“Hey, buddy. You sound excited! What’s up?”

“It’s Friday! That means Family Fun Night!” I had to smile. Since we started sticking to a pretty strict budget a few months ago, we instituted a night of inexpensive fun for the whole family every Friday night. Although I had my initial misgivings when we gave up going to the movie theater and eating out on weekends, I came to realize that our penny-pinching actually had unexpected benefits. We were spending more time together, learning to be creative with our time and resources, and really enjoying ourselves in the process. Each week we let one person decide what we would cook for dinner and what activities would follow—board games, a walk to the park, hide-and-seek, or maybe renting a movie. I realized that family fun didn’t have to be expensive because just being together was the fun part.

Lean times can actually teach us to value the things that are most important in life, things that don’t have a price tag—like love, togetherness, fun, encouragement, making memories, and having a place to belong. If you are struggling financially, take an honest assessment of your situation and decide on a reasonable budget. Then choose to make the best of your situation, looking for ways you can get more for your money, be creative with what you do have, and be a good steward of what God has given you. Trust that God will sustain you, and use this tough time as a refining tool in your life, teaching you more about lovingly following and believing Him.