WATERLOO - Linda Bowman knows the thrill of finding an unexpected sale. Never mind that she never planned to spend money on that particular the item. If the product was cheap, cute or useful, then why not buy?

But Bowman learned those unexpected discounts added up. Impulse buys don't help her save for her family's real needs or emergencies nor do they help her give freely to others. When she quit her job to be a stay-at-home mom - cutting the household income by 60 percent - Bowman was motivated to change.

"It was out of desperation," Bowman said. "I knew I had to find a way to make it work."

So Bowman volunteered to teach a course on money management at Cedar Valley Community Church in Waterloo and, in the process, learned about stewardship.

In recent years other Cedar Valley churches have started to offer faith-based money management courses to address what fiscal experts call a growing problem with debt and overspending. Christian bookstores stock workbooks on the topic.

Courses talk about the importance of giving but don't hound participants to tithe, Bowman said. Classes teach practical life-skills with a Biblical understanding of finances, work and charity, said Garry Luterek. Luterek and his wife, Mary, teach and counsel about money at Prairie Lakes Church in Cedar Falls. The couple, passionate about helping families, couples and singles chart the murky waters of money management, also offer follow-up counseling, if needed.

"We believe God created everything and God owns everything and he's given it to us to take care of on this earth," Garry Luterek said. "It all comes down to being a good steward for God."

Some couples find themselves under a mountain of debt. Others are trying to avoid the poor planning.

"This is the toughest culture to be a good steward in," Garry said. "The role of advertising is to make you unhappy with whatever you have."

The Lutereks, using materials by Willow Creek Resources, offer and practice what some might consider a practical approach to buying and spending. Prioritize expenditures. Track spending religiously. Save for emergencies. Save for short-term needs. Save for long-term needs.

"If it's not in the account and we need it, we don't buy it," he said.

Money and spending money isn't evil but priorities and limitations are smart, added Bowman.

"I think most of us aren't inherently good money managers," she said. "But I think we can learn."

Never Realized

A person doesn't have to be in dire financial straits to want to do better, said Lynne Gander of Waterloo. She signed up for a class at Cedar Valley Community Church.

"I think everybody needs advice on financial information," Gander said. "You don't realize really how much you actually spend."

Monitoring spending and writing and keeping a budget is a helpful tool, Gander said. She also learned that budgets can be flexible. If the price of gas goes up, either consolidate trips or spend less money on another spending area.

Some people find they can handle credit cards, said Bowman. Others operate best with cash only.

The Rev. Mike Root of Grace Evangelical Church in Independence offers bits of financial wisdom during premarital counseling.

Often, couples find themselves at risk for debt simply because they don't understand the concept of interest or living within their means, said Root, in the ministry for 25 years.

"I think with each new generation it tends to get worse," Root said. "The builder generation after World War II acquired possessions and their children figured they had to have everything that mom had."

But Root offers hope.

"If you can talk a lot of times you can work out those financial difficulties," Root said.

Contact Karen Heinselman at 291-1482 or karen.heinselman@wcfcourier.com.