Browsing Tag

giving

Gifts

A Meaningful Christmas Gift – Support A Charity In Someone Else’s Name

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.

December 13, 2009

Gifts

A Way To Give Without Spending Money

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.

November 1, 2009

Gifts

Use Your Money To Make A Difference

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.

September 18, 2009

Book Reviews

The Soul of Money – It’ll Change The Way You Think About Money

The Soul of Money: Transforming Your Relationship With Money And Life by Lynne Twist

Lynne Twist’s book The The Soul of Money will blow you away. I borrowed it from the library this past weekend and couldn’t put it down. Lynne really makes you think about your life and your perception toward money. She is a fundraiser who has traveled around the world rubbing shoulders with the very rich and the very poor. In her book, she challenges her readers to consider how they perceive money and to overcome feelings of scarcity and inadequacy and instead embrace a sense of sufficiency.

Lynne’s main theme is that when she saw people “aligning their money with their deepest, most soulful interests and commitments, their relationship with money became a place where profound and lasting transformation could occur.” In other words, people had a healthier perception of money and were the most fulfilled when they used their money to support the things they believed in.

September 14, 2009

Gifts

Give Generously

It may seem ironic that I am suggesting giving generously on a blog about saving money, but my husband and I have truly experienced the concept that it is better to give than to receive. When you give generously not only do you feel great about it, but you are often rewarded unexpectedly afterwards. Here are some recent examples of what we have experienced. We gave some money to some friends of ours who are struggling financially and within a few weeks my husband was informed that he got a raise! Another time we gave a friend some money and the very next week my husband was given a tip from a satisfied client for the exact same amount that we had given to our friend! Although you don’t always see your money coming back to you like that, the sense that you have done something great for someone else is rewarding in and of itself. Even though you may be going through some tough financial times right now, I still want to encourage you to give! I can guarantee you won’t regret it.

March 18, 2009

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