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Hey there.

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It's great to be with you again today.

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You know, I was thinking about
something earlier today, something

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I bet you've experienced.

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You ever have those moments when your
finances feel well under control,

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like, like you're managing it.

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And then outta nowhere it feels
like bam, a big bill lands.

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Maybe the car breaks down.

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Maybe it's that insurance premium
you kind of forgot about and

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suddenly that okay, feeling just
evaporates and stress takes over.

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Does that ring a bell for you?

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Well, if it does, I'm really glad you're
joining me today because we're gonna talk

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about that exactly on the show today.

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Hello, I'm Ralph.

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So good to connect with
you daily like this.

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This little corner of the world is
just for folks like you and me trying

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to break free from the financial
shame and do it with confidence.

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And listen here, it's not
about complicated formulas.

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It's about finding freedom
and doing that together.

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So let's get into today's chat.

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Jamie asked Ralph, I always feel
blindsided by upcoming expenses.

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How do I prepare better?

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And maybe Jamie's question
hit home for you too.

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That feeling of being caught off guard.

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It's tough.

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Let's talk about that feeling that that
feeling of being blindsided, it's more

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than just an unexpected bill, isn't it?

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It's that knot in your stomach.

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Maybe it's that scramble trying to figure
out where the money's gonna come from.

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You know those expenses, right?

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The ones that don't happen
every month, but they do happen.

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Property taxes may be Christmas.

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The the annual subscription,
your car registration.

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And listen, they're predictable if we're
honest with ourselves, but we haven't

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specifically planned for that exact thing.

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And when we don't, it can
feel like a financial punch.

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It disrupts everything.

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It makes you feel like you're just
treading water, maybe even stuck in

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that paycheck to paycheck rhythm,
always reacting instead of being ready.

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Does that feeling feel familiar to
you, that that sense of frustration,

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like you take one step forward and
then something just knocks you back?

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It steals your peace, doesn't it?

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And I get it.

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I really do.

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So what can we do about that?

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How can you stop feeling blindsided?

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Well, the answer is surprisingly
simple, but incredibly powerful.

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And it comes down to planning
ahead for specific things.

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Think of it like this.

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Instead of just having one big savings
bucket, you create little envelopes.

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Little envelopes or little, what we'll
call mental buckets for those future

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expenses before they even arrive.

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And remember that wisdom from
Proverbs says the wise store

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up choice food and olive oil.

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But Fools Gump, theirs down.

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We talked about gulping
the other day on the show.

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And see, being wise with our, the
money God entrusts you, it means

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looking ahead even just a little bit.

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It means saying this, okay, I know
Christmas is coming, or, or I know the

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car insurance is, is due in six months.

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And deciding now, deciding today
how you're gonna be ready for it.

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When that comes around, you start
setting aside just a little bit

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specifically for that thing.

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And listen, this isn't about deprivation,
it's just not, it's about preparation.

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It's about giving you peace of mind.

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I wanna repeat that again
because it's so very important.

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It's preparation, not deprivation.

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Now listen, I don't want this to feel
like another overwhelming to do, so let's

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focus on just one thing that you can
do today or this week, just one step.

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Can you do that?

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Okay.

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Well, here's what I want you to do.

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I want you to grab a piece of
paper, or just think through

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this in your head right now.

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I want you to pick just one expense
I, one expense that you know is coming

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up sometime in the next year, but it's
one that you don't pay monthly for.

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That's the important part.

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It's not something you
have on a monthly basis.

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Well, now that you're thinking about
it, what comes to mind for you?

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Is it that annual Amazon Prime renewal?

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Is it, is it saving for
the kids' summer camps?

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Hey, maybe it's whose new tires you,
you know, you're gonna need sooner

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starting to look a little bald there.

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I just want you to pick one and I
want you to picture it in your mind.

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Have you got it?

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Good?

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Okay.

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Now take your best guess at the total
cost of what that's going to be.

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You know, what do you
think that's going to be?

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And I want you to write that number
down or fix it in your mind right now.

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Alright, you've got that bill
and that expected amounts.

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Finally, we're gonna do some
simple math, and I promise this

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is gonna be very simple math here.

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How many months do you have
until that bill is due?

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And here's the simple solution.

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Divide that total cost
by the number of months.

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It's really that simple.

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So let's, let's talk about
that $300 car insurance bill.

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Let's say it's due in six months.

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It simply means that you've
gotta have $300 in six months.

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Well, that, that, that
gets down to $50 a month.

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And that small amount, that's your target.

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That's what you need to intentionally,
specifically set aside each month.

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Just that, just for that one thing,
I want you to find a place for it.

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Now, I'm not gonna get elaborate
.  Maybe open a, a separate savings

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account and, and nickname it.

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Maybe car insurance or, or maybe
it's literally an envelope.

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Just set aside an envelope write
on there, car insurance and put

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the date and just start putting
that calculated amount aside.

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And if we go back to begin, remember
that feeling, Jamie talked about that,

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that feeling of being blindsided.

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And let me just tell you by
doing this one simple thing.

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If you identify just one expense,
you estimate it like we did, you

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calculate it, and you start to save.

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You begin to break that
cycle for yourself.

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You start moving from reactionary
and moving without stress

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to preparing with peace.

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Well, let's just take a quick
moment and pray together.

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Lord, thank you for caring
about every detail of our

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lives, including our finances.

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Lord, I lift up my friend listening
right now and you know the specific

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financial pressures they feel, the times
they've felt blindsided or stressed.

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Please replace that
anxiety with your peace.

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Lord, give them wisdom to be good
stewards of the resources you provided.

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Grant them the focus and the discipline
to take this one small step of planning,

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setting aside funds for a future need.

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And Lord, help them build that habit
and experience that freedom that comes

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from preparation and trust in you.

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Well, Lord, we just thank you
for your faithfulness and we

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ask this in the name of Jesus.

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Amen.

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Now be sure to join me again tomorrow.

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We're gonna be exploring why
giving might be the secret to

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your financial breakthrough.

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You don't wanna miss that conversation.

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And I just wanna thank you so much
for spending this time with me today.

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Getting a handle on your money, truly
is part of living out your faith.

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So keep taking those small steps.

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And remember, you're not alone in this.

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And I just wanna encourage you, if this
chat was helpful, maybe share it with

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someone else who, who might need it today.

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Maybe they're going through
a, a typical struggle, they're

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feeling like they blindsided.

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And I, and I wanna also encourage
you to, to visit my website.

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You could do that@askralph.com.

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So stay financially savvy out there.

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Take care, be blessed, and I'll
talk to you again tomorrow.