How to Include Tithing and Fast Offerings in Your Budget

For many members, tithing and fast offerings are not just line items. They are covenants, expressions of gratitude, and quiet acts of faith. Still, they are also real money leaving a real bank account, and planning for them thoughtfully can make giving feel joyful instead of stressful.

I believe our budgets work better when we put the Lord first. Setting aside tithing and fast offerings invites His help into our stewardship and gives the rest of our spending a clearer order. We still need to plan carefully, but we can do that planning with faith in His promises.

In this article I share the blessings behind that choice, along with practical ways to build tithing and fast offerings into a family budget so that giving comes first, stays consistent, and becomes something your whole family understands and values.

A Perspective Worth Keeping

President N. Eldon Tanner offered a perspective that changed how I think about tithing:

“The Lord is the source of all our blessings, including life itself.”

President N. Eldon Tanner, “Constancy amid Change,” October 1979 general conference

When I see tithing as returning something to the Lord rather than giving up something of mine, it naturally moves to the top of the list. That is where the budget should reflect it, too.

For official teachings on what tithing is and how it is used, the best source is always the Church itself. You can read more on churchofjesuschrist.org. Questions about what counts as increase are personal, and the Church teaches that each member decides this for themselves.

“Will a Man Rob God?” An Invitation to Receive His Blessings

The Lord asks a searching question through Malachi:

“Will a man rob God?”

Malachi 3:8

The verse identifies tithes and offerings as the things His people had withheld. Then comes a remarkable invitation: bring the tithes and trust Him. In verse 10, the Lord promises to open the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing beyond their capacity to receive.

I also think about that question this way: when we withhold tithing, we can rob God of an opportunity to bless us through our obedience to this law. That is my reflection on the passage, rather than an additional meaning stated in the verse. Heavenly Father wants to bless His children. I want to accept His invitation and let Him open those windows in my life.

President James E. Faust taught:

“If we will trust in the Lord, He will open the windows of heaven to us”

President James E. Faust, “Opening the Windows of Heaven,” October 1998 general conference

That promise gives me a reason to put tithing first even when the numbers feel uncomfortable. I can offer the Lord my obedience and then seek His guidance as I plan what remains.

The Blessings May Reach Beyond the Bank Account

Elder David A. Bednar taught:

“Spiritual and temporal blessings come into our lives as we live the law of tithing.”

Elder David A. Bednar, “The Windows of Heaven,” October 2013 general conference

In that message, Elder Bednar explains that blessings may come quietly: greater gratitude, clearer perspective, and increased capacity to act and persevere. We can overlook the Lord’s help if we look only for an unexpected deposit or a larger paycheck.

Those blessings matter to a family budget. Gratitude can help us feel content with what we have. Spiritual perspective can help us distinguish a need from a passing desire. Greater patience and unity can help spouses make a difficult spending decision together.

This is part of what I mean when I say our budget can work better when we put giving first. We invite the Lord’s blessings while practicing the priorities and discipline that make a spending plan more useful. Faithful families still experience unemployment, illness, and bills they cannot meet alone. Those hardships do not mean the Lord has forgotten them or that their faith has failed.

Put Giving at the Top of the Budget

The simplest, most effective step is to make tithing and offerings the very first lines in your budget. Before rent, before groceries, before anything else.

Why does order matter so much?

• It turns intention into action. If giving waits until the end of the month, there is rarely anything left.
• It removes the monthly debate. The decision is made once, in faith, not over and over at the checkout line.
• It teaches children what matters. When kids see giving come first, they learn priorities without a lecture.

In practice, this means that when you write your monthly plan, line one is tithing and line two is fast offerings and other donations. Everything else is planned from what remains.

Paying Promptly

Many families find it easiest to pay tithing as soon as income arrives. Online donations through the Church’s official donation tools make this simple, and paying promptly keeps the money from quietly getting absorbed into other spending.

If you prefer to pay monthly, consider moving the tithing amount into a separate “giving” category or account the day you are paid. That way it is set apart, even if the donation itself is made a few days later.

Planning Fast Offerings

Fast offerings are tied to the monthly fast, when members are invited to go without two meals and donate at least the value of that food to help those in need. Church leaders have encouraged generosity, giving more than the cost of the meals when we are able.

The blessings of fast offerings reach both the family receiving help and the family giving it. President Henry B. Eyring taught:

“Your fast offering will do more than help feed and clothe bodies. It will heal and change hearts.”

President Henry B. Eyring, “Is Not This the Fast That I Have Chosen?” April 2015 general conference

I love that promise. A fast offering can become food, shelter, and relief for someone carrying a heavy burden. Giving also turns our own hearts toward Jesus Christ and helps us recognize a neighbor’s needs. In Isaiah 58:6–11, the Lord connects the fast and caring for others with light, guidance, and spiritual renewal.

That gives the “Fast Offerings” line in a budget a sacred purpose. As we plan for our own household, we make room to help care for another.

A few ways to plan for them:

1. Set a baseline. Estimate what two meals cost for your household and use that as your minimum.
2. Add a generosity margin. If your budget allows, round up. Even a small increase adds up across a ward.
3. Budget it monthly. Since fast Sunday comes every month, treat fast offerings like any other regular expense.
4. Revisit it when circumstances change. A raise, a new baby, or a tight season are all good moments to prayerfully adjust.

When Income Is Irregular

Self-employed members, commission earners, gig workers, and seasonal workers face a unique challenge: income that changes from month to month. Here is an approach that works well:

• Give on each payment as it arrives. When money comes in, set aside the giving portion immediately, no matter the amount.
• Use a holding category. Put all income into one category first, set aside giving, then “pay yourself” a steady monthly amount for living expenses.
• Keep good records. A simple log of each payment and the tithing set aside makes year-end tithing declaration easy and gives peace of mind.

Irregular income can actually be a blessing here. It invites you to pause each time money arrives and remember where it came from.

What If Money Is Tight?

There will be seasons when the budget feels impossibly thin. If you find yourself there, here are some gentle suggestions:

• Keep giving first. Many members testify that blessings followed when they chose faith in hard times. That is a deeply personal decision, made between you and the Lord.
• Look hard at wants. A tight month is a good time to revisit subscriptions, eating out, and other flexible spending.
• Talk with your bishop. Bishops can counsel with you and, when appropriate, help through Church welfare resources. Asking for help is not failure. It is part of how the Lord cares for His people.
• Consider a self-reliance group. The Personal Finances for Self-Reliance course is designed for exactly these moments.

Teaching Children to Give

Some of the most meaningful family moments around money happen when children pay their own tithing for the first time. A few ideas:

• Use three jars. Label them “Give,” “Save,” and “Spend.” When kids earn money, they divide it, starting with Give.
• Let them fill out the slip or online form with you. Small participation builds big understanding.
• Talk about fast offerings. Explain that the money helps families in their ward and community. Children often become eager to contribute.
• Share your testimony. Without making it about amounts, tell them why giving matters to you.

Tracking Giving in Your Budget

Whatever system you use, give tithing and fast offerings their own clearly labeled categories. I use a digital envelope system for this, and EnvelopeBudget.com is the tool I use to keep a “Tithing” envelope and a “Fast Offerings” envelope filled first every time income arrives. A paper ledger or spreadsheet works too.

Benefits of tracking giving separately:

• You can see at a glance that giving is handled.
• You have clear records for tithing declaration.
• If you itemize for taxes in your country, documentation is ready.

A Sample Giving Section

Here is how the top of a monthly budget might look, using simple placeholder numbers:

Your numbers will differ. The point is that giving gets planned, not left to chance.

Bringing It Together

I testify that the Lord keeps His promises and that paying tithing and giving fast offerings brings blessings. I believe that when we put Him first, He helps us become wiser stewards of what remains. His help can strengthen our faith, deepen our gratitude, and bring greater peace and purpose to our family budget.

I encourage you to put tithing and fast offerings at the top of your plan, pray for guidance over the rest, and act on the direction you receive. Keep track of your spending, and also take time to recognize the Lord’s hand. At your next family budget council, talk about blessings you are noticing as well as the bills you need to pay.

For a full walkthrough of building the rest of the budget, see my guide to a simple family budget using the self-reliance approach.