I was looking at the monthly household budget of a financial influencer. I don't want to criticize her budget too much, because while I wouldn't budget the exact same way she would, it's basically fine, and for the most part rather sensible.

However, on a monthly household income of $8,000 (I'm assuming net,) they tithe $800 (no mention of their church denomination.) The way it's written in this article, it looks like the tithe comes off of the top. Scroll down, and you can see that their money available for investment is $200.

Two hundred dollars investment, for two entrepreneurs who presumably have to save for retirement, is not much at all. Looking at their budget, there is not a whole lot of wiggle room. One major disaster could easily bring them down.

Where did people get the idea that churches require so much of their incomes? For this family, a donation of around $200 per month would be more than reasonable, and even generous.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/personalfinance/i-m-a-middle-class-american-here-s-my-monthly-budget/ar-BB1kL8WI?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=0469736beb4e459b888ea0599e2a8e79&ei=56 (Scroll down for the budget.)

I agree, a $200 donation is a more than acceptable amount.

Asking for more is pure greed.

At my church $2000 per year is both the median and the mode (most common) pledge. They ask for 2 to 3%. The expenses of running the church are obvious (maintain a century old building, pay for services rendered (minister, staff, music, religious ed director) and supplies/infrastructure (coffee hour, occasional cake, etc, utilities, fire alarm panel, security cameras, yada yada - the usual). Very little of the money goes to national HQ (about 3-4%) and none comes from national HQ, though they do provide some services, like infrastructure for interviewing and hiring ministers, and a magazine. A detailed budget is presented to and voted on by the congregation in May for the next fiscal year. Median and mode pledge levels and other details are public record, published in their weekly newsletter.

For the last 15 or so years that I have been aware of the pledge goal each year, the actual pledges came in slightly below the request except for the last 2 years, when they came in slightly above. Not sure what caused that, but it is what it is. Congregants appear to be OK with supporting the church at its current level of expense/activity. The relevant question is not how much does it cost, but is what you get for the money worth it?

I am aware of the general fiscal heath of 3 additional congregations in SLC. Three of the 4 are maintaining current levels of funding. One is struggling, as in had to sell their now too-large building and rent space in another church. Their long term prospects are not good.

Just imagine trying to get this level of financial transparency from LDS Inc. Never mind. It is beyond imagining.

From what I've read over the years, your church is in line with the norm (i.e. 2-3% donations, financial transparency, no hard push to tithe, using the money for expenses as opposed to telling you that God requires it.) From what I've also read, Roman Catholics tend to donate somewhat less, in the 1-2% range, although I'm sure that a number of them donate more than that.

I'm likely to remain a practicing Laztheist unless/until I hear of a church giving away money to faithless members.

Summer wrote in part:

"Where did people get the idea that churches require so much of their incomes? For this family, a donation of around $200 per month would be more than reasonable, and even generous."

You may wish to look at the below link.

https://get.tithe.ly/blog/tithing-in-the-new-testament-what-does-it-say

From that link comes the following information.

"The verse about tithing one-tenth of your income is found in Leviticus 27:30: “‘A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit
from the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord.” The 10% requirement specifically comes from the Hebrew translation of tithe, “עשר” or “ten”.

Other passages also talked about tithing, such as the following:

list of 3 items
• Numbers 18:26: “Speak to the Levites and say to them: ‘When you receive from the Israelites the tithe I give you as your inheritance, you must present
a tenth of that tithe as the Lord’s offering.”
• Deuteronomy 14:22: “Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year.”
• 2 Chronicles 31:5: “As soon as the order went out, the Israelites generously gave the first fruits of their grain, new wine, olive oil and honey and
all that the fields produced. They brought a great amount, a tithe of everything.”
list end

So, does the Bible actually say to give 10%? Yes. Even before tithes were required by Mosaic law, Abraham tithed once (Genesis 14:20) and Jacob pledged
to tithe all that he had (Genesis 28:22)."

There is more, but I think the Old Testament (not the New Testament) is the primary source for church tithing requirements. I'm sure glad I don't believe this crap anymore.

Right, OT vs. NT.

Jesus ministered to the poor Jews of the countryside who were getting hit hard by both the Jewish tithing requirements and the Roman tax. I don't think he believed in bleeding people dry.

IMO church donations should not be overly burdensome.

I'm not sure I agree. If Jesus would have had the internet, TV and a marketing machine, he just might have...

It really is insane to spend 800 a month on church which demands everything and gives so little to members.

I really wasn't impressed with the budget. I would imagine that 1200 a month on food (for four?) is way too low unless they are eating a bucket of earthworms everyday.

I am not a galloping gourmet by any means but I easily spend 800 dollars on groceries and takeout. And it's just me and two cats.

That's about what I spend (as a single person) as well on food and household supplies. For the most part, I don't get anything fancy.