Be more intentional, living intentionally, and purposeful living… I heard these phrases so often, but never knew what to do with them. Until I realized what being intentional really is and what it can do. Discover how to achieve calmer days by living more intentionally.
I’ve heard the phrase “intentional living” so often from inspiring fellow homemakers and diligent homeschooling mamas, but I never felt quite sure what it could offer me. Until something happened.
Making ends meet
With 5 children to raise and homeschool, and living on one income, we are still in a very busy season of life. More than once, I had to find creative ways to be able to make ends meet. When I thought I had finally found a routine, I had to stop and make a 180-degree change.
How hard times shape you
In such a busy season as we are in now, I am always looking for ways to simplify and reduce decision fatigue. So, a while ago, I slowly started to build a routine for groceries and other needs.
And shopping for groceries is definitely not one of my favorite things. I like to go just once a week and grab what is on the list, check-out and then leave as quickly as I can.
That new routine I started a while ago seemed to work great for a few months, until I noticed that our budget was gone before our grocery list ended. And then the doubting started…
From doubting God to living more intentionally
I thought I built a great routine. Something that finally worked for our family.
The pantry was well-stocked, I had my weekly grocery trip, and a menu plan most weeks. I didn’t have to think about what to make for dinner every day. It seemed to have helped me so much by reducing many stress factors, and yet here I was, with no money to spend the last week of the month.
The doubting started…
What was I doing wrong?
I wondered, doesn’t the Bible say that God will supply all our needs? And I thought that food would surely be counted as a need. Then why wasn’t our grocery budget sufficient for our family’s “needs”?
Well, I had two options. Either God is a liar, and He doesn’t supply all our needs after all. Or, I was doing something wrong.
But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” –Philippians 4:19 “
Well, of course, this was a no-brainer, although I really didn’t understand it all. But I thought, “Well, if God supplies all we need, then we do have enough money; we’re just spending it in the wrong way.”
Taking intentional steps
That’s when I learned how to be more intentional. I had to find a way for our groceries to meet our needs and budget.
At the beginning of the month, I sat down to really see what we had, and I started making a tight grocery budget.
Also, in order for our grocery list to be more budget-friendly, I looked for more seasonal recipes. Vegetables like onions, carrots, cabbage, and potatoes are affordable vegetables that make great nutritional meal bases that are available year-round.
I looked at how much money was coming in, what we needed for the month, and how much that would leave. After that first month, we went from not being able to make ends meet to saving €700! Now that’s what I call motivating!
Save for Later
Hover over the image & use the Pinterest button to save this to your Pinterest board
How to be more intentional
This wasn’t meant as a financial advice post, so let’s wrap up the “how to be more intentional” part.
It was after that first month that I realized that this was what “intentional” means. It means not doing things without a plan, but purposefully.
Now I still have a well-stocked pantry, meal plan, and a simple grocery list, and I have a plan. I have a routine that really works because I followed these four steps.
- Ask God
- Make a plan
- Act according to the plan
- Enjoy the fruit.
You can be more intentional as a homemaker by assessing what your family really needs and working from a plan. This can be implemented in almost every aspect of life.
It will give you so much rest if you can work from a plan. You’ll have a guideline to go by, and that brings peace of mind.
Also, intentional living makes it easier to walk closer to the Lord, since you “intentionally” want him to be involved in your life. It is necessary to invest time, energy, and effort to be able to enjoy the fruit afterwards. But this will be worth it.
