

Glyer’s Law: Your Budget Expands to Match Your Income
Why is it that most people save or give such a small percentage of their income? Gret Glyer has observed this phenomenon and suggests that it is an inevitability. He shares why in this video.
How do we avoid falling prey to Glyer’s Law? I suggest setting a ceiling on your lifestyle at the outset…
By Seth Barnes
Why is it that most people save or give such a small percentage of their income? Gret Glyer has observed this phenomenon and suggests that it is an inevitability. He shares why in this video.
How do we avoid falling prey to Glyer’s Law? I suggest setting a ceiling on your lifestyle at the outset of your life. If you have kids and college expenses, your budget is going to inevitably expand. It sure did for me with five kids.
What’s the most that you want to ever budget? Pray about it now and establish it now in advance of the salary increases that will come your way. Why not commit to a moderate lifestyle so that you’ll have the resources to invest in building the kingdom later in life.
Gret’s video is a good primer on the issue.
Isn’t it like this with many things? The Parkenson Law states that every space is always filled:
– a task always takes as long as we have to complete it
– however much storage we have – we fill it
– no matter how much money we make, we spend it (and forget about emergencies, long-term savings and giving). We just created an extra bank account for each of these and transfer money in the beginning of the month (10% of income for each).
However I read that “officially” in scripture we are not ask to give 10% but 24% (if you add up everything from Genesis-Deuteronomy).
Seth, how would you combine a great budget with Kingdom-giving (as in accounting for every dollar you make but still giving when you want or feel lead to)? Where (which budget) do you take that money from?
Thanks, Jan
Jan, good question. My understanding is that we are called to go “all in” with God. 10% is the starting point. Romans 11:36-12:1 tells us we are free from the requirements of the law. Instead, we are called to present our lives as acts of worship to the Lord.
So, begin now – set a ceiling on your lifestyle. Commit to giving whatever God asks of you. Be prepared to be radical in your obedience. For example, I know of a couple who God just called to give away their $800,000 home. Could you or I do that?
Establish a standard of giving before a standard of living
Wish I had been challenged to do this sooner, but better late than never