Comments on: Charitable Giving When You Make No Money http://www.savingadvice.com/blog/2009/04/10/104327_charitable-giving.html Bridging the gap between saving money and investing Tue, 24 Nov 2009 22:38:31 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 hourly 1 By: Weekend Reading: Links Of The Week 4/18/2009 | Man Vs. Debt http://www.savingadvice.com/blog/2009/04/10/104327_charitable-giving.html/comment-page-1#comment-576262 Weekend Reading: Links Of The Week 4/18/2009 | Man Vs. Debt Sat, 18 Apr 2009 12:09:17 +0000 http://www.savingadvice.com/blog/?p=4327#comment-576262 [...] SavingsAdivce ran an article about something that’s been on my mind lately, Giving When You Are Making No Money. [...] [...] SavingsAdivce ran an article about something that’s been on my mind lately, Giving When You Are Making No Money. [...]

]]> By: Monroe on a Budget » Charitable giving when you’re the one on a budget http://www.savingadvice.com/blog/2009/04/10/104327_charitable-giving.html/comment-page-1#comment-574547 Monroe on a Budget » Charitable giving when you’re the one on a budget Tue, 14 Apr 2009 20:23:11 +0000 http://www.savingadvice.com/blog/?p=4327#comment-574547 [...] Personal Finance Advice has this post: Charitable giving when you make no money. [...] [...] Personal Finance Advice has this post: Charitable giving when you make no money. [...]

]]> By: Jackie http://www.savingadvice.com/blog/2009/04/10/104327_charitable-giving.html/comment-page-1#comment-574087 Jackie Mon, 13 Apr 2009 18:41:07 +0000 http://www.savingadvice.com/blog/?p=4327#comment-574087 I was listening to the radio one day and heard about a company that was donating 1% of it's revenue (or earnings, can't remember which) to charity. I scoffed at it, thinking that was way too small a number, until I sat down and thought about how much I was giving. Mainly, I used to give sporadically and that added up to less than 1% of my own income. So, now I give 1% of my income, broken down into about $30 a month. lol, yeah, my income isn't so big. I give exclusively, so far, to local charitable organizations. At first I wondered whether it was better to contribute to one charity or two, to give the biggest impact but there are so many good organizations that I finally decided that even $30 was better than nothing so I just give wherever. In the last year I've given to Harvesters (bought $30 worth of food to donate), school supplies gathered by my company, AudioReader (a local program that reads newspapers, books, etc on a radio program and also on a call in system for the blind/sight impaired), KCUR (local public radio), Cedar Cove Exotic Felines and Sam I Am (downs syndrome). I tend to double up on some places, I used to read for AudioReader so I give to them most often. Anyway, not tooting my horn, but I feel good and it's not really a financial hardship. The cost of two nights out to dinner, or a new pair of shoes. Now it's just part of my monthly budgeting. :) I was listening to the radio one day and heard about a company that was donating 1% of it’s revenue (or earnings, can’t remember which) to charity. I scoffed at it, thinking that was way too small a number, until I sat down and thought about how much I was giving. Mainly, I used to give sporadically and that added up to less than 1% of my own income.

So, now I give 1% of my income, broken down into about $30 a month. lol, yeah, my income isn’t so big. I give exclusively, so far, to local charitable organizations. At first I wondered whether it was better to contribute to one charity or two, to give the biggest impact but there are so many good organizations that I finally decided that even $30 was better than nothing so I just give wherever. In the last year I’ve given to Harvesters (bought $30 worth of food to donate), school supplies gathered by my company, AudioReader (a local program that reads newspapers, books, etc on a radio program and also on a call in system for the blind/sight impaired), KCUR (local public radio), Cedar Cove Exotic Felines and Sam I Am (downs syndrome). I tend to double up on some places, I used to read for AudioReader so I give to them most often.

Anyway, not tooting my horn, but I feel good and it’s not really a financial hardship. The cost of two nights out to dinner, or a new pair of shoes. Now it’s just part of my monthly budgeting. :)

]]> By: Eleanor http://www.savingadvice.com/blog/2009/04/10/104327_charitable-giving.html/comment-page-1#comment-573830 Eleanor Mon, 13 Apr 2009 02:52:44 +0000 http://www.savingadvice.com/blog/?p=4327#comment-573830 One way to give (share)charitably without money is to open your home to someone in need of a place to stay. My husband's single son is moving in with us this week so that he can pay off debt,start a new job, and work part time at a second job. In exchange, he will mow and trim the yard weekly, clean the bathroom, and help with vacuuming. He is "giving charitably" as well because my husband has a bad back and we'd have to pay to have the yard mowed, otherwise. One way to give (share)charitably without money is to open your home to someone in need of a place to stay. My husband’s single son is moving in with us this week so that he can pay off debt,start a new job, and work part time at a second job. In exchange, he will mow and trim the yard weekly, clean the bathroom, and help with vacuuming. He is “giving charitably” as well because my husband has a bad back and we’d have to pay to have the yard mowed, otherwise.

]]> By: David G. Mitchell http://www.savingadvice.com/blog/2009/04/10/104327_charitable-giving.html/comment-page-1#comment-573346 David G. Mitchell Sat, 11 Apr 2009 23:16:34 +0000 http://www.savingadvice.com/blog/?p=4327#comment-573346 Alas, I wish I had a million dollars in savings. I have a cushion that will last me two years -- primarily because I did not invest in stocks and put all of my money into cash investments (like CDs). My return was lower but I was not wiped out by the bear market. Alas, I wish I had a million dollars in savings. I have a cushion that will last me two years — primarily because I did not invest in stocks and put all of my money into cash investments (like CDs). My return was lower but I was not wiped out by the bear market.

]]> By: Ellis Chadick http://www.savingadvice.com/blog/2009/04/10/104327_charitable-giving.html/comment-page-1#comment-573283 Ellis Chadick Sat, 11 Apr 2009 18:57:23 +0000 http://www.savingadvice.com/blog/?p=4327#comment-573283 I thought I had read before on here that you had a million dollars in "savings". How can you say you are making "nothing"? It is a good thing to give.....Love this blog.. I thought I had read before on here that you had a million dollars in “savings”. How can you say you are making “nothing”? It is a good thing to give…..Love this blog..

]]> By: spicoli http://www.savingadvice.com/blog/2009/04/10/104327_charitable-giving.html/comment-page-1#comment-573133 spicoli Sat, 11 Apr 2009 13:06:44 +0000 http://www.savingadvice.com/blog/?p=4327#comment-573133 whiney -- Based on your post, I tend to agree that your perspective may be more reasonable but I think the greater issue is that you and your wife have a funamental disagreement that you need to resolve together. Perhaps you should consider visiting your wife's church (which I assume is also yours) and meet with the pastor/priest/minister/church leader to discuss the debate that you and your wife have. If you phrase the discussion in terms of marital strife that needs to be resolved, the church may also side with your perspective. whiney — Based on your post, I tend to agree that your perspective may be more reasonable but I think the greater issue is that you and your wife have a funamental disagreement that you need to resolve together. Perhaps you should consider visiting your wife’s church (which I assume is also yours) and meet with the pastor/priest/minister/church leader to discuss the debate that you and your wife have. If you phrase the discussion in terms of marital strife that needs to be resolved, the church may also side with your perspective.

]]> By: Luke http://www.savingadvice.com/blog/2009/04/10/104327_charitable-giving.html/comment-page-1#comment-572889 Luke Sat, 11 Apr 2009 03:26:18 +0000 http://www.savingadvice.com/blog/?p=4327#comment-572889 I am new to David's blog, I haven't read all of the old posts, I wasn't under the impression that he wasn't working. I'm 30 and I work a very mid-level retail managment job. I found the love of my life two years ago and have taken her kids as my own, so between the two of us, we make under 50,000 a year and support a family of 5. Buying a house, a new vehicle, and supporting a plethera of animals...I have picked up a part time job that eats up a lot of my free time (working for my brother in law) that allows me to still donate to my favorite charity, the Humane Society. If I was ever rich, I'd just adopt all of the animals, but for now, I can at least provide a bag of treats and a few toys a week. It makes me feel better about being able to have a roof over my head every night. Nobody chooses the situation they are in....we just all have to live with it. I am new to David’s blog, I haven’t read all of the old posts, I wasn’t under the impression that he wasn’t working. I’m 30 and I work a very mid-level retail managment job. I found the love of my life two years ago and have taken her kids as my own, so between the two of us, we make under 50,000 a year and support a family of 5. Buying a house, a new vehicle, and supporting a plethera of animals…I have picked up a part time job that eats up a lot of my free time (working for my brother in law) that allows me to still donate to my favorite charity, the Humane Society. If I was ever rich, I’d just adopt all of the animals, but for now, I can at least provide a bag of treats and a few toys a week. It makes me feel better about being able to have a roof over my head every night. Nobody chooses the situation they are in….we just all have to live with it.

]]> By: whineythefrugalheretic http://www.savingadvice.com/blog/2009/04/10/104327_charitable-giving.html/comment-page-1#comment-572885 whineythefrugalheretic Sat, 11 Apr 2009 03:18:41 +0000 http://www.savingadvice.com/blog/?p=4327#comment-572885 spicoli- We are in our early 50's and have 2 kids in high school. We will be buying them cars in the near future and in a couple of years, attempting to pay for their college. Hopefully they will get scholarships because although we have been saving for college for many years, most of it was in the stock market and almost half has gone to money heaven. We have nowhere near enough left to put 2 kids through a 4 year college. Same goes for our 401k retirement plans, about half went bye bye. No we're not having any problems paying our bills. My wife and I have always kept our money separate. We split all the bills and expenses that we agree on 50/50. However if one of us wants to spend money on something the other doesn't agree on there is nothing that can be done to stop it. So I can tell her she's crazy choosing to give her money to the church instead of saving more for our kids college and our own retirement but I can't dictate what she does with the money she earns. I did suggest she call the church and see if they would chip in to our college fund as I figure she has given them close to $30k over the years. I think she's gonna wish she had some of that back in the next few years as the costs of 2 kids in college finally hit her on the head like a ton of bricks. In the past there has always been plenty of money to go around. Now we have to make a choice between the church, kids college, and our retirement. I think my wife has made the wrong choice. spicoli- We are in our early 50’s and have 2 kids in high school. We will be buying them cars in the near future and in a couple of years, attempting to pay for their college. Hopefully they will get scholarships because although we have been saving for college for many years, most of it was in the stock market and almost half has gone to money heaven. We have nowhere near enough left to put 2 kids through a 4 year college. Same goes for our 401k retirement plans, about half went bye bye. No we’re not having any problems paying our bills. My wife and I have always kept our money separate. We split all the bills and expenses that we agree on 50/50. However if one of us wants to spend money on something the other doesn’t agree on there is nothing that can be done to stop it. So I can tell her she’s crazy choosing to give her money to the church instead of saving more for our kids college and our own retirement but I can’t dictate what she does with the money she earns. I did suggest she call the church and see if they would chip in to our college fund as I figure she has given them close to $30k over the years. I think she’s gonna wish she had some of that back in the next few years as the costs of 2 kids in college finally hit her on the head like a ton of bricks. In the past there has always been plenty of money to go around. Now we have to make a choice between the church, kids college, and our retirement. I think my wife has made the wrong choice.

]]> By: spicoli http://www.savingadvice.com/blog/2009/04/10/104327_charitable-giving.html/comment-page-1#comment-572767 spicoli Fri, 10 Apr 2009 21:54:37 +0000 http://www.savingadvice.com/blog/?p=4327#comment-572767 whiney -- You have not told us how much your wife earns so it is hard to know whether your number is more reasonable than hers. You are willing to donate $600 but she wants to give $2400 per year. After the tax deduction for the donation is factored in, it seems like your wife wants to give an extra $25 per week. It all depends on what she is sacrificing to make the extra donation. If, as a couple, you are having trouble paying your bills, then her donations are too great. If she is giving up a mocha latte every day in order to make the donation, then perhaps she is making a prudent donation. Only you and your wife can decide what is right -- both for yourselves as individuals and for both of you as a couple. whiney — You have not told us how much your wife earns so it is hard to know whether your number is more reasonable than hers. You are willing to donate $600 but she wants to give $2400 per year. After the tax deduction for the donation is factored in, it seems like your wife wants to give an extra $25 per week. It all depends on what she is sacrificing to make the extra donation. If, as a couple, you are having trouble paying your bills, then her donations are too great. If she is giving up a mocha latte every day in order to make the donation, then perhaps she is making a prudent donation. Only you and your wife can decide what is right — both for yourselves as individuals and for both of you as a couple.

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