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This story is sponsored by Jean Brown Research. Learn more about Jean Brown Research.

If you've waited until you've grown a foot or two to start saving up funds for your mission, it's probably a little late. With missions cost being upward of $400 per month for the duration of your missionary service, you could be spending anywhere from $7,200 to $10,000.

However daunting that may sound, thousands upon thousands have been able to afford the required cost for missionary service, and your situation, no matter how unique or difficult, will not require you to stay home from service.

It has been said that if you are prepared, then you shouldn't fear. If you're going to be prepared financially for missionary service, here are five tips that will help you.

Put your shoulder to the wheel

If you're going to make money, you're going to have to work. Pick up a part-time job and save, save, save. Not only will you be able to contribute to your mission fund on a regular basis, but you will also be getting the chance to work. Missions are nothing but work, so the earlier you get adjusted to putting in a full day of labor, the better off you're going to be.

Set aside a certain percentage every month

You've been putting aside 10 percent of what you earn since you've been able to count, so chances are dividing and dispersing your money is something you're well acquainted with. With the help of your parents, pick an appropriate amount of money that you earn from your paychecks that you'll set aside for your mission fund. Some youth have the goal of funding their entire mission by themselves while others will be receiving outside help.

Everyone's financial situation is different, so counsel with your parents and create a savings plan that will work specifically for you.

Find ways to save money on doctor visits

The paperwork for the missionary application is all encompassing and extremely extensive. Church leaders want to make sure that you head out to the mission field as healthy and as strong as you can be, so these checkups may set you back a little bit.

However, if your wisdom teeth need to be pulled, Jean Brown Research is conducting a study on wisdom teeth removal, and participants can receive compensation for their time. So if you're looking to say a few dollars and get your wisdom teeth extracted, look no further than Jean Brown Research.

For more information about the research that Jean Brown Research is conducting, visit its website.

Learn how to cook

This may seem like it would only apply to nourishment, but if someone knows how to cook, then they are better able to budget. Because all the expenses concerning housing, transportation and utilities are typically taken care of by the office missionaries, each Elder or Sister is financially responsible only for their food and toiletries.

So if you can learn how to buy inexpensive ingredients and turn them into long-lasting recipes, your monthly allotment will be just as persevering.

Pay your dues

As part of your paperwork, you were asked if you believed that what you earned came from a higher source and that you would use 10 percent of that total sum to donate back to the church. Continue doing this. Not only will it help you live more within your means, but keeping a promise that you made, specifically to donate a percentage of your means to the church, will yield great results.