The comments section is, in my opinion, the best part of blogging.
I have learned so much from all of you. After detailing how we’ve simplified or gotten by with less stuff, I am often given the gift of the “next level” to aim for or a useful tip on how to simplify or save even more.
Last week it was on my fridge post. While I love an empty fridge, I had no idea it was making my fridge run inefficiently and impacting our electricity bill. Several of you pointed this out – thank you.
Now, as we work our way through the meals I batch cook on Sundays, I clean out the empty Pyrex containers, fill them with water, and put them back in the fridge. Excited to see what this does for our electricity usage.
We raised $305 for Feeding America! 278 comments on the post and then another 27 on Facebook that I added to the total. 2440 meals for families struggling with hunger. Thank you many times over for commenting and urging others to leave a comment to help those in need.
I have a big goal to share with you.
It’s one of those life list goals: I want my family to donate 10% of our gross income to charity.
We are not there yet but I hope that at some point in the next 8-10 years we will be. That seems like a long way off but slow and steady, right?
You’re so good Rachel. My fridge gets packed with beer as food begins to dwindle! 😉
Great idea. When I was single, I did give 10% of my income to charity. That habit lapsed when I got married and had kids, but it’s our aim to get back to that level.
Rachel,
Could I ask why Feeding America was/is your chosen charity to support? As far as I see from their website, even though they refer to “”feeding America”, it is for the poor within the United States. It is a very worthy cause, yet it puzzles me what makes a Canadian who lives on the Isle on Man chose to support neither of these country’s charities. I’d live to hear your story behind the pick. Thanks, A.
Hi Apple, I chose to support Feeding America because a the majority of readers of this blog are American. Also, my husband and I have some US ties: I did my undergraduate degree in the US and he worked in the US. We have lots of American friends.
It’s always an interesting discussion in our household about where to send our giving dollars or pounds. Over Christmas we made a donation locally in the Isle of Man and we have given to organizations in our hometown of Vancouver as well.
Thanks for including how your family donates time and things to good causes 🙂 I am sure you have sparked others into action! Cheers, Rachel
Thank you Rachel. An eye-opening point of view. I’d have similar links and nostalgia for England, yet, embarrassingly, never thought of donating to a charity there.
It’s great that you could make that donation. It’s so important for us to think beyond ourselves and our own needs now and then; not only does it help others, it connects us across cultural lines, builds accountability, and hopefully breeds compassion. I hope you took the opportunity to tell Henry what you were doing and what you believe the impact of that gift will be.
Like Jody, we’ve always given ten percent of our (in our case) gross income as a response to God’s grace and generosity in our lives. We have three young kids and a suburban-Vancouver mortgage (we’re NOT rich), but somehow the money always works out in the end. I think the question should be which ten percent are you giving: the first one or the last one? If we chose the last ten percent I think we’d find it’s rarely there when it comes to cheque-writing time. So it comes down to priorites. Giving comes first. Of course the theme of priorities is something you’ve written about a ton on this blog. Sometimes we act defeatist about money when really we need to take more responsibility for our spending choices.
Thanks for opening up this subject! Good luck in moving toward your goal.
I know we are a mixed group of followers of your blog, so I say this asking people to respect my beliefs as I respect your beliefs. My husband and I have also tithed for our entire marriage, and we’ve always done it automatically, first calculating 10% of our take home income and having it automatically transferred to our church. Often times, at year-end, we are in a situation to make additional gifts for tuition assistance or other special programs at our church and either our alma matet or our son’s school for tuition assistance for the less fortunate and we always choose a different charity for our family Christmas gift.
I guess I have a few main points. 1) If it isn’t there in your budget to spend, then you make do without that money so set it asside as untouchable, whatever your goal. 2)When it comes to giving for church, decide in your heart what to give first and give cheerfully. 3) It is my firm belief that we have been blessed as a family through cheerful giving and the use of our time, talents, and treasures. 4) Sometimes an organization needs not just money, but time. So if money is really tight with debts, etc. can you give a gift of your time for now?
” So if money is really tight with debts, etc. can you give a gift of your time for now?” Good point Jody. Currently, as money is tight, my husband gives pro-bono legal advice at a free legal aid organisation, and I give free counselling hours to couples and individuals with relationship problems. Our children donate their unwanted toys, clothes to charity.
Thanks for the fridge tip-I thought it was just for the freezer 🙂 Best to you on your giving goal. It’s awesome to see God make things stretch when we are generous.
Congratulations on your donation! What a heart you have to help others. We, too, have increased our giving over the past couple years. It’s truly a blessing to be able to give.
When my husband and I first got engaged we decided we were going to always give 10% of our income to charity in one way or another. At first we didn’t have a very big income so it was tough, we weren’t poor but we could’ve done with the money, but in a way I think that was much nobler than now when our income’s bigger and it doesn’t hurt us to give. It’s easy to get trapped into thinking what else we could do with that money – save up for a house being a big one – but we don’t NEED it. I have so much respect for people like you who have kids already and make this committment. We’ll continue giving 10% when we have kids, but to work towards a goal like that when you’ve already got them is awesome and a great extension of the way you already live your life – not buying “stuff” you/your kids really don’t need. You’re a great example to many people! (When we do have kids I’ll be making sure I take lots of tips from your blog).
Very impressed that you made that commitment so early and have kept to it. I wish I had been that smart and thoughtful so early in life. Thanks for sharing, Chloe and well done!