’s not big money. It’s just a little bit here and there. If I didn’t genuinely have the apps on my phone for my own use, it wouldn’t be enough money to motivate me to sign up for the codes. That said, I actually use these apps and make a little extra at referral codes.
Here’s how you can do it.
Tell me in the comments what your favorite frugal apps are. I have a whole blog series on frugal apps over on my web page for frugal blogs. Check that out and see how you can make a little or save a lot. Don’t forget to read my book, Happily Frugal. It has over 1,000 ways to save money. It’s all about living the frugal lifestyle and meeting your goals.
Here’s how you can do it.
- Tell your family and friends in person.
- Post about it on social media.
- If the conversation arises for certain apps, tell people about how you are saving money or making a little money with such and such app. For example, Fetch is an easy app to talk about and so is GasBuddy.
- If you have a blog or website, see if you can add it in with your niche.
- Share this blog to get started talking about frugal apps to make passive money from home.
Tell me in the comments what your favorite frugal apps are. I have a whole blog series on frugal apps over on my web page for frugal blogs. Check that out and see how you can make a little or save a lot. Don’t forget to read my book, Happily Frugal. It has over 1,000 ways to save money. It’s all about living the frugal lifestyle and meeting your goals.
I am not a political blogger. I don’t like to talk about politics. It’s a stressful topic. However, there comes a point that it’s necessary. We are in crisis here in Clark County. Springfield has made national news repeatedly due to the extremely large amount of immigrants that have come here. There’s a lot of talk, a lot of emotion, a lot of division, facts, and false information, and claims without evidence. As someone who actually lives here, I can tell you we were talking about this growing issue long before the election season came.
It's not about the cats. It’s about the numerous car accidents by thousands of Haitians driving without a license or car insurance. It’s about the American families being kicked out of rental homes so Haitians can be moved in with large groups at higher rent. It’s about the crime rising us to one of the most dangerous cities in Ohio. It’s about the “invaders” buying assault rifles and being aggressive. It’s about the city leaders profiting off this mass immigration. It’s about the women being followed by groups of Haitian men in grocery store parking lots. It’s about our drowning healthcare resources and hours-long lines at the welfare office that now has armed guards at the door for their 9 to 1 ratio of Haitians to Americans. It’s about what’s really happening here.
To be clear, I do not want any violence or threats of harm. I do not want hatred at the Haitians. I am a Christian and I do not desire violence at anyone especially for the sake of addressing excessive immigration of people escaping a terribly violent country. I’m writing this because I want the American voters to be aware of what the media isn’t telling them – as told by someone who actually lives in an “invaded” county. People need to know the truth. If millions of immigrants are going to come into our country, the issues here need to be addressed and worked on.
It's not about the cats. It’s about the numerous car accidents by thousands of Haitians driving without a license or car insurance. It’s about the American families being kicked out of rental homes so Haitians can be moved in with large groups at higher rent. It’s about the crime rising us to one of the most dangerous cities in Ohio. It’s about the “invaders” buying assault rifles and being aggressive. It’s about the city leaders profiting off this mass immigration. It’s about the women being followed by groups of Haitian men in grocery store parking lots. It’s about our drowning healthcare resources and hours-long lines at the welfare office that now has armed guards at the door for their 9 to 1 ratio of Haitians to Americans. It’s about what’s really happening here.
To be clear, I do not want any violence or threats of harm. I do not want hatred at the Haitians. I am a Christian and I do not desire violence at anyone especially for the sake of addressing excessive immigration of people escaping a terribly violent country. I’m writing this because I want the American voters to be aware of what the media isn’t telling them – as told by someone who actually lives in an “invaded” county. People need to know the truth. If millions of immigrants are going to come into our country, the issues here need to be addressed and worked on.
This is home
I grew up here. This is home. I’ve lived here over 30 years. I’m familiar with the places being talked about in the news and on social media. I’m here to tell you none of the mainstream media is reporting what’s actually happening or mentioning the most important issues. They’re hyper-focusing on viral statements made without evidence, and dismissing the validity of the entire matter. Or they’re calling it racism and xenophobia when that’s not it at all. Springfield Americans – both white and black – are united in opposing how many Haitians are coming here. Nobody cares what color they are.
Before the “Haitian invasion”, Springfield had about 58,000 people. It’s not a big city. I live in a small town halfway in between Springfield and Dayton. My grandparent’s generation moved up from Kentucky because this area was booming with jobs. This used to be the place to be for working class folks. This was certainly never a rich area. It’s been on the run-down side my whole life. It’s often described as an impoverished area. I don’t remember the days it was a booming economy. I’ve watched this area struggle more and more over the years as businesses close left and right. No one would disagree that we were struggling…. and then 20,000+ immigrants moved in from a third world country who came and took over the welfare office with lines hours long. These people are coming on a refugee program that offers significant cash assistance, getting housing vouchers, and getting all the welfare programs available to Americans including “free” health insurance and quite a lot of money in food stamps. This area was already struggling. We already had one of the highest poverty rates outside of the Appalachian counties. And now we have tens of thousands more taking up resources paid for by American tax dollars.
They started arriving in 2018. The population growth has exploded within the last year or two. Any kind of population growth of 20,000 in a city that had just under 60,000 is going to be hard for the area to adjust to especially with housing and jobs. They continue to come. Busloads of them get dropped off at the Love’s truck stop just off I-70. More come every day.
As with any population that size, there are a variety of people. There are good people. There are well-educated, college-degreed people. There are business owners. There are people desperate to escape a hellacious country and start over in the land of opportunity. There are also criminals in the mix. There are gang members that have slipped in. There are rapists from Haiti here now. We can see that there are a lot of thieves in their community. There are dangerous people in the mix. They aren’t all bad. They aren’t all good either. There are people who are thankful to be here, and others who don’t like America. There are some worth welcoming, and others who are a threat to our community.
Why here? They say they were told there are jobs here. A temp agency in Springfield employs many of them. Or you could say exploits many of them with low wages, shady contracts, and high rent. This temp agency owner also owns dozens of rental properties. Others suspect the city officials are getting paid for it somehow. The mayor of Springfield also owns rental properties and rents to the Haitians. He is making money from them being here. Many people suspect the city officials allow this because they profit from it.
Most of them are here legally. They are under temporary protected status until 2026. A lot of them are asylum seekers. We don’t know what will happen when their protected status is up. Will they be deported or given citizenship?
The Haitians come from a third world country – the most impoverished nation in the western hemisphere – and they struggle to assimilate to the American way of life. Their country is suffering extreme political unrest and violence as they are run by gangs. The people living in Haiti struggle with hunger, violence, kidnappings, rape, gang crime, and horrible conditions as they try to survive. Needless to say, they are escaping a terrible place. There is no question about that. But is it good for our country to welcome in so many millions of immigrants? How many can we take in and how quickly? We can all agree that our melting pot of a nation was built by immigrants, and most of us descend from them. What about when huge populations of them arrive in one area? What happens when 20,000 immigrants in need of assistance gather together in a struggling, impoverished city of just under 60,000? A city full of poor folks who are barely able to buy groceries, families have moved in together, and the homeless community grows, children are hungry, and the city slowly crumbles before our eyes?
Some Springfield citizens welcome them with open arms.
Others resent them taking up resources taken from the American taxpayer who is struggling to survive. (And the state just keeps sinking more of our tax money into non-Americans.) Some resent that Americans aren’t put first by our politicians they elect in a government they pay into. Foreigners are being put first over struggling American families.
While others fear them, many feeling we have been invaded sheerly due to the numbers.
Before the “Haitian invasion”, Springfield had about 58,000 people. It’s not a big city. I live in a small town halfway in between Springfield and Dayton. My grandparent’s generation moved up from Kentucky because this area was booming with jobs. This used to be the place to be for working class folks. This was certainly never a rich area. It’s been on the run-down side my whole life. It’s often described as an impoverished area. I don’t remember the days it was a booming economy. I’ve watched this area struggle more and more over the years as businesses close left and right. No one would disagree that we were struggling…. and then 20,000+ immigrants moved in from a third world country who came and took over the welfare office with lines hours long. These people are coming on a refugee program that offers significant cash assistance, getting housing vouchers, and getting all the welfare programs available to Americans including “free” health insurance and quite a lot of money in food stamps. This area was already struggling. We already had one of the highest poverty rates outside of the Appalachian counties. And now we have tens of thousands more taking up resources paid for by American tax dollars.
They started arriving in 2018. The population growth has exploded within the last year or two. Any kind of population growth of 20,000 in a city that had just under 60,000 is going to be hard for the area to adjust to especially with housing and jobs. They continue to come. Busloads of them get dropped off at the Love’s truck stop just off I-70. More come every day.
As with any population that size, there are a variety of people. There are good people. There are well-educated, college-degreed people. There are business owners. There are people desperate to escape a hellacious country and start over in the land of opportunity. There are also criminals in the mix. There are gang members that have slipped in. There are rapists from Haiti here now. We can see that there are a lot of thieves in their community. There are dangerous people in the mix. They aren’t all bad. They aren’t all good either. There are people who are thankful to be here, and others who don’t like America. There are some worth welcoming, and others who are a threat to our community.
Why here? They say they were told there are jobs here. A temp agency in Springfield employs many of them. Or you could say exploits many of them with low wages, shady contracts, and high rent. This temp agency owner also owns dozens of rental properties. Others suspect the city officials are getting paid for it somehow. The mayor of Springfield also owns rental properties and rents to the Haitians. He is making money from them being here. Many people suspect the city officials allow this because they profit from it.
Most of them are here legally. They are under temporary protected status until 2026. A lot of them are asylum seekers. We don’t know what will happen when their protected status is up. Will they be deported or given citizenship?
The Haitians come from a third world country – the most impoverished nation in the western hemisphere – and they struggle to assimilate to the American way of life. Their country is suffering extreme political unrest and violence as they are run by gangs. The people living in Haiti struggle with hunger, violence, kidnappings, rape, gang crime, and horrible conditions as they try to survive. Needless to say, they are escaping a terrible place. There is no question about that. But is it good for our country to welcome in so many millions of immigrants? How many can we take in and how quickly? We can all agree that our melting pot of a nation was built by immigrants, and most of us descend from them. What about when huge populations of them arrive in one area? What happens when 20,000 immigrants in need of assistance gather together in a struggling, impoverished city of just under 60,000? A city full of poor folks who are barely able to buy groceries, families have moved in together, and the homeless community grows, children are hungry, and the city slowly crumbles before our eyes?
Some Springfield citizens welcome them with open arms.
Others resent them taking up resources taken from the American taxpayer who is struggling to survive. (And the state just keeps sinking more of our tax money into non-Americans.) Some resent that Americans aren’t put first by our politicians they elect in a government they pay into. Foreigners are being put first over struggling American families.
While others fear them, many feeling we have been invaded sheerly due to the numbers.
Let's talk about the issues
- The most obvious issue is that there’s too many too fast. This is not a big city like Chicago or New York. We can’t handle a population growth like this. If they had immigrated in smaller numbers, this would barely be noticeable. If they dispersed, it wouldn’t be as hard to handle. Yet they continue to pour in daily (yes, I literally mean daily).
- A new issue that has quickly risen to one of the most serious is election fraud. These people who are not American citizens are trying to vote. It caught my attention when people started mentioning places telling them to vote. It was found that the library in Springfield was handing out illegal voter registration forms. Then the Ohio Secretary of State caught an illegal absentee ballot sent out by a Haitian refugee. This was publicly reported in a press release. The Secretary of State said it was distributed by the welfare office and actually printed by the Ohio Department of Medicaid. They were told to cease and desist. Now it’s rumored that the BMV is telling them to register to vote? In interviews, some have said they plan to vote. Now do you understand why Kamala is welcoming in immigrants at insanely high rates in the months leading up to the election? Now do you see why they are being sent to red states? Thankfully, Ohio is being more diligent on election integrity. It is unclear if the immigrants actually know it’s illegal for them to vote and such lawbreaking could get them deported. This is fact not fiction, folks. These attempts at election fraud have been publicly reported by government agencies and covered by conservative media outlets. How can they get an absentee ballot unless they were accepted as a registered voter? And how many of them have slipped through the registration process and sent in absentee ballots? Perhaps, we need to do away with absentee ballots.
- One of the most important issues is the daily car accidents making our roads unsafe. The majority of people in Haiti walk to their destination. These immigrants may have never driven a car before they got here. We’ve noticed their…newness… to operating a motor vehicle. There are 6-10 accidents a day. They’re not going to driving school. They are driving without licenses or car insurance. There are literally multiple accidents a day in Springfield because of the Haitians. Several local Americans have already been killed because of them, including one hitting a school bus. While it’s bothersome enough that they don’t get in legal trouble for driving without a license, we are mostly concerned for our safety driving on roads with unlicensed drivers who don’t actually know how to drive. People fear their children and loved ones will be hit every time they leave their house. And this is wild, y’all. This is not the new driver experience we had as teenagers. This is a group of people that don’t understand how our roads even work. They go the wrong way on one-way streets all the time. They go off the road. One local tells of watching her DoorDash driver on the app arrive to a closed road and then proceed to take the railroad tracks instead. We have never seen road safety issues like this. They hit parked cars. They hit houses. Locals post pictures and videos and collages. Keep in mind if you can’t afford to fix your car, that person has just lost their transportation to work and may lose their job because of it.
- Many locals are irritated that we would get in trouble for breaking the law by driving without a license and without car insurance, but they don’t. We would get our cars towed, charged with a misdemeanor on first offense, and maybe even go to jail. They don’t get in trouble though. Some of them even drive cars without plates.
- Speaking of car insurance, most Clark County residents have suffered their car insurance nearly doubling because of the massive increase in car accidents in our area. One local resident shared a video about how his car insurance for two vehicles is now so high it’s basically a third car payment. Let me emphasize again this was already a high poverty area and most of us are struggling. So now we have to pay more for insurance and also pay out of our own pockets if they smash our cars because they don’t even have car insurance. Thousands of them… driving without a license or car insurance. Yet it’s against the law for us to not have car insurance.
- Homeowners insurance is also going up. I’m just going to go ahead and assume it’s because the Haitians are wrecking their cars into houses.
- Obviously, we didn’t have 10,000 houses sitting empty when they showed up. A lot of the Haitians live in large groups with 20 to 25 people to a house.
- Rent has gone through the roof. The surge in demand for housing has driven up the cost. Landlords are kicking out Americans and moving in Haitians. Yes, landlords are actually kicking out American families in favor of Haitians. Why? They make more money off them. The rent is being raised significantly all over the area – far more than being from the inflation. The Haitians live in groups and get cash assistance for being a refugee. They can pay a higher price. We can’t.
- This is contributing to the significant increase in homeless Americans here in Clark County.
- Some Springfield residents report Haitians making homeless camps in public places such as behind schools. This has repeatedly been mentioned at city council meetings. I have also seen photos of this posted on Facebook several times.
- There have been claims of homeless Haitians being squatters on residential property. One video went viral of a woman speaking at the city council meeting saying they were squatters in her yard and threatening her.
- One of the biggest issues is that they don’t follow our laws and they don’t get in trouble when they break them. Reportedly, Clark County courts have dismissed their cases because of the inability to provide them with the right to a speedy trial due to not having a translator.
- The crime has risen. Springfield has risen to the top 5 for most dangerous cities in Ohio. It surpassed Dayton and Cincinnati! It wasn’t that long ago the rate of violent crime in Springfield was half that of Dayton. I never in a million years would have thought that Dayton would become the safer place to be. In 2022, Dayton was ranked as the 5th most dangerous city in the entire country. To my knowledge, they don’t publicize crime statistics by citizenship status.
- There have been so many reports of women saying they were followed by groups of Haitian men when they were at the store or in the parking lot. I can’t even begin to count how many times this has been posted locally. None of the media has acknowledged that. Some women get walked to their cars by the employees. Not enough call the police when this happens. Clark County residents know the police are short-staffed and can’t respond to every call. That has been an issue for a long time.
- American women are being raped by Haitian men, some of them being gang raped. Is that why they call Springfield “Little Haiti” now? This has been a verified issue in Lima and Columbus. It has been posted about happening here in Springfield. I don’t know of any arrests yet for this area. I do believe women when they say they were raped or assaulted, even if they didn’t report.
- Many, many Springfield area residents no longer feel safe going in public in their own community. They are taking their business elsewhere. People that live in Springfield are traveling to Urbana or London or even all the way to Beavercreek to do their grocery shopping, retail shopping, and even banking. Businesses in Springfield are losing customers. This will lead to decreased hours/pay for employees due to low sales and possibly closed businesses. We have had a shocking number of businesses close this year.
- Speaking of shopping in Springfield, one frequently mentioned issue is how often the Haitians steal from the grocery store. They are well-known for opening bags/containers and eating what they want. They are also well-known for eating fruit even out of the containers in the produce section….and then laying it down. Springfield residents are sick of going to pick out fruit and seeing it already bitten out of. That is theft. There’s plenty of photo evidence and eyewitness testimony for that one. The Haitians seem to favor the two Walmart locations over other stores. The employees can’t keep a handle on it. One local resident posted about witnessing a Haitian bagging items he didn’t scan at the self-checkout. When the cashier said something, the Haitian man screamed obscenities at her. Welcome to the new Springfield. We need armed security in every store.
- Those that do shop in Springfield are often going in groups now and carrying guns. This used to be a friendly place, country folk with manners that would smile and strike up a conversation in the store. Now we feel like we need guns and backup fighters just in case we are attacked in the parking lot. It’s so weird to feel like we’ve been transported to some third world country, but this is our home and our home is turning into a war zone. It doesn’t feel like America anymore. It feels like a movie.
- Parents are upset about adult Haitian men being enrolled in the high schools here. Our school system now has hundreds of new Haitian students who don’t speak English. There are 18- and 19-year-olds being enrolled as high school freshmen. Some parents don’t want 19-year-old men in class with their 14-year-old daughters.
- They receive excessive benefits compared to Americans. They get loads of cash assistance and food stamps. Americans who are struggling to buy food with these insane grocery prices are getting angrier and angrier that these people get $1,000+ a month in food stamps on our dime.
- They have practically taken over the welfare office. There’s so many of them! There is now armed security at the door. When interviewed, one guard said the ratio of Haitians to Americans is easily 9 to 1. The lines are several hours long now. There used to be no line at all. Drive by and see all the Haitian immigrants waiting to get their free stuff on our dime. At the same time, Americans are reporting not getting the help they need because of how long it takes now. The Americans are taking a back-burner as Haitians become the priority.
- People are upset that the government is taking tax money out of our hard-earned income to freely give to people from other countries before they take care of the needs of Americans. We have homeless vets sleeping on the streets. We have hungry children here. And we have no say-so in where our money goes when they take it. I think a lot of people are angry the politicians choose to help non-Americans first but they’re using our money to do it. We work so they can have things “for free” that we can’t afford.
- It is common in our area for the manufacturing industry to use temp agencies. It’s cheaper for them because they don’t have to pay any benefits, health insurance, sick days, etc. We know the Haitians are working in some of Springfield’s warehouses. (I’m certainly not against them working.) Some are reporting these warehouses are letting go of Americans in favor of employing low-paid Haitians.
- I’m not the only one who has noticed wages for jobs has actually gone down in this area despite the inflation and the desperate need for better pay. Some think the decrease in wages is because there are so many immigrants here now who will work for cheaper.
- Americans are losing jobs.
- Unemployment is on the rise.
- Somehow the Haitians are pulling together the money to buy rental properties. They’re raising the rent. When the Americans can’t pay the higher rent, they kick them out and move in more Haitians. (This is happening over time and once a person’s lease is up.)
- They are also somehow getting the money to buy buildings for hundreds of thousands of dollars. How are they buying million-dollar properties? They just bought a church out on 41 that is not zoned for residential use. It appears they plan to live there.
- While I’m glad to see them owning businesses that could make them self-sufficient, some residents express confusion as to how desperate refugees coming from a third world country have the money to come here and start businesses when most of us can’t afford to rent a commercial space. I’m not against them owning businesses while they are here. I am against them being rude to American customers.
- Some residents are concerned about infections they bring. HIV is sadly more common in Haiti. For Americans, approximately 0.3% have HIV. In Haiti, it’s approximately 2%. It is not massively high numbers as in parts of Africa. That seems to be a stereotype some locals think. They’re not coming from a country with 20% HIV or anything extreme like that. They have brought tuberculosis here and people are commenting about that, but it’s really not excessive. Anytime you’re taking in people from a third world country that has limited access to quality medical care you’re going to be taking in people with infectious illnesses and chronic diseases that have gone unmanaged. I am concerned that there may be an increase in respiratory illnesses such as the flu and covid especially when they are living 20 people to a normal size house. If we become a hot spot for covid due to this, how will that affect us? Will our jobs shut down again? Will the mandates come back in this area because of them?
- Our healthcare resources are drowning. The hospital, private practices, and the free clinic are overrun with more than they can take. The community health center in particular is beyond swamped. Long-time locals are now reporting they can no longer get an appointment at Rocking Horse unless it’s urgent or a yearly well-visit because the Haitians have flooded the gates. The clinic keeps adding on staff, but they also keep losing staff from burnout. I do wonder if the hospital may close. I say that because I know how little Medicaid reimburses. Private insurance is essential for hospitals to stay in business. Will the hospital be able to sustain the weight of this many new Medicaid patients? Will they be able to keep sufficient staffing?
- The Haitians aren’t all friendly. There are countless stories of the Haitians yelling at Americans, being rude, cussing people out in stores, being aggressive, and making Americans feel unsafe. The media isn’t running those stories because it goes against the narrative that this opposition is racially motivated. As I mentioned, with any group this size there is going to be a variety. When individuals in the Haitian community here are posting things like “We own this city.” and “We’re not going anywhere” with a threatening tone or some saying they are going to take over this area (gang life, much?) … Obviously, there’s cause for concern. I know the bad behavior doesn’t reflect on all of them, but this is what people are seeing. The more stuff like that happens, the more division there is. Many Springfield Americans already see them as invaders due to how many came here. When they act like that, they come across as hostile invaders. The tension is escalating. I’m sure there are wonderful Haitians mixed in the mass immigration. However, the more aggressive encounters residents have the more people want them all deported.
- They don’t show love for America. On the contrary, they don’t seem to have much appreciation for the country that has taken them in. One cashier told the story around the 4th of July that a Haitian wouldn’t buy a case of water because it had the American flag on it. Not to mention, some of them have publicly said we need to assimilate to their culture. Now that this is getting national attention, I wish I had taken screenshots of these things as I saw them over the recent months. They are now flying Haitian flags in Springfield.
- Rumor has it that they are buying guns. I thought non-citizens could not buy guns here. It turns out they are actually legally allowed to! There are more than a few people saying they have witnessed them buying guns including assault rifles. Reportedly, citizens have witnessed them buying AR15s! I can see how they may feel a handgun would protect them against possible hate crimes, but assault rifles are a bit much especially when the politicians who let them in want to take that kind of gun away from law-abiding Americans. Stuff like that is what is making people think about warring against them. They have also been reported to be at the range on Leffel. Curious citizens have talked to employees at stores that sell guns and all report being told they have to treat them like everyone else. Allegedly, one Rural King employee stated they have 4 or 5 Haitians a shift trying to buy guns but some of them get denied because they can’t fill out the paperwork. As we are quickly becoming outnumbered by immigrants from a country run by gangs who only know a life of violence, the idea of them being armed is a scary thought – especially with the kind of assault rifles immigrant gangs are using to terrorize Aurora, Colorado. With the growing declarations the “invaders” are being seen buying guns, it is fueling the fear that we as a nation will come to literal battle because so many millions of illegal immigrants and millions of asylum seekers from dangerous countries have crossed our borders. We are not naïve to the crime brought to America by illegals, Venezuelan gangs in Colorado taking over apartment complexes, and the human trafficking going on. It would be ignorant to think everyone is here with joy and no bad intentions. Make no mistake – criminals have crossed our borders too. I will say Springfield is a bit redneck and mostly come from country folk that have patriotism in their blood. This isn’t liberal Colorado. Outside of the city, this is a heavily conservative area. While there are some liberals in Springfield, it’s far more conservative (and big on gun rights).
- It is suspected that there are gangs here now. We’ve heard about the Haitian gangs being housed near each other as refugees in Columbus and how that led to third world country gang violence on American streets. We wonder if the numbers continue to grow will we end up seeing Haitian gang rivalry here?
- The littering is an issue. They throw trash everywhere.
- There are certainly cultural clashes. One of those cultural clashes is public urination and defecation. In some parts of the world, voiding your bladder in public against a building or such is considered normal. We find that inappropriate here when they whip it out in a parking lot as if there aren’t public bathrooms everywhere in America. There have also been a few stories of them pooping on the floor in stores…. and people saying they’re doing that in the parks. That’s one of those things that are hard to believe until you’ve heard it repeatedly from multiple sources. It happens often in Haiti. It’s unacceptable here.
- We have all noticed the geese and ducks disappearing from the parks. Many suspect the Haitians are eating them. I grew up going to the park that is talked about the most. There used to be so many geese and ducks there. When I was little, we would go there to feed the ducks. Now there are very few. This was being talked about here last year. I don’t know of any photos or videos taken specifically in Springfield. This is something a lot of people thought was happening long before election season and any mention from politicians. Is there proof that some Haitians eat geese and ducks? Yes. Is there proof specifically from Springfield? Not much. There have been some police reports. There’s a shortage of evidence. Most people suspected or believed they were doing this before 2024.
- I’m not going to get into the cat thing. Here’s the thing. I am an animal lover… to the point that I don’t even eat red meat. It’s hard to think about. It’s reality though that different countries and cultures have different perspectives on which animals are okay to eat. There are parts of Asia that eat cats and even some parts that eat dogs. China is actually the biggest consumer of dog meat and one of the biggest consumers of cat meat. (I can’t handle it!) Some sources say it’s normal to eat cats in Haiti, and other sources say it’s not. Given that they are a third world country and some of them are literally starving, I can’t say it’s surprising that desperately hungry people would take desperate actions. I have never been to Haiti and I am not friends with anyone from there. I can’t tell you if they do or don’t. It’s this huge controversy now. That said, there was a Facebook post that went viral. It was posted in a group for Springfield. She said her neighbor told her that her daughter’s friend’s cat went missing and was found hanging from a tree being butchered like a deer by a Haitian. I saw the post before it went viral. I read the comments and saw multiple people telling her to contact J.D. Vance’s office. Vance is not the one who made this up for some political gain. I will say this allegation of Haitians eating pets had been mentioned more than a few times before. There have been some very sad pictures and videos out there on social media, but people always disagree on where they are from. I’m not saying it’s not happening. I’m saying I can’t prove that it is. I’m also saying people are hyper-focusing on this one allegation because it is horrific and barbaric and all kinds of awful.
- One final thing I will say is a growing number of Springfield area Americans do not want tens of thousands of immigrants coming here who practice voodoo. Haiti practices voodoo more than anywhere else in the world. It is an actual religion originating from Africa. In Haiti, it is often mixed with Catholicism. Voodoo is not focused on dolls and pins. It’s about spirits. Their goal is actually to be possessed by spirits. There are rituals and sacrifices in voodoo. Some of those sacrifices require blood or bones. Some residents have claimed the Haitians have threatened to curse them with voodoo.
- On a side note, we’re not a big fan of the Haitians acting like they “built this city” and restored it to some former glory. They turned it into a ghetto slum with higher rent, more crime, theft left and right, and homeless everywhere in sight. It really wasn’t our goal to model ourselves after Dem big cities like Chicago. We just wanted to live safely in our hometown where it used to be a peaceful and friendly place to shop.
I know that was a lot of bullet points to talk about, but there’s a lot going on here!
The American response has been mixed
This crisis started getting a little national attention not too long ago. Now that it’s election season, this issue here in Springfield is getting a lot of attention. We’re watching. We keep seeing all the articles and reports. Us locals are crying out for help. We see it getting national attention…but nothing is being done. Ohio Governor, Mike DeWine, did say he was going to help the Haitians with driving. He also said he was going to send additional police. At first, we thought the extra police would help with all the car accidents and maybe the crime. Instead, they showed up to guard the mayor’s house. No one is helping us. No one is stepping in to help the homeless Americans or any of the Americans in need.
By far the most shocking thing from all of this – as a resident of Clark County – is to see people tell us it’s not true because they heard on TV or from their preferred political party that it’s not happening. For people who do not live here and are not from here to tell those of us who are actually living here that there’s nothing wrong is mind-blowing. They censor us or gaslight us with labels of racism and xenophobia even though black Americans are just as against it as the white Americans are. Denial is a strong force.
It seems most people who aren’t here learn a little about the invasion, think it’s sad, and then go back to their daily life. I realize now I did the same thing these last few years as the million of illegals crossed our border and we heard about border states being overrun. I knew people in Texas were facing this issue. I foolishly thought it wouldn’t come to Ohio because we’re so far north.
A lot of people (again, people who aren’t even here) are denying that it’s happening and calling us liars. Most of these fired-up mouthpieces want to get angry at some hatefulness that doesn’t exist but they aren’t willing to have logical discussions about the real issues such as so many drivers without licenses crashing their cars, people being killed, people being made homeless by soaring rent, the crime rising, and the political tension escalating. They don’t want to talk about any of that. They just want to be mad at us for being upset that we’re suffering a massive immigration our city can’t handle.
Americans nationwide are making memes because that’s what the younger generation does now. Men used to fight wars. Now they make memes. Most of the younger generation has no backbone anymore. They’ve made this into a laughing matter. It’s not funny.
This has drawn another type of crowd – one that we very much do not want here. Racist groups are coming here to protest. The KKK is passing out flyers. (Is this really 2024?) The Blood Tribe has been here several times, marched downtown, and even spoken at city council meetings. The Proud Boys showed up the other day to protest. I didn’t know there were so many organized groups of racists in this country. To be clear, Springfield area residents are not joining them. We don’t want them here. We are afraid they will get violent. We are not interested in uniting with them.
The number of citizens coming to city council meetings keeps increasing and increasing. They’re not really listening. Speakers get their 3 minutes, but none of the officials care what they say. City leaders ignore, dismiss, and deny. Remember some of these people own rental properties with high rent they are financially gaining off the Haitians. There are so many people going to the meetings now that some aren’t being let in due to the meetings being full. Haitians have started showing up to the meetings.
People have taken to protesting. The protests are growing. The tension is escalating. Police are now guarding the homes of city leaders. The protests aren’t going to stop. Protests are now being scheduled at the houses of politicians.
Clark County citizens are doing their own investigating. They’re taking their phones to document the above issues. They’re going out to the truck stop where the Greyhound bus drops off Haitians every day, and people are taking pictures. We have noticed it’s mostly men of war age. There’s not very many children or elderly.
We watch the news reports as they lie about what’s happening here and make it look like we are all a bunch of bullies and racists….for not wanting to be invaded by literally tens of thousands of refugees in a small city.
And the response from those of us who are here? There’s some that are welcoming the mass immigration. Not very many of those, but a few. Of course, the landlords making money off them are loving their 6-figure income. The people actually living in the areas overtaken are living in fear now. The citizens are afraid to leave their homes. Americans are afraid to go to the store.
After Springfield started making national news and things really exploded in the media, many reporters and social media investigators came here to see for themselves. The day that they showed up at City Hall with intention to interview the city leaders there was conveniently a bomb threat. (Many locals think it was fake.) The bomb threats continued. I saw on the local news yesterday that there have been 33 bomb threats in Springfield in the last week. Colleges closed. Public schools dismissed. Cries of discrimination and bullying can be heard, but the cries of unsafe roads and women in danger do not seem to be heard. I can’t help but notice the places with bomb threats are places reporters would have possibly gone to investigate. I haven’t seen any news of who’s doing the threats though. Usually, they’re able to track them down and they announce it. We somewhat expect that sideshow to continue until the reporters have lost interest in Trump’s statements from the debate last week. Update: they announced the bomb threats were all fake. They claim the threats came from overseas… all of them. When the news showed the map of exactly where the threats came in, it was obvious those are all places reporters were going to interview and investigate. The City Hall, DMV, schools. Those locations had to be evacuated because of bomb threats. Reporters had to leave. It was a distraction. Now the news is focusing on swarming the schools with police. They insinuate it’s because of conservatives this is happening. None of the conservatives have done anything to harm these people or call for such harm. The media is intentionally making it look like Trump and his voters are dangerous the same way they played out and dragged out the Capitol Hill event.
And the tension escalates…
The more the tension escalates and the more we hear rumors of them buying guns and being at the range the more Americans are thinking this will come to literal battle.
Some residents have decided to move. Those who can afford to move are getting away from the city… after asking in Facebook groups if there are Haitians in Urbana or Xenia or wherever else they’re considering moving. Surprisingly, some of the smaller cities have faced the same issues. It seems none of the cities are safe. I wonder what will happen to the budget for resources when the higher income families move leaving behind the low-income households. Less money going into taxes will surely affect the budget for city resources, schools, and improvements. This area will become more impoverished.
Meanwhile, they bus in more and more. We are becoming outnumbered.
By far the most shocking thing from all of this – as a resident of Clark County – is to see people tell us it’s not true because they heard on TV or from their preferred political party that it’s not happening. For people who do not live here and are not from here to tell those of us who are actually living here that there’s nothing wrong is mind-blowing. They censor us or gaslight us with labels of racism and xenophobia even though black Americans are just as against it as the white Americans are. Denial is a strong force.
It seems most people who aren’t here learn a little about the invasion, think it’s sad, and then go back to their daily life. I realize now I did the same thing these last few years as the million of illegals crossed our border and we heard about border states being overrun. I knew people in Texas were facing this issue. I foolishly thought it wouldn’t come to Ohio because we’re so far north.
A lot of people (again, people who aren’t even here) are denying that it’s happening and calling us liars. Most of these fired-up mouthpieces want to get angry at some hatefulness that doesn’t exist but they aren’t willing to have logical discussions about the real issues such as so many drivers without licenses crashing their cars, people being killed, people being made homeless by soaring rent, the crime rising, and the political tension escalating. They don’t want to talk about any of that. They just want to be mad at us for being upset that we’re suffering a massive immigration our city can’t handle.
Americans nationwide are making memes because that’s what the younger generation does now. Men used to fight wars. Now they make memes. Most of the younger generation has no backbone anymore. They’ve made this into a laughing matter. It’s not funny.
This has drawn another type of crowd – one that we very much do not want here. Racist groups are coming here to protest. The KKK is passing out flyers. (Is this really 2024?) The Blood Tribe has been here several times, marched downtown, and even spoken at city council meetings. The Proud Boys showed up the other day to protest. I didn’t know there were so many organized groups of racists in this country. To be clear, Springfield area residents are not joining them. We don’t want them here. We are afraid they will get violent. We are not interested in uniting with them.
The number of citizens coming to city council meetings keeps increasing and increasing. They’re not really listening. Speakers get their 3 minutes, but none of the officials care what they say. City leaders ignore, dismiss, and deny. Remember some of these people own rental properties with high rent they are financially gaining off the Haitians. There are so many people going to the meetings now that some aren’t being let in due to the meetings being full. Haitians have started showing up to the meetings.
People have taken to protesting. The protests are growing. The tension is escalating. Police are now guarding the homes of city leaders. The protests aren’t going to stop. Protests are now being scheduled at the houses of politicians.
Clark County citizens are doing their own investigating. They’re taking their phones to document the above issues. They’re going out to the truck stop where the Greyhound bus drops off Haitians every day, and people are taking pictures. We have noticed it’s mostly men of war age. There’s not very many children or elderly.
We watch the news reports as they lie about what’s happening here and make it look like we are all a bunch of bullies and racists….for not wanting to be invaded by literally tens of thousands of refugees in a small city.
And the response from those of us who are here? There’s some that are welcoming the mass immigration. Not very many of those, but a few. Of course, the landlords making money off them are loving their 6-figure income. The people actually living in the areas overtaken are living in fear now. The citizens are afraid to leave their homes. Americans are afraid to go to the store.
After Springfield started making national news and things really exploded in the media, many reporters and social media investigators came here to see for themselves. The day that they showed up at City Hall with intention to interview the city leaders there was conveniently a bomb threat. (Many locals think it was fake.) The bomb threats continued. I saw on the local news yesterday that there have been 33 bomb threats in Springfield in the last week. Colleges closed. Public schools dismissed. Cries of discrimination and bullying can be heard, but the cries of unsafe roads and women in danger do not seem to be heard. I can’t help but notice the places with bomb threats are places reporters would have possibly gone to investigate. I haven’t seen any news of who’s doing the threats though. Usually, they’re able to track them down and they announce it. We somewhat expect that sideshow to continue until the reporters have lost interest in Trump’s statements from the debate last week. Update: they announced the bomb threats were all fake. They claim the threats came from overseas… all of them. When the news showed the map of exactly where the threats came in, it was obvious those are all places reporters were going to interview and investigate. The City Hall, DMV, schools. Those locations had to be evacuated because of bomb threats. Reporters had to leave. It was a distraction. Now the news is focusing on swarming the schools with police. They insinuate it’s because of conservatives this is happening. None of the conservatives have done anything to harm these people or call for such harm. The media is intentionally making it look like Trump and his voters are dangerous the same way they played out and dragged out the Capitol Hill event.
And the tension escalates…
The more the tension escalates and the more we hear rumors of them buying guns and being at the range the more Americans are thinking this will come to literal battle.
Some residents have decided to move. Those who can afford to move are getting away from the city… after asking in Facebook groups if there are Haitians in Urbana or Xenia or wherever else they’re considering moving. Surprisingly, some of the smaller cities have faced the same issues. It seems none of the cities are safe. I wonder what will happen to the budget for resources when the higher income families move leaving behind the low-income households. Less money going into taxes will surely affect the budget for city resources, schools, and improvements. This area will become more impoverished.
Meanwhile, they bus in more and more. We are becoming outnumbered.
What happens if it continues to grow?
If it continues to grow at this rate, we will literally become outnumbered with more refugees/immigrants in this city than American citizens.
All of the issues discussed will get worse. The car accidents will keep killing people and hurting the personal finances of Americans. The crimes they commit will grow. The businesses will suffer their theft and loss of customers. Some businesses will close or relocate. The welfare office will have lines that are even longer.
The budget for resources will run out. At what point does Clark County run out of funding for welfare? Surely, there must be a budget. Will they cut off non-citizens from benefits? Or will they stop taking new clients? Most likely they will raise taxes on Americans so the immigrants can be provided for. That’s what the liberals do. They raise taxes so they can spend your money however they want even if it causes you harm.
I fear things will turn violent. It’s terrifying to think about. I don’t want to see a civil war of citizens versus immigrants. I don’t want to see this come to a battle. I fear the racist groups such as the Blood Tribe will attack our community. I fear Americans are in danger. I fear Haitian children in school are in danger (and I acknowledge they are being bullied). I fear businesses will close and more people will lose their jobs. I fear what this area is becoming. It’s not safe here anymore. I don’t want to see violence or crime of any kind against Americans. I also don’t want to see violence or crime of any kind against the immigrants. I would like to see this handled lawfully and peacefully. I know that entirely depends on who wins this presidential election. When did we get to a point in American politics that our lives would be so drastically different if one party won vs the other? It feels like the whole nation is at stake.
All of the issues discussed will get worse. The car accidents will keep killing people and hurting the personal finances of Americans. The crimes they commit will grow. The businesses will suffer their theft and loss of customers. Some businesses will close or relocate. The welfare office will have lines that are even longer.
The budget for resources will run out. At what point does Clark County run out of funding for welfare? Surely, there must be a budget. Will they cut off non-citizens from benefits? Or will they stop taking new clients? Most likely they will raise taxes on Americans so the immigrants can be provided for. That’s what the liberals do. They raise taxes so they can spend your money however they want even if it causes you harm.
I fear things will turn violent. It’s terrifying to think about. I don’t want to see a civil war of citizens versus immigrants. I don’t want to see this come to a battle. I fear the racist groups such as the Blood Tribe will attack our community. I fear Americans are in danger. I fear Haitian children in school are in danger (and I acknowledge they are being bullied). I fear businesses will close and more people will lose their jobs. I fear what this area is becoming. It’s not safe here anymore. I don’t want to see violence or crime of any kind against Americans. I also don’t want to see violence or crime of any kind against the immigrants. I would like to see this handled lawfully and peacefully. I know that entirely depends on who wins this presidential election. When did we get to a point in American politics that our lives would be so drastically different if one party won vs the other? It feels like the whole nation is at stake.
If you wait until it's in your community too...
The immigration issues and border control affect all of US because America is OURS. Unite together for border control with well-managed immigration. I think a reasonable inflow of immigration is a beautiful thing. This is the best country in the world. This is the land of freedom. This is the land of opportunity. We also need to make it a safe land. No more criminal immigrants should be allowed to stay. No more gangs from other countries should get the privilege of being here. No more rapists from third world countries should be prowling our parking lots. We need to be careful with who we let in, and we need to welcome them at a rate that does not cause harm to American cities and towns.
If you wait until this level of influx is in your community too, the harder it will be to fix.
If we wait until it’s everywhere, America will be gone. A country this big and great can only be destroyed from the inside out. Open borders will do that.
If you wait until this level of influx is in your community too, the harder it will be to fix.
If we wait until it’s everywhere, America will be gone. A country this big and great can only be destroyed from the inside out. Open borders will do that.
How can you make a difference?
- Become aware of what is happening in areas that have been invaded with extremely high numbers of immigrants.
- Bring awareness to this issue. Be willing to talk about it. Be willing to post about it on social media. I know politics is an unpleasant topic. It’s also unpleasant to have your hometown turn into a third world country. Choose your hard. We’re there. You have to choose to talk about it or be silent while it takes over.
- Vote for politicians who care about this issue and will strive to make our communities safer. This is about voting for politicians on all levels from local to presidential.
- Be involved in your community. Know what is going on.
- Document and report issues in your community to local police and also to the community through Facebook groups.
Stay safe. Stay aware. Be prepared. And VOTE in every election!
Make America SAFE again!
Solutions
- Border control is essential for our safety!!
- Build the wall! They can use the right door if they want to come in.
- Lawful immigration should be welcome at a reasonable number each year that does not cause harm to American cities and towns by relocating too many people in one area.
- Do better at keeping track of immigrants.
- All states should have strict election integrity. Only American citizens who are registered voters with photo ID should be allowed to vote. Perhaps, we need to do away with absentee ballots for anyone not in the military.
- Lock up the criminals that have crossed our border.
- Deport the gangs, the rapists, the criminals, and the illegals.
- Focus initial help in areas hardest hit such as Aurora and Springfield.
- Focus initial deportation on groups that are more likely to be aggressive against American citizens such as Venezuelans, Columbians, and Haitians.
- Stop taking money from the American taxpayers to prioritize the needs and support of foreigners over the needs and support of Americans.
Get involved in your community. Speak out about this issue. Let your voices be heard! Vote for safe immigration control. Be safe. Take precautions. Be prepared. SPEAK UP.
Has this affected you?
If you are local, tell me how this has affected you in the comments below. Or if it’s near you, tell me how you feel about it. If you’re not local, I still want to hear how massive immigration has affected your community.
(I won’t allow comments to be posted that are racist, hateful, or threatening.)
(I won’t allow comments to be posted that are racist, hateful, or threatening.)
Leanna is a small-town Ohio girl who loves to write. She’s the author of several nonfiction books: Happily Frugal, The Subject of Salvation, and Lessons on the Author Life. She has also written many blogs, and focuses on sharing her faith through blogging. Leanna is a devout Christian, Apostolic Pentecostal. Her degree is in health sciences. She’s passionate about Jesus, her faith, writing, teaching, patient rights, and women’s health. You can learn more about Leanna Mae, her books, blogs, and services by exploring www.LeannaMae.org
I’ve tried over 80 apps to save money or make money. I talk about the different types in this blog and if they are worth the time. While some are not worth the effort, others are easy to use and really do save money. Here are my favorites.
There are other apps that are useful which I talk about in the blog series on apps you can find on the frugal living page.
If you’re into the frugal lifestyle, check out the book Happily Frugal. It has over 1,000 ways to save money. It teaches frugal principles, budgeting, debt-reduction, hundreds and hundreds of ways to save money, goal setting, and being content with a frugal lifestyle.
Learn more here.
- Good Rx
- Gas station reward cards
- Gas Buddy
- The apps for the grocery stores I go to: Walmart, Meijer, Kroger, and Aldi
- Fetch
- Frisbee
There are other apps that are useful which I talk about in the blog series on apps you can find on the frugal living page.
If you’re into the frugal lifestyle, check out the book Happily Frugal. It has over 1,000 ways to save money. It teaches frugal principles, budgeting, debt-reduction, hundreds and hundreds of ways to save money, goal setting, and being content with a frugal lifestyle.
Learn more here.
I have downloaded and explored over 80 apps to my phone to save money or make money. Here are the different types of money-saving or money-making apps, and my honest thoughts on if they are worth the time. Some of them are awesome and everybody should try it out. Others are not worth the time it takes. Here are 16 different types of apps to save money or make money.
To learn more about different apps for saving on gasoline, read this blog.
To learn more about apps for saving on groceries, read this blog.
To learn more about where to find coupons, read this blog.
To learn more about rebate apps, read this blog.
To learn more about receipt apps, read this blog.
To learn more about apps to save money on retail shopping, read this blog.
- Gas station reward cards
- Gas price comparison
- Cash back on gas
To learn more about different apps for saving on gasoline, read this blog.
- Grocery store accounts/apps
To learn more about apps for saving on groceries, read this blog.
- Couponing
To learn more about where to find coupons, read this blog.
- Rebates
To learn more about rebate apps, read this blog.
- Receipt scanning
To learn more about receipt apps, read this blog.
- Food/restaurants
- Online deals
- Third party app shopping
To learn more about apps to save money on retail shopping, read this blog.
- Brand feedback
- Opinions
- Surveys
- Games
- Health/fitness
- Prescriptions
Conclusions
I have tried a lot of apps to save money or make money. Some of these I was already using. Others were new to me as I researched for the blog series. There are a lot of apps that are a waste of time and there are apps that are luring you into shopping more, but there are also apps that are absolutely money-savers.
Prescription medication – out of pocket should use GoodRx
Gas station apps – everybody should do this
Gas price comparison – if you have more than one option, use this
Grocery store accounts – get those coupons and deals
Receipt apps – it takes a few minutes, but it’s worth the gift cards
Prescription medication – out of pocket should use GoodRx
Gas station apps – everybody should do this
Gas price comparison – if you have more than one option, use this
Grocery store accounts – get those coupons and deals
Receipt apps – it takes a few minutes, but it’s worth the gift cards
Over 1,000 ways to save money
If you’re looking to save money, read Happily Frugal. The money management workbook has over 1,000 ways to save money. Get more with the money you have.
In addition to sale ads from the newspaper and coupons from a variety of places (learn where to get coupons here), there are apps for your phone that can save you money on groceries.
Flashfood is an app available in some areas that lets you buy food close to expiration at a discounted price directly from grocery stores. Even with chain stores, each individual store offers different deals.
- Flashfood
Flashfood is an app available in some areas that lets you buy food close to expiration at a discounted price directly from grocery stores. Even with chain stores, each individual store offers different deals.
- Flipp
- Grocery store apps
- Coupon apps
- Rebates apps
- Receipt apps
Over 100 ways to save on groceries
Learn over 100 ways to save on groceries and over 1,000 money-saving techniques in my book, Happily Frugal.
Aside from Amazon, I don’t do very much online shopping. However, some of these apps have cash back high enough that I would look here before making any large purchases even if I had picked it out in person. If you are someone who does online shopping often, these are worth looking into to get back some money each time you shop.
Be Frugal is an app that shows low-price deals and offers cash back for shopping through the app. If you shop online, this is one app that’s worth checking out. There is also a browser extension option to use on the your laptop or desktop.
If you shop online, check out the variety of stores this company offers cash back on.
The GasBuddy fuel card is free. You'll save several cents off every time you get gas. If you look at the offers in your app, there are cash back options with multiple retailers if you shop online through their app. They call this "GasBack". It gets applied as a credit to your Gas Buddy account.
- Free Stuff Finder
- Krazy Koupon Lady
- Be Frugal
Be Frugal is an app that shows low-price deals and offers cash back for shopping through the app. If you shop online, this is one app that’s worth checking out. There is also a browser extension option to use on the your laptop or desktop.
- Retail Me Not
- Rakuten
If you shop online, check out the variety of stores this company offers cash back on.
- GasBuddy card
The GasBuddy fuel card is free. You'll save several cents off every time you get gas. If you look at the offers in your app, there are cash back options with multiple retailers if you shop online through their app. They call this "GasBack". It gets applied as a credit to your Gas Buddy account.
Save $$$$ money
If you’re looking to save money, make a plan with the financial lifestyle workbook, Happily Frugal. Learn more here.
Gasoline is the easiest expense to save money on with apps. Here are different ways to get discounts or the best price.
Lowest prices
- GasBuddy
- Gas Guru
- Waze
Rewards cards
This is the easiest way to save on gas. Get rewards cards for all the gas stations you go to. You no longer have to carry around a physical card. Use the app and go with a digital card. With most of them, your ID number is your phone number. All you have to do is put your phone number in at the pump for points and/or discounts. Some companies give you cents off each gallon always and other companies make you earn points to get discounts on fuel.
Several gas stations offer higher discounts if you pay with the app by connecting your bank card.
A few offer credit cards specifically for their gas station that offer higher discounts.
Here are several examples of gas stations in my area and the discounts they offer if you have a rewards card.
Several gas stations offer higher discounts if you pay with the app by connecting your bank card.
A few offer credit cards specifically for their gas station that offer higher discounts.
Here are several examples of gas stations in my area and the discounts they offer if you have a rewards card.
- BP – 5 cents off always
- Casey’s – earn points (use referral code Leanno292 for 100 bonus points when you sign up)
- Circle K – 3 cents off for everyone, 5 cents off if you spend $500 in 365 days, and 10 cents off if you connect your card and pay with the app
- Kroger – 3 cents off each gallon with a Kroger grocery card
- Marathon – earn points to get 10 cents off to $1 off, and I will say it’s very quick to earn points that get 10 cents off each gallon
- Sheetz – 3 cents off always
- Shell – 3 levels: silver level gets 3 cents off, gold level gets 5 cents off if you fill up at least 6 times in 3 months, and platinum level gets 10 cents off if you fill up 12 times in 3 months. If you connect your card and pay with the app, you get 10 cents off every gallon.
- Speedway – 7 cents
- Sunoco – 3 cents off if you use the app to pay
- UDF – 6 cents off if you have the app, 3 cents if you only have a physical card
Stores with gas stations
If you have a Sam’s Club membership, you can get gas at Sam’s Club which is often a lower price.
If you have a Walmart+ membership, you can get discounts on gas at Murphy’s.
Also, check your grocery stores that have gas stations. Buying groceries can earn points towards fuel discounts. Kroger and Meijer both do this. For example, at Kroger you earn 1 fuel point for every dollar you spend in store.
If you have a Walmart+ membership, you can get discounts on gas at Murphy’s.
Also, check your grocery stores that have gas stations. Buying groceries can earn points towards fuel discounts. Kroger and Meijer both do this. For example, at Kroger you earn 1 fuel point for every dollar you spend in store.
Discounts on gas
- rewards cards or loyalty cards with individual gas stations
- GasBuddy card
The GasBuddy fuel card is free. It is a physical card they mail to you at no cost. They do offer plus and premium plans with monthly fees for higher discounts. If you get the free GasBuddy card, it takes off anywhere from 2 cents to 25 cents. You’ll pay with the card which is linked to your debit card. The savings come off automatically. You don’t have to wait for cash back. One of my favorite things with this is I can use it in combination with my rewards cards for double discounts. If I get 7 cents off at Speedway and then 20 cents off a Speedway location with this fuel card, I do actually get a 27 cent discount. You can also earn points in the app by reporting gas prices. Additionally, there are some cash back options on gas station merchandise, restaurants, and online shopping through the app.
Note: You can combine rewards cards discounts with GasBuddy fuel card discounts.
Cash back on gas
When it comes to apps to get cash back on gasoline, I have learned that they don't always work. I treat these as an extra bonus and I do NOT choose my gas station based on the cash back offers.
It’s a cash back app that reminds me of Ibotta. You have to select the deal before you purchase. Then you have to purchase with a card that is connected to the app. When you’re done, you’ll confirm you purchased using a specific card. After a few days, you’ll get your cash back processed. You do have to hit $10 before you can cash out though. So, it may take a couple of times using this before you actually get the money back. Here is my experience with this app. I'm coming back to edit this blog to tell you my experience with Upside. It's November. I started using this app in July. It does NOT work most of the time. When I first downloaded it, the discounts were around 60 cents off a gallon, but it was only showing the more expensive gas stations. I used it with no problems. It took a few days for the cash to show up. Two days after I used it, the app was showing discounts around 72 cents a gallon. Of course, I didn’t need gas yet. I got so excited about this app. Then the app crashed. I started reading more reviews and a lot of people have had issues with cash back not going through or not being the amount it was supposed to be. When it came time to get gas again, the offers were only about 6 cents to 10 cents off. It does show offers for the more expensive gas stations. If it’s only around 10 cents off, it’s cheaper to go to the less expensive gas stations even without a discount. I have it used it or attempted to use it 3 times since then and all of the deals expire without giving me any cash back. For now, I still have the app on my phone and I try to use the deal BUT I do not choose my gas station based on this app at all. I will go to wherever is cheapest. I appreciate that I can use Upside with my GasBuddy fuel card and with rewards cards discounts combined.
- Upside
It’s a cash back app that reminds me of Ibotta. You have to select the deal before you purchase. Then you have to purchase with a card that is connected to the app. When you’re done, you’ll confirm you purchased using a specific card. After a few days, you’ll get your cash back processed. You do have to hit $10 before you can cash out though. So, it may take a couple of times using this before you actually get the money back. Here is my experience with this app. I'm coming back to edit this blog to tell you my experience with Upside. It's November. I started using this app in July. It does NOT work most of the time. When I first downloaded it, the discounts were around 60 cents off a gallon, but it was only showing the more expensive gas stations. I used it with no problems. It took a few days for the cash to show up. Two days after I used it, the app was showing discounts around 72 cents a gallon. Of course, I didn’t need gas yet. I got so excited about this app. Then the app crashed. I started reading more reviews and a lot of people have had issues with cash back not going through or not being the amount it was supposed to be. When it came time to get gas again, the offers were only about 6 cents to 10 cents off. It does show offers for the more expensive gas stations. If it’s only around 10 cents off, it’s cheaper to go to the less expensive gas stations even without a discount. I have it used it or attempted to use it 3 times since then and all of the deals expire without giving me any cash back. For now, I still have the app on my phone and I try to use the deal BUT I do not choose my gas station based on this app at all. I will go to wherever is cheapest. I appreciate that I can use Upside with my GasBuddy fuel card and with rewards cards discounts combined.
- Checkout 51
- Trunow
- credit cards with cash back
Want more tips on saving money on gasoline?
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I started trying out receipt scanning apps last month, and I already have enough to cash out for two gift cards on Amazon. You can use multiple apps for the same receipt. I will list the ones I’ve tried in order of my most recommended.
For all receipts
These apps are for any type of receipt. It can be groceries, retail shopping, restaurants, pharmacy receipts, gas stations, or online shopping.
- Fetch
This is the best receipt scanning app out there. If you don’t use any other one, you should try this. It’s quick to get points. They give bonus points for certain groceries. You can also earn points for shopping online through the app. There is the option to play games as well.
- Frisbee
I like how simple this one is. No fluff. Nice color theme. It’s simple and straightforward. You earn cash and get to cash out whenever you want. I cashed out the first time at $1.22 just to see how it worked. It was very easy. I chose an Amazon gift card and it was sent through my email straight over to the Amazon app where the gift card came off my cart’s total.
- CoinOut
This one is all about receipts and easy to use. It doesn’t take long before you can earn a gift card.
- Receipt Hog
I like that they show your receipt history and how many points you got for each receipt.
- Copper
I also tried Receipt Jar and Receipt Pal, but I deleted them because they required email access to cash out. They don’t just want your email. They want the password to your email so they can scan it for receipts. I’m not comfortable with that. I won’t use any app that requires such violation of privacy. Most of the receipt apps offer extra points for connecting your accounts – your email, your Amazon account, your Walmart account, all the big places you shop. They are offering cash for receipts because these companies are doing marketing research on spending habits. Do be aware that cash back from apps like this is because they are paying you for your data. If you’re comfortable with that, I absolutely think they are worth taking the time to do. Some of them require email access. Some apps like this even require access to your bank card and credit cards to scan your spending. That level of privacy violation is not worth earning points and putting your bank account at risk for hackers. So, be careful what apps you choose if you want to scan receipts.
Fetch and Frisbee are definitely worth trying. Coin Out and Receipt Hog are quick to add to your receipt scanning time of the day. I don’t mind adding Copper to the list because I’m already using the other ones. If you just want to do one or two apps, I definitely recommend trying Fetch and Frisbee.
They’re easy and straight to the point. Of all the types of apps I’ve tried to save money or make money, the receipt scanning apps are the easiest to use. There’s very little time invested. I enjoy being able to get gift cards for sharing my shopping habits.
Specifically for groceries
There are also apps that are specific to groceries where you scan the receipt to get rebates or points for certain foods. You can use these in addition to the general receipt scanning apps. Read this blog for more information on apps for rebates and cash back on groceries. Also check out the frugal living page for blogs on more apps in this series and ways to save money.
If you’re looking for ways to save money, there are over 1,000 ways to save money in my book, Happily Frugal. Every penny counts. Get your copy today, and get more with the money you have.
Learn more here.
There are apps that will give you cash back for groceries (like a coupon that comes off after the purchase) and apps that will give you points. Some of these offer direct deposit to your bank account. Others let you choose from gift cards. They all offer Amazon gift cards. Some of these apps only have a few gift card options while others have a lot. These take a little time to plan out your groceries, but are worth looking at if you need to save as much money as possible on your groceries. I know it's not fun to have to go through these, but shopping the sales and using the coupons and checking for rebates can add up the savings. You can combine some of these apps such as Ibotta rebates with Fetch points.
Dollar-based
- Ibotta
Ibotta is *the* cash back app for groceries. They have so many offers from so many different stores. The way it works is you choose your store, select the rebates you want, and then scan your receipt after you’ve shopped. Read the terms carefully. Some you can combine with coupons and some you can’t. This is one of the best apps out there to save on groceries. It’s definitely worth trying, and it’s free to use.
- Inbox Dollars
Inbox Dollars is a little different than Ibotta. They have surveys, offers, cash back shopping, and a lot going on with their app. If you go to the receipts tab from the bottom of the app, this is where you can get a little bit of money back for the groceries that you buy. They don’t have a ton of rebates like Ibotta does, but things like bread and eggs always seem to be on the list. You might as well get those 50 cents back. Every dollar counts.
- Checkout 51
- Shopmium
- Makeena
- Tada
Point-based
- Fetch
This is a great app! You can scan your receipts here to get points. You’ll get more points for getting certain groceries. Scroll through the list on the home page. There are some pretty good offers here. You can also shop through the app to earn points for every dollar you spend. You can even get points by using GoodRx. I’ve found it’s quick to get points with this app. In less than a month of using it, I had already earned a gift card to Amazon. You can redeem your points with numerous gift cards to choose from.
- Swagbucks
You may know Swagbucks as an app for surveys and games, but they also have what they call “magic receipts”. It’s similar to Ibotta. You select the store, add the items you’re interested in to the list, and then scan your receipt. The catch is this can’t be combined with coupons and can’t be used with multiple cash back programs.
- Shopkick
This one is a little different. They call points “kicks” and they give kicks for walking into stores, scanning barcodes, and scanning your receipts if you bought certain items. I’m definitely not going to be scanning barcodes in store. There aren’t a lot of items to get points on. If you want to get easy points, you can open the app every time you walk in a store. They also do points for online shopping and watching videos.
Also
- Box Tops
Remember when we were kids and we would cut the box tops off the cereal boxes? Box Tops is an app now and you can scan your receipts to give money towards the school of your choice at no cost to you. Even if you don’t have kids in the school system, you can help kids in your community get the school supplies and resources they need just by scanning your receipt. The money goes to the kids in need.
Concluding thoughts
I will admit it’s a bit of a hassle to take the time to scroll through rebate apps after already looking through sale ads and coupons. It’s not my favorite thing to do. With these grocery prices though, I think it’s worth at least downloading and looking at. A lot of times it is cheaper to buy store brand and buy in bulk. Of course, it’s often cheaper to cook from scratch and there’s many coupons/rebates for things we don’t need. If you have a brand-name you do like though, it’s worth using these. You can also use the search bar for what is already on your grocery list.
Of all the apps I’ve tried to get money back from groceries, Ibotta and Fetch are my favorite. I appreciate Box Tops as well. I like being able to contribute school supplies and such for kids in my community when I can’t afford to actually buy anything. If you don’t try any other apps to get back grocery money, try Ibotta and Fetch.
There are over 100 ways to save money on groceries in my book, Happily Frugal. The workbook contains over 1,000 ways to save money. If your household is struggling in this 2024 inflation, you need this book!
Learn more here.
Of all the apps I’ve tried to get money back from groceries, Ibotta and Fetch are my favorite. I appreciate Box Tops as well. I like being able to contribute school supplies and such for kids in my community when I can’t afford to actually buy anything. If you don’t try any other apps to get back grocery money, try Ibotta and Fetch.
There are over 100 ways to save money on groceries in my book, Happily Frugal. The workbook contains over 1,000 ways to save money. If your household is struggling in this 2024 inflation, you need this book!
Learn more here.
In today’s digital world, it can be confusing to know where to find coupons. Gone are the days that they were mainly only in the Sunday paper and we’d flip through the inserts searching for our favorite products or the best deals. Let’s talk about over 20 different places you can find coupons.
Learn more about saving money in the money management workbook, Happily Frugal. There are over 1,000 ways to save money! Get your copy and see how much you can save when you put it into action.
- Newspaper
- Local papers/publications
- Pizza boxes/delivery bags
- Food apps for restaurants you like
- Grocery store apps/websites
- Grocery ads
- Peelies
- Blinkies
- Tear pads
- Emails from the business
- Ordering inserts
- By mail request
- Manufacturer website
- Coupon apps
- Websites for printables
- Receipts
- On the Amazon product page
- Browser extensions
- Coupon books
- School district discount cards
- Good Rx
Learn more about saving money in the money management workbook, Happily Frugal. There are over 1,000 ways to save money! Get your copy and see how much you can save when you put it into action.
Are you tired of finding budget spreadsheets that only go over some of the expenses and can’t even be used realistically? Or maybe you’re done with all the apps and subscriptions when you prefer the old-fashioned way of using paper?
The budget spreadsheet from Happily Frugal is both free and comprehensive. You can download the PDF from the book’s web page here. Scroll down to where it says “free sample chapter”. You can print it as many times as you need to.
The budget spreadsheet from Happily Frugal is both free and comprehensive. You can download the PDF from the book’s web page here. Scroll down to where it says “free sample chapter”. You can print it as many times as you need to.
Let’s talk about what’s in this budget spreadsheet.
The first section is on transportation expenses. That comes first if you need your car to get to work so you can provide for your household.
The next section is home.
The next section is groceries and household items. How detailed you need to be in this area of your budget will vary. Some can lump it all into one. Others may need to alternate which paycheck they use for stamps and such vs. more cleaning supplies.
Then we have misc. monthly expenses. You may not have all of these expenses.
After all other things have been budgeted for, we have luxuries.
At the end of that spreadsheet is room for any additional expenses to be written in.
You also need to budget for SAVINGS such as emergencies and retirement. Envelope budgeting throughout the year is an option for things such as birthdays and Christmas or family trips/vacations.
You have the option to make space in your budget for GIVING. Tithing is essential. Offerings for church/ministries and chosen charities can be added into your budget as able.
The first section is on transportation expenses. That comes first if you need your car to get to work so you can provide for your household.
- Car payment(s)
- Car insurance
- Gasoline
The next section is home.
- Housing (rent or mortgage)
- Homeowner’s insurance or renter’s insurance
- Water and sewer
- Electricity
- Gas (if you have any gas appliances)
- Garbage pick-up
The next section is groceries and household items. How detailed you need to be in this area of your budget will vary. Some can lump it all into one. Others may need to alternate which paycheck they use for stamps and such vs. more cleaning supplies.
- Food
- Toiletries
- Cleaning supplies
- Misc.
- Pet food and treats
- Stamps and stationary, office supplies
Then we have misc. monthly expenses. You may not have all of these expenses.
- Credit cards
- School expenses
- Medical bills and health expenses
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Child care
- Cell phones
- Landline phone
- Internet
After all other things have been budgeted for, we have luxuries.
- Shopping (non-grocery)
- Eating out
- Cable
- Services such as lawn care, haircuts, cleaning services, or using things like DoorDash and InstaCart
- Ticket items such as taking your family to the zoo
- Subscriptions and memberships
- Wiggle room – it’s a good idea to leave $50 or $100 as wiggle room if something goes over budget
At the end of that spreadsheet is room for any additional expenses to be written in.
You also need to budget for SAVINGS such as emergencies and retirement. Envelope budgeting throughout the year is an option for things such as birthdays and Christmas or family trips/vacations.
You have the option to make space in your budget for GIVING. Tithing is essential. Offerings for church/ministries and chosen charities can be added into your budget as able.
My financial lifestyle and wise money management workbook, Happily Frugal, has over 1,000 ways to save money. Chapter 6 takes this budget spreadsheet and teaches ways to save money in each area of the budget. Get your copy today to help you meet your budgeting goals, have more with the amount of money you have, decrease your debt, save money, and find a little fun money in the process.
I went to a great college in my area, and graduated with zero student debt. I then worked at another college for 4 years. Here is everything I learned about getting an education frugally.
For over 1,000 ways to save money, get a copy of my workbook Happily Frugal. Click the button below to check out that page.
For over 1,000 ways to save money, get a copy of my workbook Happily Frugal. Click the button below to check out that page.
Here are 50 ways you can save money when going to college.
Choosing your school
- Choose an in-state college. Tuition will be cheaper than out-of-state.
- Go with a public college over a private college.
- Choose one of the cheaper schools in your state. Quality education doesn’t have to be high price.
- Choosing a local school allows you to skip a lot of the campus expenses.
- Consider community colleges. If you don’t have one near you that has the program you want, look around at community colleges that offer online programs.
- Online colleges are often cheaper.
Paying for school
- If a student is able to, utilize their state’s program to take classes at a college during high school. It’s free to the student.
- If you are a veteran, use your GI Bill. Veterans and active military may have several programs that they qualify for.
- If you work at the college, you may get free tuition or get a discount.
- Your employer might contribute to your degree.
- Sometimes a person with an associate’s degree can get hired on and the company will pay for their bachelor’s degree.
- Switch jobs to a company that does offer help with the cost of higher education.
- Apply for grants.
- Apply for scholarships every semester.
- Leave student loans as a last resort.
- If you do get student loans, pay them off as soon as possible.
Your program and classes
- Know what you are going for before you start.
- Have an advisor or an experienced peer help you plan out your schedule so you are sure your classes count towards your degree program.
- You can get your associate’s degree at a community college. Then transfer for your bachelor’s degree.
- Talk to your transfer college before taking classes to make sure your associate’s classes will be accepted.
- Don’t bite off more than you can chew taking too many classes only to get overwhelmed and drop out. It’s okay to go part time. Go at the pace that is right for you.
Textbooks and supplies
- Swap textbooks with your friends as long as your class doesn’t require an access code.
- Wait until class starts to see if you need the book.
- Double-check if the book is required or recommended.
- Be careful not to order multiple formats of the same book such as hardcover, loose-leaf, or digital.
- Know the return policy of where you bought the book. Keep the receipt.
- Keep new books in new condition (and unwrapped if it’s in shrink wrap) until class starts and you’re sure you’ll need the book.
- Shop around to compare prices from different textbook retailers and buying directly from other students.
- Price matching on textbooks is available at some college bookstores.
- Buy your textbooks used.
- Rent your textbooks.
- E-book textbooks are usually cheaper than buying new print books.
- You may also be able to rent the digital version.
- If you work at the bookstore, you will likely get an employee discount on textbooks.
- Sell your textbooks back at the end of the semester.
- If your college isn’t buying back that textbook, try selling it to a website that buys used textbooks. I recommend price checking those websites before going in to see what your college will offer.
- You can also sell your textbooks on the internet directly to the buyer.
- Purchase your school supplies outside of the school bookstore. Notebooks, paper, pens, folders, book bags, etc… are much cheaper at regular stores.
At the bookstore or campus store
- Shop clearance.
- Shop the sales.
- Follow their social media for announcements on good deals.
- Show up to events at the bookstore. For example, orientation events for new students may offer a free t-shirt. Graduating students may also get a free shirt. They often have free snacks or drinks at their events.
- Enter to win giveaways and contests at the bookstore. They have them throughout the semester.
Being on campus and general college student life
- Live off-campus. Have roommates if you need to.
- Every piece of food on campus is overpriced. Pack a lunch or snacks from home.
- Take advantage of student discounts. Many places offer student discounts that are unadvertised. You could get discounts at restaurants, movie theaters, and more.
- If you are a member of a society, you may get discounts at a variety of places.
- Get familiar with the resources available to students at no extra cost.
- Ask what bonuses are offered to students at your school. For example, my college had a printing credit of $7.50 a semester. You could print out about 150 pages without having to pay. My college also has free Microsoft Student for all current students to be able to download.
- Go to events on campus that are offering freebies and discounts.
College can be a wonderful investment that provides education, professional growth, and personal experiences that broaden a student’s mind. It is possible to pursue these things without tremendous debt.
How did you save money on your college education?
How much did you end up paying for your degree and college experience? Tell me in the comments below.
How did you save money on your college education?
How much did you end up paying for your degree and college experience? Tell me in the comments below.
Why don't Apostolic Pentecostal women cut their hair? (An explanation of uncut hair teachings)
9/7/2024
We don’t cut it. We don’t trim it. We don’t take scissors to it or do anything to shorten it. We also leave it natural without artificial dyes. Why? In a world where we are told “split ends” look bad and you must chop your hair for beauty and color it for attraction, why would any woman choose to leave her hair natural?
As Apostolic Pentecostal women, we leave our hair uncut and natural because of the way we interpret 1 Corinthians 11:3-16.
As Apostolic Pentecostal women, we leave our hair uncut and natural because of the way we interpret 1 Corinthians 11:3-16.
1 Corinthians 11:3-16 (King James Version)
3 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.
4 Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head.
5 But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven.
6 For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered.
7 For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man.
8 For the man is not of the woman: but the woman of the man.
9 Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man.
10 For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels.
11 Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord.
12 For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God.
13 Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered?
14 Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?
15 But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.
16 But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.
3 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.
4 Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head.
5 But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven.
6 For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered.
7 For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man.
8 For the man is not of the woman: but the woman of the man.
9 Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man.
10 For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels.
11 Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord.
12 For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God.
13 Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered?
14 Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?
15 But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.
16 But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.
Verse 15 says that long hair is a glory to a woman. We desire that.
Verse 6 says that it is a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven. We don’t want to appear in a way that is shameful or inappropriate for a woman professing holiness.
It also mentions in verse 14 that it’s shameful for a man to have long hair.
We can see this is part of gender distinction. The men have short hair. The women have long hair. There is more to it than that.
What does it mean for a woman to be shorn? That term isn’t used very often anymore. Many modern English translations use the term “cut off” her hair. We can make the assumption that implies short hair because in our world today for a woman to “cut off” her hair means something drastic, but assumptions are not biblical interpretations. We are living in such a different time. For centuries and centuries, traditional gender roles including dress and hair length were the norm. Well into the 1800s, many women did not cut their hair. Long hair was considered beautiful and glorious. In the 1900s feminism influenced women to become rebellious and manlike. They began wearing pants and cutting their hair short. Even 100 years ago, it was often considered scandalous and disgraceful for a woman to cut her hair short. It was rebellious even by the world’s standards of the 1920s when it became fashionable to bob their hair as influenced by the flappers (women of that era who dressed immodestly with short skirts and behaved indecently). Despite the insanity of modern times, even the secular world finds it shocking when a woman shaves her head. Even the world knows that long hair is glorious and feminine.
At that time this was written to the Corinthians, there were pagan temple prostitutes that were distinguished by their shaved heads. It’s reported that some cultures also shaved a woman’s head as a punishment for adultery. Women of God were not to look like these women living a life of sexual sin. And when these prostitutes and pagans would come to believe in Jesus and come into the church, it was quick to see they were a convert because of their hair. In the Jewish Encyclopedia 6th edition on page 158 it says “Among women long hair is extolled as a mark of beauty (Cant. iv. 1, vii 6). A woman’s hair was never cut except as a sign of deep mourning or of degradation (Jer. vii. 29; comp. Deut. xxi. 12).” Given this history, it appears that uncut hair would have been the norm in the early church.
Those who are younger women today seeking answers on this topic only have a rebellious world to measure what is normal in our culture. That does not model for us what godly women did in the early church or for centuries after that standard was established.
What did it mean in the days the letter was written to the church in Corinth? In verse 6 when it says “to be shorn”, the Greek word is “keirasthai”. The listed Strong’s concordance 2751 lists “Keiro” as a verb defined as “to shear” with usage “I shear, cut the hair of”.
Merriam Webster defines shear as
Transitive verb
1a: to cut off the hair from
1b: to cut or clip from someone or something
1d: to cut or trim with shears or a similar instrument
Interestingly, before scissors were called scissors they were called shears.
This is why we don’t cut our hair. We believe the bible is still relevant today. We believe this is still for us. We follow the teachings of the early church. Even if it is contrary to what is considered normal in our culture, we are set apart for the Lord and follow after His ways. Sometimes following the bible will be counter-cultural. We won’t argue reasons to resist obeying this.
Dedicating our hair to be uncut is an act of obedience. We are obeying the scriptures even if it is a sacrifice for our flesh’s desires or personal preference.
This is a covering for us (verse 15). There is power on our head when we obey this (verse 10).
If you are on the fence about whether or not to follow this, I encourage you to obey the scriptures and see how it changes your perspectives. Sometimes we don’t have full understanding of something until after we follow it. The Holy Spirit may give you conviction on this or allow it to be weighing on your mind if you are cutting your hair. Once you stop cutting your hair, you will see things differently. You will see a godly beauty in what is His design. Natural hair is not chopped; it is not straight across; it does not look like a blade has been taken to it. It is not what the world calls most attractive. Remember as holy women we are called to adorn ourselves in godly ways, not worldly ways (1 Timothy 2:9-10, 1 Peter 3:3-4). What is beauty as a godly woman is different than what is beauty to a world that seeks to define women by their body’s level of attraction. Our natural hair often reflects nature. The branches of a willow tree are thicker at top and thin out near the ends. Yet we see its beauty. The natural ends of uncut hair often split like tree roots. Yet this reflects nature, and is not ugly. It’s not about length. Some of us have hip length hair. Others have knee length (and on occasion even longer). Still others only grow to the middle of their back. There are many Apostolic women that have long and thick hair. There are also many who have thin hair and struggle to get it to grow due to health reasons or aging. The glory is in the obedience to God.
Holiness is always right. This is a holiness standard in all Apostolic Pentecostal churches because it has been the practice of Christian women since the beginning of the church and it was the practice of Jewish women before that. Be willing to be set apart (2 Corinthians 6:17).
We leave our hair uncut and natural to be obedient to scripture, covered as we pray, and to have power (authority) on our heads as long hair is our glory (honor).
Tell me where you are at in your uncut hair journey in the comments below.
Verse 6 says that it is a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven. We don’t want to appear in a way that is shameful or inappropriate for a woman professing holiness.
It also mentions in verse 14 that it’s shameful for a man to have long hair.
We can see this is part of gender distinction. The men have short hair. The women have long hair. There is more to it than that.
What does it mean for a woman to be shorn? That term isn’t used very often anymore. Many modern English translations use the term “cut off” her hair. We can make the assumption that implies short hair because in our world today for a woman to “cut off” her hair means something drastic, but assumptions are not biblical interpretations. We are living in such a different time. For centuries and centuries, traditional gender roles including dress and hair length were the norm. Well into the 1800s, many women did not cut their hair. Long hair was considered beautiful and glorious. In the 1900s feminism influenced women to become rebellious and manlike. They began wearing pants and cutting their hair short. Even 100 years ago, it was often considered scandalous and disgraceful for a woman to cut her hair short. It was rebellious even by the world’s standards of the 1920s when it became fashionable to bob their hair as influenced by the flappers (women of that era who dressed immodestly with short skirts and behaved indecently). Despite the insanity of modern times, even the secular world finds it shocking when a woman shaves her head. Even the world knows that long hair is glorious and feminine.
At that time this was written to the Corinthians, there were pagan temple prostitutes that were distinguished by their shaved heads. It’s reported that some cultures also shaved a woman’s head as a punishment for adultery. Women of God were not to look like these women living a life of sexual sin. And when these prostitutes and pagans would come to believe in Jesus and come into the church, it was quick to see they were a convert because of their hair. In the Jewish Encyclopedia 6th edition on page 158 it says “Among women long hair is extolled as a mark of beauty (Cant. iv. 1, vii 6). A woman’s hair was never cut except as a sign of deep mourning or of degradation (Jer. vii. 29; comp. Deut. xxi. 12).” Given this history, it appears that uncut hair would have been the norm in the early church.
Those who are younger women today seeking answers on this topic only have a rebellious world to measure what is normal in our culture. That does not model for us what godly women did in the early church or for centuries after that standard was established.
What did it mean in the days the letter was written to the church in Corinth? In verse 6 when it says “to be shorn”, the Greek word is “keirasthai”. The listed Strong’s concordance 2751 lists “Keiro” as a verb defined as “to shear” with usage “I shear, cut the hair of”.
Merriam Webster defines shear as
Transitive verb
1a: to cut off the hair from
1b: to cut or clip from someone or something
1d: to cut or trim with shears or a similar instrument
Interestingly, before scissors were called scissors they were called shears.
This is why we don’t cut our hair. We believe the bible is still relevant today. We believe this is still for us. We follow the teachings of the early church. Even if it is contrary to what is considered normal in our culture, we are set apart for the Lord and follow after His ways. Sometimes following the bible will be counter-cultural. We won’t argue reasons to resist obeying this.
Dedicating our hair to be uncut is an act of obedience. We are obeying the scriptures even if it is a sacrifice for our flesh’s desires or personal preference.
This is a covering for us (verse 15). There is power on our head when we obey this (verse 10).
If you are on the fence about whether or not to follow this, I encourage you to obey the scriptures and see how it changes your perspectives. Sometimes we don’t have full understanding of something until after we follow it. The Holy Spirit may give you conviction on this or allow it to be weighing on your mind if you are cutting your hair. Once you stop cutting your hair, you will see things differently. You will see a godly beauty in what is His design. Natural hair is not chopped; it is not straight across; it does not look like a blade has been taken to it. It is not what the world calls most attractive. Remember as holy women we are called to adorn ourselves in godly ways, not worldly ways (1 Timothy 2:9-10, 1 Peter 3:3-4). What is beauty as a godly woman is different than what is beauty to a world that seeks to define women by their body’s level of attraction. Our natural hair often reflects nature. The branches of a willow tree are thicker at top and thin out near the ends. Yet we see its beauty. The natural ends of uncut hair often split like tree roots. Yet this reflects nature, and is not ugly. It’s not about length. Some of us have hip length hair. Others have knee length (and on occasion even longer). Still others only grow to the middle of their back. There are many Apostolic women that have long and thick hair. There are also many who have thin hair and struggle to get it to grow due to health reasons or aging. The glory is in the obedience to God.
Holiness is always right. This is a holiness standard in all Apostolic Pentecostal churches because it has been the practice of Christian women since the beginning of the church and it was the practice of Jewish women before that. Be willing to be set apart (2 Corinthians 6:17).
We leave our hair uncut and natural to be obedient to scripture, covered as we pray, and to have power (authority) on our heads as long hair is our glory (honor).
Tell me where you are at in your uncut hair journey in the comments below.
The cost of groceries has skyrocketed astronomically in this inflation. Many families are struggling to buy food. Many can’t buy as much as they want. Though I can’t fix the inflation, I can tell you all the ways that I save money on groceries. There are over 100 options here!
I’m the author of Happily Frugal. My money management workbook has over 1,000 ways to save money. Let’s talk about ways to save on groceries. Make sure to get your copy today to get more with the money you have. Learn more here.
The top 10 things
1. A budget is essential.
2. Skipping the restaurant or drive-thru saves a lot.
3. Menu planning is a massive money saver.
4. Know what you have at the house before you go grocery shopping. Organize your kitchen. Keep an inventory of your pantry.
5. List out what you need before you leave the house. Don’t go to the grocery store without a written plan of exactly what to get.
6. Choose the affordable stores to shop at.
7. Buy in bulk.
8. Focus on whole foods. Choose fewer prepackaged meals.
9. Cook from scratch. Make it yourself whenever you can.
10. Have a garden and preserve your food.
2. Skipping the restaurant or drive-thru saves a lot.
3. Menu planning is a massive money saver.
4. Know what you have at the house before you go grocery shopping. Organize your kitchen. Keep an inventory of your pantry.
5. List out what you need before you leave the house. Don’t go to the grocery store without a written plan of exactly what to get.
6. Choose the affordable stores to shop at.
7. Buy in bulk.
8. Focus on whole foods. Choose fewer prepackaged meals.
9. Cook from scratch. Make it yourself whenever you can.
10. Have a garden and preserve your food.
General savings tips
- Get rewards cards at grocery stores and drug stores. They’re free and you’ll get deals you couldn’t get without them.
- Buy bigger and buy in bulk. That goes for food and toiletries. There are rules to buying in bulk though.
- You have to be able to afford to buy more than you have to have right now.
- You have to know you like that product and that brand.
- You have to know it will not go bad before it is all used up.
- You have to have room for it in your fridge or in your house.
- Do compare the price per ounce in the different size packages. On occasion, bigger packages are more expensive than the midsized container.
- Investing in a deep freezer will allow you to buy food in larger amounts which is cheaper. There are a lot of things that would be more affordable if you could buy it in bulk and freeze it. An extra freezer is also beneficial for gardening.
- Buy generic brands or store brands. Generic can be just as good as name brand.
- Take advantage when stores are willing to match local competitor’s ads.
- Certain stores also have an app that will reimburse you if local competitors have lower prices on specific items.
- Some grocery stores offer a senior discount or senior days.
- Some stores offer discounts when you use your own cloth shopping bags instead of the plastic bags. It’s better for the environment and if it’ll save you money, why not?
- Consider signing up for emails from the stores you shop at regularly. Many emails offer discounts.
- Real life tip: It would help to not go grocery shopping when you are hungry.
- Be aware of expiration dates. Throwing away food that has expired is like throwing away money. If you know something is going to expire soon, use it up as soon as you can. You can go through your pantry every month and put the food that will expire within the next month or two in a separate section to be used first.
- Go get your groceries instead of paying for a delivery service.
- If you need to have your groceries delivered, make sure you aren’t allowing substitutions. If they are out of the brand you wanted, the substitute item may be more expensive than what you had budgeted for.
Where to shop
- Learn what the low-cost grocery stores are in your area. Explore different stores. You may also want to try different areas. Grocery stores in higher income areas are often more expensive especially if they are a specialty store. Lower-income neighborhoods have more affordable groceries.
- Shop at discount stores.
- There are also bakery outlets.
- Shop at Farmer's Markets. It's healthier and good for the local economy (always support your local farmers). I have noticed Farmer’s Markets in higher income areas are more expensive than the grocery store. Markets in lower income areas have lower prices. Try smaller markets as well.
- Look for home produce stands in your community.
- Try pick-your-own farms.
- Be willing to go to more than one store. Even with the low-cost stores, each one has their items that are better than others. If you’re in the habit of going to the grocery store once a week, consider rotating what stores you shop.
Prepare before you go
- Know what you have at the house before you go buy groceries and can't remember what you need. Keep an inventory of your pantry.
- Know what you are getting before you go shopping. Have a list of exactly what you need to get for the time period before you plan to go grocery shopping again.
- Get into a routine of checking sales, looking for coupons, glancing through rebate apps, and planning out what you are going to buy.
Menu planning
- Use coupons. Check out the next chapter for the 101 on couponing.
- Menu plan before you go grocery shopping. Make sure to make use of what you have in the house.
- Plan your meals around what is on sale. You can look at the grocery ads in the Sunday paper. Nowadays, you can check the website or the store’s app to see what the sales are.
- Menu plan with what’s in season.
- Buy more whole foods and less prepackaged readymade meals.
- Cook from scratch as much as possible to save the most on your food budget.
- Portion control to eat healthy serving sizes. Overeating leads to overspending.
What food to buy
- Look at the food that is marked down. It will need used soon, but these savings add up.
- You can also ask employees when food gets marked down. Get to know the clearance habits of your local grocery stores.
- Don't get more than a few dollars’ worth of unplanned items. Pay attention to how many things you pick up that you did not plan for in the budget.
- Shop the sales. It doesn’t have to be somewhere you normally shop. If you see a good deal on groceries you need, try stopping by.
- Limit the snacks. Prepackaged snacks add up to big expenses especially with kids. Put a healthy limit on how many snacks a day and what kind of snacks.
- Buy the whole version instead of the prepared version. For example, buy the fruit itself instead of the container with the same fruit already cut.
- Choose the cheapest option of the food you want. For example, boxed pancake mix is cheaper than frozen pancakes. Buying bags of dry beans is cheaper than canned beans. Buying the potatoes to make mashed potatoes is cheaper than buying potatoes in a box and much cheaper than buying mashed potatoes ready for the microwave. When you are deciding what you want to eat, look at the price differences with all the ways you can buy that food to make.
- Eat less meat. Meat is expensive to buy. Making it part of the meal instead of the main course will save you some money. Having vegetarian days of the week will save you money.
Make it yourself
- Find someone to teach you how to really cook if you don't know how. If you've got the basics down, you should be able to experiment with videos and cookbooks. You’ll learn as you go.
- As you go through the grocery store, ask yourself if you can make something yourself instead of buying it. Do you know how? And do you have the time? The majority of things we buy that are prepackaged we can actually make ourselves in the home kitchen.
- There are some things that it’s cheaper to buy readymade. Consider the cost of storebought vs. homemade.
- Make freezer meals.
- Can food that is a readymade meal.
- Soups can be made at home instead of buying soup in a can.
- Buy oats to make oatmeal on the stove instead of instant packets.
- Pancake mix and waffle mix is very cheap compared to buying frozen waffles and frozen pancakes. Make it yourself from a box mix or from scratch.
- Consider side dishes available at the store that you can actually make yourself. For example, hashbrowns are simply shredded potatoes. You can make potato wedges and fries yourself too.
- Grate your own cheese instead of buying shredded cheese in the bag.
- Making pizza at home is much cheaper than most pizza places. Even with buying the pizza crust at the store, this is still a big money saver.
- Make butter in a mason jar, hand mixer, or butter churner.
- Apple butter can be made at home.
- Make gravy from scratch.
- You can make all your own sauces, jams and jellies, preserves, and such.
- Start with learning biscuits and breads. If you can learn how to make these very low-cost foods from scratch, you will always have something filling to eat.
- Make your own biscuits. The rolls of biscuits at the store cost three times as much compared to making your own. Drop biscuits are very easy to learn how to make. Then move on to rolled biscuits. Along with that, you can use glasses/cups to cut the biscuits instead of buying a biscuit cutter.
- Make rolls yourself.
- If you can make biscuits, you can make English muffins.
- Make tortillas at home.
- Learn how to bake sandwich bread. It’s extremely cheap to make. The taste of fresh bread is worth the time it takes.
- Dessert breads have many possibilities. You can make banana bread, apple cinnamon bread, pumpkin bread, monkey bread, and so much more.
- Try your hand at creating sourdough bread.
- Eventually, you can learn how to make artisan breads as well.
- Bagels can be made at home too.
- Instead of purchasing baked goods packaged and ready to eat, look at the boxed option. These are low-cost and still easy to bake.
- Cake mix in a box is significantly cheaper than buying a cake from a bakery.
- Boxed mix for brownies is also much cheaper than buying brownies already baked.
- Muffins are cheap and easy to make from a boxed mix.
- You can take your muffin mix and make bread from it too.
- Any luxury baked goods you see in the grocery’s bakery section can be made from scratch for less money. There are many things our generation has become accustomed to others cooking for us. We are able to make these things on our own. It saves money. It tastes better fresh. If you enjoy cooking, you’ll certainly save your family money on groceries. Here are some examples of things we can skip buying at the store and make ourselves.
- Basic sheet cakes are easy to make from scratch.
- You can also make your own icing.
- Make cupcakes.
- Make muffins.
- Cookies are easy and fun to bake from scratch.
- Cinnamon rolls are easy to learn how to make.
- Cobblers and crumbles are easy to make.
- Pie takes a little effort to learn, but you can do it.
- Cheesecake is a hard one to master, but you can learn to make your own.
- Donuts are easier to make than you think.
- Learn how to make your own pastries of all kinds.
- You can make your own noodles.
- Try making veggie noodles from zucchini or butternut squash. It’s lower carb, healthier, and can be free if you grow your own veggies. Sweet potato noodles are also a tasty option.
- Use a flour grinder or countertop grain mill to make your own flour.
- Try your hand at making condiments. You can make mayo, ketchup, ranch dip, tartar sauce, pickles, and more.
- Learn how to make snacks at home. For example, potato chips can be made at home. Many snack bars can be made in the home kitchen. Pretzels can be made in your kitchen too.
- Even some candies can be made in the home kitchen such as chocolate covered pretzels, muddy buddies, buckeyes, fudge, potato candy, and more.
I know we don’t have the time to make everything ourselves. These are simply some examples of ways you can save money by making food at home. Remember a lot of these things can be frozen or canned. You can make it in advance. You don’t have to make each one of these things the day you want to eat it.
Try it out and gain the skill.
Use those skills if you need to financially
or if you prefer to because homemade food tastes better.
Beverages
- Cut out soda pop and sugary beverages.
- Make water your main beverage.
- Get your water from the tap (provided that you have safe drinking water).
- Single serve coffee cups are far more expensive than buying coffee by the container.
- If you consistently only have one cup of what you usually get in the single serve cups, try buying a container of instant coffee or cappuccino. You stir it in hot water like you do with hot chocolate. You can make one cup at a time without adding the tiny cups to the landfills or adding the cost to your grocery budget.
- Buying the larger containers of coffee is cheaper per serving.
- Make your own iced coffee at home. This is easy and saves so much money.
- Buy hot chocolate in the container instead of individual packets.
- Buy beverages in bulk.
- Buy your beverages in liters or gallons instead of buying individual bottles.
- If you drink tea, make it from tea bags. It is significantly cheaper to make sweet tea using a large box of 100 tea bags than it is to buy sweet tea by the gallon.
- You can also buy your tea in loose form.
- Buy powdered drinks to mix at home instead of buying the container ready-to-drink. You can buy containers of powdered tea, powdered lemonade, packets of juice, etc…
- Juice concentrate is cheaper than buying juice in the bottle.
- For cooking with milk, use cans of evaporated milk instead of fresh milk in the gallon.
Gardening
- Grow your own food as much as you are able. You can grow vegetables and fruits. You can also grow herbs for cooking. You can even grow plants to make medicine with.
- Some things can be grown from kitchen scraps.
- Collect seeds from your food.
- Network with family and close friends to grow different things and trade.
- Some people also forage for mushrooms or berries. It’s important to know what is safe and can be eaten.
Food preservation
- Preserve your garden food.
- Preserve fresh food you bought too.
- Freeze food.
- Can your food in mason jars.
- Dehydrate food.
- Freeze dry fruits and veggies and even entire meals.
Use it all
- Don't throw away leftovers.
- If you don’t want to eat the same thing again, use your leftovers in something new.
- Save the grease from the skillet. You can sauté vegetables in it. You can make gravy with it. You can scramble eggs with it.
- When you bake a turkey or whole chicken, save the stock to make soups with.
- One way to avoid waste is to choose items that aren’t disposable. For example, you can choose to cover a dish with aluminum foil or you can choose to buy a casserole dish with a lid that can go in the oven. Be intentional about avoiding disposable items when you are able to.
- Reuse deli containers and any containers with a lid that you get from the grocery store.
- Reuse empty containers of butter and sour cream for storing leftovers.
- Reuse twist ties from your bread bags.
- Wash and reuse glass containers from sauces, pickles, etc. You can also reuse the plastic containers from peanut butter or jars like honey-roasted peanuts.
- Before throwing away small containers your food came in, consider its use in the garden to start seedlings.
- Before throwing something away, look at it and think about what else it could be used for.
What are your favorite ways to save money on groceries?
Tell me in the comments what you are doing to save money on groceries.
Get your copy of Happily Frugal to learn over 1,000 ways to save money. Live more comfortably with the money you do have. It's a financial lifestyle and money management workbook. Living frugally is a lifestyle.
Get your copy of Happily Frugal to learn over 1,000 ways to save money. Live more comfortably with the money you do have. It's a financial lifestyle and money management workbook. Living frugally is a lifestyle.
Have you received the Holy Spirit since you believed? What it means to receive the Holy Spirit can be a controversy among different churches. Some say we receive it automatically when we believe. Others say we have to pray for it. Some say it’s essential. Others don’t. What does the bible say? We should be following the example the early church laid as the foundation for us. If they got the Holy Spirit then, we can have it today too. We must be sure to follow the bible and pursue the same things the early church did.
This is taken from the book, The Subject of Salvation. There is a slideshow and more content on the bible study page. You can also read my own story of receiving the Holy Spirit here.
Let’s look at the scriptures and then discuss what they mean.
This is taken from the book, The Subject of Salvation. There is a slideshow and more content on the bible study page. You can also read my own story of receiving the Holy Spirit here.
Let’s look at the scriptures and then discuss what they mean.
Scriptures
I’ve chosen a few highlighted verses here. All of the scriptures on the topic are referenced in the image above.
(All verses in the text are taken from the American Standard Version.)
(All verses in the text are taken from the American Standard Version.)
Ezekiel 36:27-28 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep mine ordinances, and do them. And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.
John 3:3-8 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except one be born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except one be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born anew. The wind bloweth where it will, and thou hearest the voice thereof, but knowest not whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
John 4:23-24 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth: for such doth the Father seek to be his worshippers. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship in spirit and truth.
John 7:37-39 Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, from within him shall flow rivers of living water. But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believed on him were to receive: for the Spirit was not yet given; because Jesus was not yet glorified.
Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, when the Holy Spirit is come upon you: and ye shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea and Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
Acts 2:1-4 And when the day of Pentecost was now come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound as of the rushing of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them tongues parting asunder, like as of fire; and it sat upon each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Acts 2:38 And Peter said unto them, Repent ye, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of your sins; and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 4:31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken wherein they were gathered together; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spake the word of God with boldness.
Acts 8:12-17 But when they believed Philip preaching good tidings concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. And Simon also himself believed: and being baptized, he continued with Philip; and beholding signs and great miracles wrought, he was amazed.
Now when the apostles that were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit: for as yet it was fallen upon none of them: only they had been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
Now when the apostles that were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit: for as yet it was fallen upon none of them: only they had been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
Acts 10:44-48 While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all them that heard the word. And they of the circumcision that believed were amazed, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Spirit. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, Can any man forbid the water, that these should not be baptized, who have received the Holy Spirit as well as we? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.
Acts 19:1-7 And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper country came to Ephesus, and found certain disciples: and he said unto them, Did ye receive the Holy Spirit when ye believed? And they said unto him, Nay, we did not so much as hear whether the Holy Spirit was given. And he said, Into what then were ye baptized? And they said, Into John’s baptism. And Paul said, John baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people that they should believe on him that should come after him, that is, on Jesus. And when they heard this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. And they were in all about twelve men.
Romans 8:5-17 For they that are after the flesh mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For the mind of the flesh is death; but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace: because the mind of the flesh is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can it be: and they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you. But if any man hath not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwelleth in you, he that raised up Christ Jesus from the dead shall give life also to your mortal bodies through his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
So then, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh: for if ye live after the flesh, ye must die; but if by the Spirit ye put to death the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For ye received not the spirit of bondage again unto fear; but ye received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit himself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are children of God: and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified with him.
So then, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh: for if ye live after the flesh, ye must die; but if by the Spirit ye put to death the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For ye received not the spirit of bondage again unto fear; but ye received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit himself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are children of God: and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified with him.
1 Corinthians 6:17-20 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. Or know ye not that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which ye have from God? and ye are not your own; for ye were bought with a price: glorify God therefore in your body.
Galatians 5:16-25 But I say, Walk by the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are contrary the one to the other; that ye may not do the things that ye would. But if ye are led by the Spirit, ye are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these: fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousies, wraths, factions, divisions, parties, envyings, drunkenness, revellings, and such like; of which I forewarn you, even as I did forewarn you, that they who practise such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, self-control; against such there is no law. And they that are of Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with the passions and the lusts thereof.
If we live by the Spirit, by the Spirit let us also walk.
If we live by the Spirit, by the Spirit let us also walk.
2 Timothy 1:13-14 Hold the pattern of sound words which thou hast heard from me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. That good thing which was committed unto thee guard through the Holy Spirit which dwelleth in us.
Elucidation of this topic
To elucidate is to explain or make something clear. We are interpreting the scriptures here piece by piece.
- The Holy Spirit is a gift. (Acts 2:38)
- The Spirit is sent in the name of Jesus. (John 14:26)
- The Spirit resides with you and will be in you. (John 14:15-17)
- The Holy Spirit is the spirit of truth. It guides us. (John 14:16-17, 26)
- It is a helper. (John 14:16-17)
- God chose us to pour out his Spirit on. He is our God and we are his people. It is given to believers. We receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. (Ezekiel 36:27-28, Galatians 3:14)
- Some people say you receive the Spirit automatically when you believe, but in the bible they prayed to receive the Spirit. (Acts 8:12-17, Acts 19:1-7)
- God will give you the good gift of the Holy Spirit if you ask him. (Luke 11:9-13)
- People need to repent before baptism of both water and Spirit, but you can receive the Spirit before baptism (Acts 10:44-48) or after baptism (Acts 8:12-17, Acts 19:1-7).
- When people received the Holy Spirit, they had the evidence of speaking in tongues (Acts 2:3-4, Acts 10:44-48, Acts 19:1-7). Without there being evidence of being born of the Spirit you wouldn’t know if somebody had received the Spirit. In Acts 8:12-17 Peter and John knew that they did not have the Spirit, then they prayed for them, and they knew they had received the Spirit. Also in Acts 19:1-7 Paul knew that the disciples in Ephesus had not received the Holy Spirit. They were baptized and it says the Holy Spirit came on them and they spoke in tongues.
- You have to be born of the Spirit to enter heaven. (John 3:3-8)
- You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. (Acts 1:8)
- Don’t stop at receiving the Holy Spirit. Walk in the Spirit. Live by the Spirit. (Galatians 5:16-25)
- You can live according to the flesh or live according to the Spirit. People who live according to the Spirit set their minds on things of the Spirit and those who live according to the flesh set their minds on things of the flesh. If you are in the flesh, you cannot please God. However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit if the Spirit of God dwells in you. (Romans 8:5-17)
- If you do not have the Spirit of Christ, you do not belong to Christ. (Romans 8:9-11)
- You are a temple of God. His Spirit lives inside you. (1 Corinthians 3:16)
- We know that God abides in us by the Spirit that he has given us. (1 John 3:24)
- If we live by the Spirit, let’s follow and keep in step with the Spirit. (Galatians 5:25)
- Produce fruit by being filled with the Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23)
Contemplation Questions
- What does it mean to be born again?
- How is a person born of the Spirit?
- When did God pour out his Spirit?
- Who receives the Spirit?
- Do people receive the Spirit automatically or do they pray to receive it?
- How do you know if you have received it? Is there any evidence?
- What does it mean to live by the Spirit or walk in the Spirit?
- What does it mean to focus on the things of the Spirit instead of the things of the flesh?
- What kind of lifestyle/behaviors do you put down when you have the Spirit living in you?
- What is the fruit of the Spirit?
- Have you received the Holy Spirit?
- How do you know that you have the Spirit of God living inside you?
Speaking in tongues
- Speaking in tongues is evidence of receiving the Spirit. (Acts 2:4, Acts 10:44-48, Acts 19:1-7)
- Speaking in tongues is prayer. We speak to God when we speak in tongues. (1 Corinthians 14:1-28)
- Our own spirit prays when we pray in tongues. (1 Corinthians 14:14-15)
- It builds us up spiritually. It is edifying to the one speaking in tongues. (1 Corinthians 14:4)
- We should pray to interpret what we are speaking in tongues. (1 Corinthians 14:13)
- Sometimes it will be interpreted. (1 Corinthians 12:8-11 and 28-31, 1 Corinthians 14:27-28)
- It is not to be forbidden in the church (1 Corinthians 14:39), but there should be order in the church (1 Corinthians 14:27-28, 40).
- The Spirit makes intercession for us. (Romans 8:26-27)
- We are instructed to pray in the Spirit always. (Ephesians 6:18)
Contemplation Questions
- What is speaking in tongues?
- Why do people do it?
- When do people speak in tongues?
- When does somebody first speak in tongues?
- Is speaking in tongues evidence of being born of the Spirit?
- Is it necessary to have the evidence when you receive the Spirit?
- How can it be interpreted?
- What does the Holy Spirit do when you pray in tongues?
- What do you feel it means when the bible talks about speaking in tongues?
- Who should you pray in tongues in front of?
- How often should you pray in tongues?
- Have you received the Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues?
Have you received the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues since you started following Jesus? If not, seek after it today. If so, share the message. People need the Holy Ghost!
Hello and welcome. This is an introductory bible study on baptism. It’s taken from the book, The Subject of Salvation. Please feel welcome to ask questions in the comments, and I will try to reply to each one. This is also available in slideshow form and video on the bible study page.
Baptism is one of my favorite topics. If you are seeking on this topic, I invite you to study the scriptures and pray for understanding. Getting baptized is a beautiful experience. You can read the story of my own baptism here.
Let’s talk about baptism. We’ll start with the scriptures and then get into discussing what they mean.
Baptism is one of my favorite topics. If you are seeking on this topic, I invite you to study the scriptures and pray for understanding. Getting baptized is a beautiful experience. You can read the story of my own baptism here.
Let’s talk about baptism. We’ll start with the scriptures and then get into discussing what they mean.
Scriptures
I've chosen several scriptures to highlight. All of the verses regarding baptism are referenced in the image above.
(All scriptures in the text are American Standard Version.)
(All scriptures in the text are American Standard Version.)
Matthew 28:19-20 Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.
Mark 16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that disbelieveth shall be condemned.
John 3:1-8 Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: the same came unto him by night, and said to him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that thou doest, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except one be born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except one be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born anew. The wind bloweth where it will, and thou hearest the voice thereof, but knowest not whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
Acts 2:38 And Peter said unto them, Repent ye, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of your sins; and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 2:41 They then that received his word were baptized: and there were added unto them in that day about three thousand souls.
Acts 8:12-17 But when they believed Philip preaching good tidings concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. And Simon also himself believed: and being baptized, he continued with Philip; and beholding signs and great miracles wrought, he was amazed.
Now when the apostles that were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit: for as yet it was fallen upon none of them: only they had been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
Now when the apostles that were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit: for as yet it was fallen upon none of them: only they had been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
Acts 8:35-38 And Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this scripture, preached unto him Jesus. And as they went on the way, they came unto a certain water; and the eunuch saith, Behold, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they both went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.
Acts 10:44-48 While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all them that heard the word. And they of the circumcision that believed were amazed, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Spirit. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, Can any man forbid the water, that these should not be baptized, who have received the Holy Spirit as well as we? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.
Acts 19:1-7 And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper country came to Ephesus, and found certain disciples: and he said unto them, Did ye receive the Holy Spirit when ye believed? And they said unto him, Nay, we did not so much as hear whether the Holy Spirit was given. And he said, Into what then were ye baptized? And they said, Into John’s baptism. And Paul said, John baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people that they should believe on him that should come after him, that is, on Jesus. And when they heard this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. And they were in all about twelve men.
Acts 22:16 And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on his name.
Romans 6:3-8 Or are ye ignorant that all we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him through baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection; knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away, that so we should no longer be in bondage to sin; for he that hath died is justified from sin. But if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him;
Galatians 3:26-28 For ye are all sons of God, through faith, in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ did put on Christ. There can be neither Jew nor Greek, there can be neither bond nor free, there can be no male and female; for ye all are one man in Christ Jesus.
Ephesians 4:5-6 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in all.
Speaking of the flood, 1 Peter 3:21 which also after a true likeness doth now save you, even baptism, not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the interrogation of a good conscience toward God, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ;
Elucidation of this topic
To elucidate is to explain or make something clear. We are interpreting the scriptures here piece by piece.
How did baptism start?
John the Baptist said he was baptizing for repentance, but one greater than him would come and baptize people with the Holy Spirit and with fire. Jesus was baptized. Jesus himself taught the disciples how to baptize. We learn from Acts 18:24-28 and Acts 19:1-7 that the baptism in the early Christian church that the disciples were practicing was different from John’s baptism. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism (Ephesians 4:5-6). There is only one correct way to baptize. There is a baptism with water and a baptism of the Holy Spirit.
John the Baptist said he was baptizing for repentance, but one greater than him would come and baptize people with the Holy Spirit and with fire. Jesus was baptized. Jesus himself taught the disciples how to baptize. We learn from Acts 18:24-28 and Acts 19:1-7 that the baptism in the early Christian church that the disciples were practicing was different from John’s baptism. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism (Ephesians 4:5-6). There is only one correct way to baptize. There is a baptism with water and a baptism of the Holy Spirit.
What does baptism mean?
In baptism, we are buried with Christ into his death and we will be united in the likeness of his resurrection. Our old self is crucified with Christ so that sin will no longer enslave us. If we died with Christ, we will live with him (Romans 6:3-8). In baptism, we are buried with Jesus and raised with Jesus through our faith in God (Colossians 2:9-13). Baptism in Jesus’ name is for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). It washes our sins away (Acts 22:16).
In baptism, we are buried with Christ into his death and we will be united in the likeness of his resurrection. Our old self is crucified with Christ so that sin will no longer enslave us. If we died with Christ, we will live with him (Romans 6:3-8). In baptism, we are buried with Jesus and raised with Jesus through our faith in God (Colossians 2:9-13). Baptism in Jesus’ name is for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). It washes our sins away (Acts 22:16).
Who gets baptized?
Only believers in Jesus were baptized. The bible only makes mention of people choosing baptism who were old enough to choose the faith. There is no mention of babies or young children being baptized.
In Acts chapter 19 verses 1 through 7 there were people that had been baptized into John’s baptism of repentance that Paul taught about the proper way to be baptized. They were then baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus and received the Holy Spirit. If a person has been baptized and it was not done properly, they should get baptized again.
Only believers in Jesus were baptized. The bible only makes mention of people choosing baptism who were old enough to choose the faith. There is no mention of babies or young children being baptized.
In Acts chapter 19 verses 1 through 7 there were people that had been baptized into John’s baptism of repentance that Paul taught about the proper way to be baptized. They were then baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus and received the Holy Spirit. If a person has been baptized and it was not done properly, they should get baptized again.
When did people get baptized?
People got baptized immediately after or soon after they believed. Those who received the word were baptized (Acts 2:41). People got baptized both before and after receiving the Holy Spirit.
People got baptized immediately after or soon after they believed. Those who received the word were baptized (Acts 2:41). People got baptized both before and after receiving the Holy Spirit.
How did the early church baptize people?
A biblical baptism is one of being immersed and being raised up. The words baptize and baptism are Greek words. Baptize is a transliteration of the Greek word baptizo which means to immerse. The root word is bapto which means to dip. The ‘o’ was changed to an ‘e’ to give us our verb baptize; a verb is an action word. The noun form is the Greek word baptisma which is where we get our word baptism. There was no confusion or controversy on the meaning of this when it was written. No one baptized by sprinkling or pouring on water. The Greek-speaking people understood the instruction to be baptized is an instruction to be immersed (go fully under).
A biblical baptism is one of being immersed and being raised up. The words baptize and baptism are Greek words. Baptize is a transliteration of the Greek word baptizo which means to immerse. The root word is bapto which means to dip. The ‘o’ was changed to an ‘e’ to give us our verb baptize; a verb is an action word. The noun form is the Greek word baptisma which is where we get our word baptism. There was no confusion or controversy on the meaning of this when it was written. No one baptized by sprinkling or pouring on water. The Greek-speaking people understood the instruction to be baptized is an instruction to be immersed (go fully under).
We can also see from the context of scriptures this is how they baptized. Jesus was baptized in a river and it talks about him coming up from the water. In Acts 8:35-38 it says they went down into the water. Romans 6:3-8 and Colossians 2:9-13 talk about being buried with Christ and being raised with him. To be buried, you go under. To be raised, you come up. A person being baptized needs to be fully immersed in the baptismal waters.
What name should you be baptized in?
A lot of churches baptize “in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit”. There are also churches that baptize “in the name of Jesus”. Are they both the same? Does it matter? Is one a valid baptism and another invalid? Is one way right and the other way wrong? What does the bible say?
A lot of churches baptize “in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit”. There are also churches that baptize “in the name of Jesus”. Are they both the same? Does it matter? Is one a valid baptism and another invalid? Is one way right and the other way wrong? What does the bible say?
Matthew 28:19 says to go and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. In Acts 2:38 we are taught to repent, be baptized in Jesus’ name for the forgiveness of sins, and that we will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 8:12-17 tells us about people who had been baptized in the name of Jesus, but still needed the Holy Spirit. In Acts 10:44-48 the Gentiles (non-Jews) received the Holy Spirit and Peter commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. In Acts 19:1-7 there were people who had been baptized into John’s baptism that Paul taught about the baptism we are supposed to have and they got baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. In 1 Corinthians 1:11-17 Paul asked the quarreling Corinthians if they were baptized in the name of Paul. After the Christian church began, every mention of a baptism that states the name it was done in says it was in the name of Jesus.
Jesus himself taught the disciples how to baptize. He made sure they had it right. Earlier in this book, I mentioned that all scripture is accurate. All of the New Testament is relevant for us. Matthew and Acts are equally accurate and relevant. Remember your interpretations of bible verses should never contradict other bible verses, but they should complement other verses. The way you interpret things should have bible verses all supporting each other. This is one of those subjects you really need to keep that in mind with. It is not a directive to listen to the instructions in Matthew or listen to the instructions in Acts. Matthew 28:19 and Acts 2:38 mean the same thing.
Some denominations say they baptize in the name of the trinity. That is not following the instructions given. Some denominations say when the bible says to baptize in the name of Jesus that is an abbreviation for “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”. Why would God abbreviate that? Of all things, why abbreviate something so important? And how do you get J-e-s-u-s out of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? The interpretation that baptism in the name of Jesus is an abbreviation for baptism in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit is unbiblical. There are also denominations that say baptism in “Jesus’ name” only means in the authority of Jesus. You’re supposed to use the authority of Jesus’ name without actually saying his name?
To baptize “in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit” is to baptize in God’s titles. What is God’s name?
To baptize “in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit” is to baptize in God’s titles. What is God’s name?
If you were to hand me a pen and ask me to write down my name, I would write “Leanna”. I wouldn’t write “your name”. Likewise, if I asked you to write down God’s name, you would write “Jesus”. I doubt you would write “God’s name” on the paper.
If a man wanted to write a check to pay a debt, he has to sign his name on the check for it to be cashed. Would he sign “Father, Son, and Husband” or would he sign his name? Being a son and a husband and a father are his titles. What’s his name? It’s his name that pays the debt.
If a man wanted to write a check to pay a debt, he has to sign his name on the check for it to be cashed. Would he sign “Father, Son, and Husband” or would he sign his name? Being a son and a husband and a father are his titles. What’s his name? It’s his name that pays the debt.
The name of the Son is Jesus. Jesus tells us he has come in his Father’s name (John 5:43) and that the Father will send the Holy Spirit in his name (John 14:26). God’s name is Jesus. There is no other name by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12).
When we are instructed to be baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we know that “the name” is JESUS. We are baptized into Christ. We are buried with Christ in baptism and raised in Christ. We need to be baptized in the name of who we are being buried with and raised with and saved by — Jesus. The bible says we need to be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Is baptism necessary?
This is an important question. Some churches say yes. Some churches say no. What does the bible say? What does God say about it? If you believe and are baptized you will be saved, but if you do not believe you are condemned (Mark 16:16). You must be born again. You must be born of water and of the Spirit. Without being born again you cannot enter heaven (John 3:1-8). We are told to repent and then be baptized in Jesus’ name for the remission of sins and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38). Baptism saves us by the resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 3:21).
It doesn’t say it’s optional. It doesn’t say it’s symbolic. We are commanded to be baptized. It is cleansing. It washes our sins away. Baptism buries us with Christ and raises us with him. It is saving. It is essential.
This is an important question. Some churches say yes. Some churches say no. What does the bible say? What does God say about it? If you believe and are baptized you will be saved, but if you do not believe you are condemned (Mark 16:16). You must be born again. You must be born of water and of the Spirit. Without being born again you cannot enter heaven (John 3:1-8). We are told to repent and then be baptized in Jesus’ name for the remission of sins and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38). Baptism saves us by the resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 3:21).
It doesn’t say it’s optional. It doesn’t say it’s symbolic. We are commanded to be baptized. It is cleansing. It washes our sins away. Baptism buries us with Christ and raises us with him. It is saving. It is essential.
Contemplation questions
- What is baptism?
- What does it mean to be baptized?
- In the bible, who gets baptized?
- In the bible, when do people get baptized?
- Why does a person get baptized?
- Do you have to be baptized?
- What happens when somebody gets baptized?
- Do you have to be immersed in the water (go fully under)?
- What name should you be baptized in?
- Are you baptized?
- If yes, was it done according to the bible?
- If not, are you going to be baptized the same way they did it in the bible?
Have you been baptized by immersion in the name of Jesus for the remission of your sins? If not, what are you waiting for? Find an Apostolic Pentecostal church (all of them baptize this way) and obey the scriptures. If you have already obeyed this, share the message and reach as many people as you can.
Being a keeper at home is spiritual warfare. I do not interpret this scripture to be focused on personal finances despite many people in today’s time claiming only the rich can afford for women to stay home. The context is on what kind of behavior and lifestyle is befitting for men and women pursuing holiness. This scripture also addresses gender roles according to God’s design. This is New Testament. It is still relevant. It is still something we should seek to obey – even if it is counter-cultural.
Society has reached a point they are not even willing to discuss biblical gender roles or family dynamics because people have already made up their mind they are going to rebel against the Word of God. They criticize it. They attack women who desire this lifestyle. And they dismiss it – completely unwilling to discuss the matter spiritually (not just financially). Feminist ideologies have infected the church to the point that people despise God’s design if it doesn’t suit their lifestyle preferences.
Yet there are many of us women who see this scripture and it speaks to our hearts because God created us for this purpose and hard-wired us to fulfill this role. Women like this still exist. There are still keepers at home and many more women who desire to follow this biblical lifestyle.
No words are by accident in the Word of God. It doesn’t say unemployed woman or stay-at-home mom. It doesn’t say housewife or even homemaker. It says keeper at home. It actually doesn’t even specify wives. This is for all women.
Titus 2:1-8 (KJV)
But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine: That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience. The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded. In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.
Verse 5 says young women are “To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.”
It’s important to use an accurate and literal bible translation.
Different translations use different terms.
This can be a little confusing when translations word it differently. Being a homemaker at heart and being a keeper at home are not the same, are they? Making a house a home isn’t the same thing as being busy (working) all the time. Domestic could surely mean a lot of things. Are we disobeying the bible if we aren’t baking enthusiasts with spotless houses? Taking care of the house makes sense when you come together as a team dividing the responsibilities of providing a home and caring for it. Is that it? Just clean the house and cook dinner? Is that falling in line with being holy and loving and chaste and good? Just make sure the dishes are done? Let’s take a look at the original languages in an interlinear bible.
Word-for-word
Self-controlled pure keepers at home kind being subject to the own husbands so that not the word – of God should be maligned
A literal translation would be
Titus 2:4-5
So that they may train the young women to be lovers of their husbands, loving their children, self-controlled, pure, keepers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands so that the word of God should not be blasphemed.
Reference: Strong’s Greek 3626 (only used once in scripture)
There are two slightly different words referenced here: oikourgous and oikourous. Early manuscripts used the word oikourgous. The origin of that word is oikos (a house, a dwelling) and ergon (work). This is why some translations say “worker at home”. Other manuscripts have the Greek text using a slightly different word. They use “oikourous” which originated from the word oikos (house) and ourous (keeper, watcher, or guardian). Thus, these manuscripts were translated to say “keeper at home”. There’s only one letter difference. I won’t attempt to declare one text more accurate than the other. Either way, these words have similar meanings.
Strong’s exhaustive concordance defines oikourgos to mean domestically inclined stating the word is from oikos and ouros (a guard; be “ware”), a stayer at home; i.e. domestically inclined (a good housekeeper) – a keeper at home.
Thayer’s Greek lexicon offers 3 meanings.
In ancient Greece, oikos referred to the family and the house and the family’s property. Keeping watch over your house was also keeping watch over your family.
Keeper at home….
What does it mean to be a keeper at home? I don’t think that’s a statement of financial privilege as many now say in these times it’s a matter of money to stay home. I don’t think it’s a statement of household finances at all. This chapter is talking about behavior and character. Holiness in lifestyle is not restricted to the financially privileged.
I think this is a statement of spiritual warfare.
It doesn’t say homemaker in the original languages. It doesn’t say bake pies and host tea parties as we may think of nostalgic 1950s housewives perfecting the domestic arts. It makes no mention of shining the windows and having perfect appearance. Nor does it say stay home when your kids are little, then go back to work. It’s not talking about making a house a home with cleanliness and nice wax melts. Cooking and cleaning and tending to the home are aspects of housework, but the most important thing you are keeping after is precious in the kingdom.
What does it mean to be a keeper at home? A keeper is someone who is responsible for something. A keeper is defined as a person who manages or looks after something or someone. You keep after your home. You are the keeper of your children. You are the guardian of what is allowed to have access to your children. It is the mothers who are home with their children that set the environment. It is the mothers who play worship music while she is cleaning and leads prayer before lunch. It is the mothers who are present that keep watch over what their children view on a screen. They monitor the tablets and the internet and protect their children from the harm that could come. They guard the gate keeping boundaries with conviction. They keep watch for the attacks of the enemy and know the devil is prowling to snatch away the little ones. While the husbands and fathers are away at work to provide for their family, the wives keep after the home. The husbands are the head of the household, but the mothers are the keepers of the home.
Women are not unused by the kingdom.
What mothers do in the home is kingdom work.
When I think about being a keeper at home, I do not think of sitting on the couch in my pajamas scrolling through my phone all day. I think of keeping my littles home under my care instead of under secular influence. I think of how staying home allows families to homeschool and keep their children from the anti-bible indoctrination of public schools. I think of the time spent with them compared to how few hours I’d get if I were working. I think about how whoever children spend their day with is the main influence in their worldview. I think about family prayer, homemade meals at the table, the chalkboard with a daily bible verse, daily bible study, praying together, raising them in an atmosphere of worship and praise. Keeping watch over them at home is keeping watch over what has access to them. The devil always wants to snatch the children. It is the parent’s job to be on guard for the ways the enemy seeks to destroy. It is the mother who stays home that has round-the-clock guardianship over their entertainment, the screens they can see, the music that will shape their thinking, the books that will tell them about the world. Being a keeper at home is to keep guard physically and spiritually over the children God has gifted parents. Nowadays it’s also keeping them safe from the increasing crime, the school shootings, the human trafficking that is everywhere now, and the predators that lurk.
And, yes, keeping over the home also includes keeping things functioning. Cook the meals. Do the dishes. Another pile of laundry doesn’t feel like anything glorious. Cleaning the home and making it a pleasant place for your family is endless work, but it is kingdom work. This is where you raise your family. This is where your children learn to love Jesus and serve God. You are teaching them life lessons in your simple home even if there are toys everywhere.
That doesn’t mean you have to make the best sourdough bread in town. While domestic skills are necessary life skills and many homemakers need to be frugal to be able to have this lifestyle, let us not confuse the spiritual need for keepers at home with the Instagram-glorified domestic influencers (don’t get me wrong, I admire them too). No woman can excel at every domestic skill. We all have our strengths and weaknesses. This is primarily a spiritual role, not a baking competition. This role has a purpose with eternal value.
I am reminded of the gatekeepers in 1 Chronicles chapter 9:17-34. They would guard the gate and tend to the house of God. It was their job to guard the entrance and keep out anyone or anything unclean. They were stationed as gatekeepers. Verse 27 says they spent the night around the house of God because the watch was committed to them and they were in charge of opening it morning after morning. The bible even mentions here that they had charge of the utensils, the furniture, the flour. Some prepared the bread. Some were over that which was baked in pans. This was kingdom work. They were serving the house of God doing these things. It may not be a glorious position, but it is an essential position. What would happen to the house of God if no one guarded the gate? It would be defiled.
1 Timothy 5:14 (NASB 1995)
Therefore, I want younger widows to get married, bear children, keep house, and give the enemy no occasion for reproach;
There is also plenty to be said for keeping house without children in the home too. There is value in serving your husband instead of serving an employer. Spare time can always be used for kingdom work by serving the church or serving others in need. For countless years, it was the women who would check on the elderly and bring a meal to the sick or help a neighbor. The homemaker is the backbone of society. When you remove women from the home and they are no longer able to serve others, those in need must rely on (and pay for) companies to do what families and church ladies used to.
What would happen to your home if no one kept it? The simple things undone cause disorder and steal peace.
We can see quite clearly what has happened to an entire generation of children left to the keep of institutions to be raised by daycare all day and public school until they are an adult. Schools are highly politicized nowadays and lean so far left these kids can’t think straight. The rainbow flags fill the classroom even in elementary school, children being taught to approve of and celebrate sin. Teachers with different values are raising children born to Christian parents, and we wonder why the younger generation is losing their parent’s convictions. Their parents didn’t raise them for most of the hours in the day.
Look at what has happened in families since feminism lured women out of their homes and into the workforce.
Everything falls out of balance when Mom has to do Dad’s role too. One person can only do so much.
While many mothers long to stay home with their children, it is necessary to point out that you can’t do it alone. It takes a marriage for a woman to be able to be a keeper at home. And it takes a man willing to step up to the responsibility.
In the 1950s over 80% of mothers stayed home. By the late 1960s, that had dropped to just under half of moms. It continuously dropped reaching 23% in 1999. Now we are seeing a turn around. Around 25% of mothers are now staying home with their children.
A 2019 Gallop study found that only 39% of women prefer a homemaker role while 23% of men prefer homemaking (for themselves) over working outside the home. Women with a college degree are more likely to prefer working.
If a mother financially must leave her children to make money elsewhere, she is tasked with finding childcare that aligns with her Christian values. Sometimes it takes a village, but it is a shame when women have to do it all. We are designed to be inter-dependent.
What about families that can’t afford it?
That’s absolutely valid. It is getting harder and harder to survive on one income. It used to be a man could support a large family on his own from one job. When more and more women went into the workforce, the economy adapted to a two-income household. Then marriages fell apart and single-parent poverty became a plague. There is no easy solution. Following the world’s ways of chasing money will only make it harder for women to stay home with their littles. The world’s solution is to eliminate the children. Have abortions. Go on birth control. Choose smaller family sizes for financial reasons. Choose to be “child-free”. For most households, choosing biblical gender roles means genuine financial struggle. It takes sacrifice to make it work. Godly women must choose a man who is in alignment with following this lifestyle even when it’s hard. And the women who stay home often must be frugal and self-sufficient. The bible is not against women working from home or having an income. Proverbs 31 makes it clear that women often worked with their hands to create things (at home) they could sell. That didn’t require them to leave their homes for a 9 to 5. Our priorities must be in order. It is the husband’s job to provide. It is the wife’s job to tend to the work of the home. He is the head of the household; she is the keeper of the home. Both must manage money very well to make it work in today’s economy that begs for a two-income household to maintain a culturally expected standard of possessions.
What happens spiritually when the biblical (traditional) family unit falls apart?
When men stop going to church with their families, their wife and children are far less likely to stay in church. As we’ve surely all seen, once daddy is gone many children stop coming. There are always exceptions and people who stay in church despite the odds, but realistically the father leads the family in church attendance for the majority of families. Women are more likely to work in career fields such as retail or restaurants that require them to work on Sundays thus making them unable to attend church. Many single mothers work multiple jobs and are simply unable to schedule in church as well.
The demise of the biblical family unit as God designed it is one of the greatest threats to the continuation of the church. Each generation goes to church less and less. Without children in church, the older generation passes away and there aren’t enough young families to fill the pews. Without families in church, eventually churches don’t have enough tithing members to keep the doors open.
Tragically, most churches no longer teach biblical gender roles or family structure at all because it has become so controversial. If you want revival, you have to bring back and strengthen the family unit.
What does the devil want for the family?
He wants destruction. The enemy’s goal is to get the family out of church and away from God. He wants to keep you distracted and too busy for the bible study you wish you had time for and the prayer life you need. The devil is always prowling and he seeks to destroy marriages and the family unit so he can snatch the children. If he can’t rip apart your marriage, he’ll surely exhaust many women in their pursuit of work/family balance while they chase after money and still try to be a homemaker.
Society is training women for college and career with focus on money and material items. Meanwhile, God’s design for marriage and family is increasingly criticized and abandoned. Even in conservative churches, many women choose the way of the world following their careers instead of staying home to take care of their family. Few churches teach their congregation to follow biblical gender roles and let the wife be a keeper at home when financially possible.
What does God want for the family?
God wants a family that serves Him and glorifies Him. He wants holy people set apart from the world who live righteously despite being surrounded by promiscuity and all kinds of sexual sin. He wants purity for his people. He designed the family unit as a system with a purpose. He wants obedience to his design. Gender is his creation. Gender roles is his structure. God wants men that lead and women that submit to that godly leadership. Children are a blessing. Guard the young ones spiritually. Will you strive to follow that design?
What happens if the gatekeeper leaves the family unguarded?
The enemy is at the gate.
Keep your home – the whole house. Keep after your children. Keep after your marriage needs. Keep after your territory. Guard what God has given you.
Society has reached a point they are not even willing to discuss biblical gender roles or family dynamics because people have already made up their mind they are going to rebel against the Word of God. They criticize it. They attack women who desire this lifestyle. And they dismiss it – completely unwilling to discuss the matter spiritually (not just financially). Feminist ideologies have infected the church to the point that people despise God’s design if it doesn’t suit their lifestyle preferences.
Yet there are many of us women who see this scripture and it speaks to our hearts because God created us for this purpose and hard-wired us to fulfill this role. Women like this still exist. There are still keepers at home and many more women who desire to follow this biblical lifestyle.
No words are by accident in the Word of God. It doesn’t say unemployed woman or stay-at-home mom. It doesn’t say housewife or even homemaker. It says keeper at home. It actually doesn’t even specify wives. This is for all women.
Titus 2:1-8 (KJV)
But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine: That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience. The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded. In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.
Verse 5 says young women are “To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.”
It’s important to use an accurate and literal bible translation.
Different translations use different terms.
- Having care of the house (Wycliffe)
- Keepers at home (KJV)
- Keepers of their own houses (Young’s)
- Workers at home (ASV, NASB, WEB)
- Working at home (ESV)
- To work in their homes (NLT)
- Homemaker (NKJV, HCSB)
- Makers of a home (AMP)
- Fulfilling their duties at home (NET)
- To be busy at home (NIV)
- Domestic (RSV)
This can be a little confusing when translations word it differently. Being a homemaker at heart and being a keeper at home are not the same, are they? Making a house a home isn’t the same thing as being busy (working) all the time. Domestic could surely mean a lot of things. Are we disobeying the bible if we aren’t baking enthusiasts with spotless houses? Taking care of the house makes sense when you come together as a team dividing the responsibilities of providing a home and caring for it. Is that it? Just clean the house and cook dinner? Is that falling in line with being holy and loving and chaste and good? Just make sure the dishes are done? Let’s take a look at the original languages in an interlinear bible.
Word-for-word
Self-controlled pure keepers at home kind being subject to the own husbands so that not the word – of God should be maligned
A literal translation would be
Titus 2:4-5
So that they may train the young women to be lovers of their husbands, loving their children, self-controlled, pure, keepers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands so that the word of God should not be blasphemed.
Reference: Strong’s Greek 3626 (only used once in scripture)
There are two slightly different words referenced here: oikourgous and oikourous. Early manuscripts used the word oikourgous. The origin of that word is oikos (a house, a dwelling) and ergon (work). This is why some translations say “worker at home”. Other manuscripts have the Greek text using a slightly different word. They use “oikourous” which originated from the word oikos (house) and ourous (keeper, watcher, or guardian). Thus, these manuscripts were translated to say “keeper at home”. There’s only one letter difference. I won’t attempt to declare one text more accurate than the other. Either way, these words have similar meanings.
Strong’s exhaustive concordance defines oikourgos to mean domestically inclined stating the word is from oikos and ouros (a guard; be “ware”), a stayer at home; i.e. domestically inclined (a good housekeeper) – a keeper at home.
Thayer’s Greek lexicon offers 3 meanings.
- The (watch of) or keeper of a house
- Keeping at home and taking care of domestic affairs
- Domestic
In ancient Greece, oikos referred to the family and the house and the family’s property. Keeping watch over your house was also keeping watch over your family.
Keeper at home….
What does it mean to be a keeper at home? I don’t think that’s a statement of financial privilege as many now say in these times it’s a matter of money to stay home. I don’t think it’s a statement of household finances at all. This chapter is talking about behavior and character. Holiness in lifestyle is not restricted to the financially privileged.
I think this is a statement of spiritual warfare.
It doesn’t say homemaker in the original languages. It doesn’t say bake pies and host tea parties as we may think of nostalgic 1950s housewives perfecting the domestic arts. It makes no mention of shining the windows and having perfect appearance. Nor does it say stay home when your kids are little, then go back to work. It’s not talking about making a house a home with cleanliness and nice wax melts. Cooking and cleaning and tending to the home are aspects of housework, but the most important thing you are keeping after is precious in the kingdom.
What does it mean to be a keeper at home? A keeper is someone who is responsible for something. A keeper is defined as a person who manages or looks after something or someone. You keep after your home. You are the keeper of your children. You are the guardian of what is allowed to have access to your children. It is the mothers who are home with their children that set the environment. It is the mothers who play worship music while she is cleaning and leads prayer before lunch. It is the mothers who are present that keep watch over what their children view on a screen. They monitor the tablets and the internet and protect their children from the harm that could come. They guard the gate keeping boundaries with conviction. They keep watch for the attacks of the enemy and know the devil is prowling to snatch away the little ones. While the husbands and fathers are away at work to provide for their family, the wives keep after the home. The husbands are the head of the household, but the mothers are the keepers of the home.
Women are not unused by the kingdom.
What mothers do in the home is kingdom work.
When I think about being a keeper at home, I do not think of sitting on the couch in my pajamas scrolling through my phone all day. I think of keeping my littles home under my care instead of under secular influence. I think of how staying home allows families to homeschool and keep their children from the anti-bible indoctrination of public schools. I think of the time spent with them compared to how few hours I’d get if I were working. I think about how whoever children spend their day with is the main influence in their worldview. I think about family prayer, homemade meals at the table, the chalkboard with a daily bible verse, daily bible study, praying together, raising them in an atmosphere of worship and praise. Keeping watch over them at home is keeping watch over what has access to them. The devil always wants to snatch the children. It is the parent’s job to be on guard for the ways the enemy seeks to destroy. It is the mother who stays home that has round-the-clock guardianship over their entertainment, the screens they can see, the music that will shape their thinking, the books that will tell them about the world. Being a keeper at home is to keep guard physically and spiritually over the children God has gifted parents. Nowadays it’s also keeping them safe from the increasing crime, the school shootings, the human trafficking that is everywhere now, and the predators that lurk.
And, yes, keeping over the home also includes keeping things functioning. Cook the meals. Do the dishes. Another pile of laundry doesn’t feel like anything glorious. Cleaning the home and making it a pleasant place for your family is endless work, but it is kingdom work. This is where you raise your family. This is where your children learn to love Jesus and serve God. You are teaching them life lessons in your simple home even if there are toys everywhere.
That doesn’t mean you have to make the best sourdough bread in town. While domestic skills are necessary life skills and many homemakers need to be frugal to be able to have this lifestyle, let us not confuse the spiritual need for keepers at home with the Instagram-glorified domestic influencers (don’t get me wrong, I admire them too). No woman can excel at every domestic skill. We all have our strengths and weaknesses. This is primarily a spiritual role, not a baking competition. This role has a purpose with eternal value.
I am reminded of the gatekeepers in 1 Chronicles chapter 9:17-34. They would guard the gate and tend to the house of God. It was their job to guard the entrance and keep out anyone or anything unclean. They were stationed as gatekeepers. Verse 27 says they spent the night around the house of God because the watch was committed to them and they were in charge of opening it morning after morning. The bible even mentions here that they had charge of the utensils, the furniture, the flour. Some prepared the bread. Some were over that which was baked in pans. This was kingdom work. They were serving the house of God doing these things. It may not be a glorious position, but it is an essential position. What would happen to the house of God if no one guarded the gate? It would be defiled.
1 Timothy 5:14 (NASB 1995)
Therefore, I want younger widows to get married, bear children, keep house, and give the enemy no occasion for reproach;
There is also plenty to be said for keeping house without children in the home too. There is value in serving your husband instead of serving an employer. Spare time can always be used for kingdom work by serving the church or serving others in need. For countless years, it was the women who would check on the elderly and bring a meal to the sick or help a neighbor. The homemaker is the backbone of society. When you remove women from the home and they are no longer able to serve others, those in need must rely on (and pay for) companies to do what families and church ladies used to.
What would happen to your home if no one kept it? The simple things undone cause disorder and steal peace.
We can see quite clearly what has happened to an entire generation of children left to the keep of institutions to be raised by daycare all day and public school until they are an adult. Schools are highly politicized nowadays and lean so far left these kids can’t think straight. The rainbow flags fill the classroom even in elementary school, children being taught to approve of and celebrate sin. Teachers with different values are raising children born to Christian parents, and we wonder why the younger generation is losing their parent’s convictions. Their parents didn’t raise them for most of the hours in the day.
Look at what has happened in families since feminism lured women out of their homes and into the workforce.
- Marriages are broken.
- Nearly half of marriages end in divorce.
- Overall, 69% of divorces are initiated by women. Interestingly, among couples with degrees, college-educated women initiate divorce 90% of the time.
- Many couples choose not to marry at all. 40% of births are to unmarried mothers. In some states, it’s over 50%. Unmarried women are more likely to be on welfare. Ultimately, this affects our healthcare system when labor and delivery units are not being reimbursed well from state insurance leading to many units closing. The domino effect there is closing maternity units leads to worse outcomes for pregnant and birthing women as well as their babies.
- Men abandon their wives and their children more than ever before.
- Approximately, 1 in 4 children do not have a father in the home.
- Over 18 million children do not have a biological father, adoptive father, or stepfather in the home.
- These children living without an involved father are twice as likely to die in infancy, more likely to be abused, more likely to use drugs and alcohol, 7x more likely to get pregnant as a teenager, 2x as likely to drop out, more likely to commit crime, more likely to go to prison, and are 4x more likely to live in poverty.
- Not to mention these single mothers often need to work multiple jobs and long hours. The less time they can spend with their children is the less influence they have over their faith and values.
- Gender roles are stressed and twisted. Many women struggle being in relationships with men who expect them to work outside the home (often the same number of hours they do) but the men don’t split the responsibilities of cooking and cleaning equally the way they do finances. It puts the weight on the woman to be the breadwinner and the housekeeper.
- As there are fewer and fewer masculine men who desire traditional gender roles, women lose interest in marriage.
Everything falls out of balance when Mom has to do Dad’s role too. One person can only do so much.
While many mothers long to stay home with their children, it is necessary to point out that you can’t do it alone. It takes a marriage for a woman to be able to be a keeper at home. And it takes a man willing to step up to the responsibility.
In the 1950s over 80% of mothers stayed home. By the late 1960s, that had dropped to just under half of moms. It continuously dropped reaching 23% in 1999. Now we are seeing a turn around. Around 25% of mothers are now staying home with their children.
A 2019 Gallop study found that only 39% of women prefer a homemaker role while 23% of men prefer homemaking (for themselves) over working outside the home. Women with a college degree are more likely to prefer working.
If a mother financially must leave her children to make money elsewhere, she is tasked with finding childcare that aligns with her Christian values. Sometimes it takes a village, but it is a shame when women have to do it all. We are designed to be inter-dependent.
What about families that can’t afford it?
That’s absolutely valid. It is getting harder and harder to survive on one income. It used to be a man could support a large family on his own from one job. When more and more women went into the workforce, the economy adapted to a two-income household. Then marriages fell apart and single-parent poverty became a plague. There is no easy solution. Following the world’s ways of chasing money will only make it harder for women to stay home with their littles. The world’s solution is to eliminate the children. Have abortions. Go on birth control. Choose smaller family sizes for financial reasons. Choose to be “child-free”. For most households, choosing biblical gender roles means genuine financial struggle. It takes sacrifice to make it work. Godly women must choose a man who is in alignment with following this lifestyle even when it’s hard. And the women who stay home often must be frugal and self-sufficient. The bible is not against women working from home or having an income. Proverbs 31 makes it clear that women often worked with their hands to create things (at home) they could sell. That didn’t require them to leave their homes for a 9 to 5. Our priorities must be in order. It is the husband’s job to provide. It is the wife’s job to tend to the work of the home. He is the head of the household; she is the keeper of the home. Both must manage money very well to make it work in today’s economy that begs for a two-income household to maintain a culturally expected standard of possessions.
What happens spiritually when the biblical (traditional) family unit falls apart?
When men stop going to church with their families, their wife and children are far less likely to stay in church. As we’ve surely all seen, once daddy is gone many children stop coming. There are always exceptions and people who stay in church despite the odds, but realistically the father leads the family in church attendance for the majority of families. Women are more likely to work in career fields such as retail or restaurants that require them to work on Sundays thus making them unable to attend church. Many single mothers work multiple jobs and are simply unable to schedule in church as well.
The demise of the biblical family unit as God designed it is one of the greatest threats to the continuation of the church. Each generation goes to church less and less. Without children in church, the older generation passes away and there aren’t enough young families to fill the pews. Without families in church, eventually churches don’t have enough tithing members to keep the doors open.
Tragically, most churches no longer teach biblical gender roles or family structure at all because it has become so controversial. If you want revival, you have to bring back and strengthen the family unit.
What does the devil want for the family?
He wants destruction. The enemy’s goal is to get the family out of church and away from God. He wants to keep you distracted and too busy for the bible study you wish you had time for and the prayer life you need. The devil is always prowling and he seeks to destroy marriages and the family unit so he can snatch the children. If he can’t rip apart your marriage, he’ll surely exhaust many women in their pursuit of work/family balance while they chase after money and still try to be a homemaker.
Society is training women for college and career with focus on money and material items. Meanwhile, God’s design for marriage and family is increasingly criticized and abandoned. Even in conservative churches, many women choose the way of the world following their careers instead of staying home to take care of their family. Few churches teach their congregation to follow biblical gender roles and let the wife be a keeper at home when financially possible.
What does God want for the family?
God wants a family that serves Him and glorifies Him. He wants holy people set apart from the world who live righteously despite being surrounded by promiscuity and all kinds of sexual sin. He wants purity for his people. He designed the family unit as a system with a purpose. He wants obedience to his design. Gender is his creation. Gender roles is his structure. God wants men that lead and women that submit to that godly leadership. Children are a blessing. Guard the young ones spiritually. Will you strive to follow that design?
What happens if the gatekeeper leaves the family unguarded?
The enemy is at the gate.
Keep your home – the whole house. Keep after your children. Keep after your marriage needs. Keep after your territory. Guard what God has given you.
