by Pam on December 27, 2010
As a parent, you have a lot of influence on your children’s future behavior. Whether you like it or not, your children are more than likely going to follow in your footsteps, at least partially, so it’s important that you teach your kids about giving starting at a young age.
Whether you are rich or poor, you need to instill a sense of generosity in your children. One way would be to have a family meeting every year and take a vote on which charity or organization your family is going to support that year. By involving your kids and encouraging them to use some of their own money as well, they will feel that they are making a difference in the world. Feel free to change the charity every year based on the decisions of the family as a whole.
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by Pam on December 23, 2010
Christmas is a time of giving, and it is intriguing to read the various articles that have been written about the famous billionaires who are giving so much of their wealth to charities. Examples include Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg as well as George Lucas. Bill Gates and Warren Buffet started a Giving Pledge and many billionaires have joined in and the result is extreme generosity.
It just goes to show that if the wealthy are willing to share their wealth with others, the world can definitely be a better place. After all, they won’t be able to take their money with them so they might as well brighten someone else’s day with it while they can.
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by Pam on November 11, 2010
Every once in a while I go through my drawers and my closet and remove items of clothing that I either never wear or am highly unlikely to ever wear again. Sometimes I find it hard to part with my things, even though I know I never use them, however, I find that “decluttering” is a great way to make better use of my closet and drawer space, as well as a neat way to help others in need. And yes, I just made up my own word. I think the English language needs a word like “decluttering”.
Once I have rounded up all the items of clothing, and possibly some shoes, etc. I drop them off at a local thrift store. Someone else might as well make use of them. This also goes for other miscellaneous items around our house. About every six months or so we get the urge to do some “Spring cleaning”, and you would be surprised at how many things we discover we have that were hidden away and never used.
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by Pam on December 15, 2009
I would be a hypocrite if I said I had never carried out the act of “regifting”. I think most people have done it at least once in their lifetime, even if they won’t admit to it. There is a time and a place for it, but you need to be mindful that you don’t hurt anyone’s feelings. Some people are really open about the fact that they “regift”. I’ve had people wrap up a novel and give it to me as a gift after they had read it. It didn’t really bother me. I just found it amusing that they actually told me about it. If they hadn’t, I would have never known.
Let’s face it. Sometimes we do receive gifts that we know we will never use. Rather than have them sit in the closet to collect dust, it only makes sense to give them away to someone who will make good use of them. That being said, I don’t recommend “regifting” anything of sentimental value. Even if you won’t use it, it’s better to hang onto it rather than risk the chance of hurting someone you love.
There are some definite advantages to “regifting”. For one, you decrease the amount of clutter in your home. Secondly, you aren’t wasting good gifts. Just because you will never use it, doesn’t mean someone else won’t love it. Thirdly, you will save both money and time by “regifting”.
The most important thing to take note of is who gave you the gift. You don’t want to end up giving it away a few years down the road to the same person who gave it to you! If you do plan to “regift”, it’s better to do it right away so you won’t run the risk of making that mistake.
“Regifting” certainly isn’t for everyone. For those who are uncomfortable with the concept, an alternative is to give away the items without wrapping them and making them seem like a gift. It all boils down to your comfort level. With the exception of pack rats, I would imagine that most people would be at least somewhat comfortable in “regifting” at least once in their life.
by Pam on December 13, 2009
Here’s a thought – rather than giving your loved-ones yet another gizmo or gadget that they neither want nor need, why not consider supporting a charity in their name? Let them know how special they are to you by helping someone else out and providing them with a gift card.
This is the wording found on the gift cards I purchased this Christmas to send along with my Christmas letters. It reads: “A special thank you to a special person. As a way of saying thanks for all you do, in your honour, a dinner has been purchased and will be served to a Homeless person in our community this holiday season. Thank you for making a difference in my life.”
I know I would be touched to receive such a card. I think your family and friends would be moved as well. There are a lot of charitable organizations that offer these cards in exchange for donations. I would encourage you to seek out these opportunities. You can do two things at once: Support a charity of your choice and give a meaningful gift to those you love.
Let’s help our community this Christmas.
by Pam on November 1, 2009
Do you want to help others financially but you don’t have the resources to do so right now? Well, you still can, and you can do it by simply clicking on a button on a website every day when you go to check your email or read the news online.
The website is called The Hunger Site. When you go to this site, all you need to do is click on the button that says “Click Here to Give- it’s FREE!”. By doing so, the companies who advertise on the site contribute to people in need around the world.
But there’s more, in addition to helping supply food to the needy, The Hunger Site also links to the Breast Cancer, Child Health, Literacy, Rainforest, and Animal Rescue site. They each have a button you can click on and as a result their sponsors will fund those causes as well.
So, even if you don’t have any extra money to give away right now, you can still make a contribution and it’s as easy as clicking your mouse. I encourage you to check it out and to participate in these worthy causes.
by Pam on September 18, 2009
I have been thinking recently about what we can do to be good stewards of our money. Of course we need to use our money to cover our basic living expenses, but what can we do with the rest of it? How can we make the most of what we have to help others and make sure that we are giving back?
I think two things are involved. First, it’s important that we manage our money responsibly. By living within our means and budgeting, we can ensure that we don’t go deep into debt.
Second, if we discipline ourselves and spend our money wisely, imagine how much good we can do in our world by contributing to organizations and causes we are passionate about! And, as a result of giving, we will feel so great, knowing that we have helped to make a difference.
It’s important to note that it’s not about the amount you give but the attitude in which you give it that really matters. Not everyone can afford to give a lot or invest a lot due to tight financial circumstances, but that doesn’t mean they can’t give anything.
Although it would be great to be rich and be able to donate millions to various charities, etc., sometimes I need to remind myself that I don’t have to be “wealthy” to make a difference. We can all be good stewards of our money and if we all focus on good stewardship, our world will be a better place for everyone. My goal for the next few weeks is to look for meaningful ways that I can give back.
