If you are a veteran Lutheran teacher, a new Lutheran teacher, or somewhere in between you know we do not do this for the money.  We are not called to gain money first, we make sacrifices and stretch a buck more ways than you thought possible.

If you are married, you are probably adding a little more stress, and if you are like me with kids, you do not know how it is possible.  For me living in California cost of living is a little outrageous.

My wife and I have many discussions about money and it is always a thought in the back of our head, if we will be able to make it from one pay check to the next.

First off, what we need to do is trust the Lord.  Anytime we put it in His hands we will be fine.  Of course that means we might not get to buy a new toy or have to make another sacrafice, but you will make it.  I am living proof.

I have spent money a few times for the latest Microsoft Money, and it is great and complex, almost too complex.  I also always had issues of things counting as double.

A little over a year ago, I found Mint (http://www.mint.com).  I love it.  It is FREE!  It is easy to add accounts, and you can add a lot of accounts.  Creating a budget is easy to do (plus you can have roll over categories). You can create your own categories.

Mint has easy to read graphs and allows you to follow trends of your spending.  It has a neat little reminder how much you can save a month (3,6,or year).  Recently when my wife and I sat down to really start using this tool, we are shocked how much we can save each month, if we are true to our plan in our budget.  It will keep track of your credit cards and even your Student Loans.

The best part is you can also down Mint for your iPhone/iPod.  Although it is not as interactive.  You can only view your current status and can not change anything.

Take a look at it and see what you think.  If you have another program you use and other Teachers will find it useful please add in comments.