Sarah emailed me with the following entry, which she has kindly allowed me to post

When you have financial problems it’s easy to get bogged down in thinking
that life is bleak and noone else has so much to worry about as you do.

I am dealing with a lot of debt, and watching every penny. The other day I
found myself wallowing in self-pity because I couldn’t afford to get a
haircut. Then an email popped into my inbox from a charity which is
running refugee camps for people affected by the conflict in Darfur,
Sudan. People who have lost everything: homes, livelihoods, family
members, and live in the most dire conditions.

I donated what I might have spent on a haircut, and felt very grateful for
the reminder that we in the UK really have very little to complain of,
living with peace and security, running water, and excellent free health
and education services.

Giving something to people worse off than ourselves is a really good way to
get some perspective on our own situations, which helps give the energy to
tackle our own problems.

I donate monthly to a program called Women for Women International, which grants microloans to women who have suffered atrocities of war. The program provides for their immediate needs, but more importantly, helps them to establish their own business in order to provide for their families themselves. I also get to correspond with my matched “sister” and learn all about her life.

With all of the problems in our world, sometimes it seems as though the contribution of one person is too small to make a difference. But when I receive letters from this woman in Rwanda, who is starting her own business to support her family, I feel like my small contribution has made a huge difference in the life of at least one person, and that’s not a small thing at all. Not to her, anyway. To her it made all the difference.

I went to a large public institution in Pennsylvania (Penn State), but I never send them any donations. I send a few hundred dollars per year to my wife’s alma mater, which is a small, private university in the poorest part of central Pennsylvania. They have excellent programs, and I really admire the values that they project to their students.

Additionally, I donate to some small radio stations in the area because I really enjoy their music. Also, and what is important to me, is they have a “family-friendly” policy, so I won’t hear anyone swearing or being crude. It’s nice to start and finish the work day on a high note, not by listening to crap and getting angry about it.

Lastly, and this is the hardest one for me, is we have a “cussing jar” where we must put money if we swear. We have cost levels and rules, and you can’t prepay (i.e. you can’t pay so that you can swear in the future). And we also tell guests in our home about the policy and make them pay if they swear. In the first 3 months, we collected $52 that we donated to the Gabriel Project to help mothers with crisis pregnancies. I think we’re probably up to $40 now.

Enhas emailed me the following entry, which I have been allowed to post.

It is not so much about improving yourself.. but improving others.

It is worth so much more if you donate because you really want to, and not because of an obligation.

Think of when you give someone a gift (for Christmas or another holiday).. do you feel better if you bought a gift because you had to.. or if you bought it freely, knowing that the person receiving it really would like it or need it?

Donating is good all-around, but giving freely can be even better.. especially if you know that your money or goods are going towards a good cause.

I have always tried to give what I thought I could afford, then I started working as a fundraiser for a non-profit NGO. That really opened my eyes and actually put me in a bit of an ethical dilemma - here I was asking people to donate to a cause I believed in, but didn’t take the commitment myself. So I did.

I signed up to a monthly giving program automatically charged to my credit card. (I carry no revolving debt so there’s not interest or fees.) Once the charges started I really didn’t notice them after a short time. As my situation improved I was able to increase my contribution.

Since I discovered that it can be relatively painless I’ve started to give to other organizations more generously than I used to think I could. I still don’t have a lot, but I’ve got enough and some very needy people have more (if even only the little that I am fortunate enough to be able to share.

Also just a little coincidence, even though I don’t plan it this way, it seems that every year for the last five or so my contributions have matched my tax refund.

Find a good trustworthy charity and start to help make someone else’s life just a little better.

Plonkee Money has a competition going on:

Hi all!

Great book. I just want to say what a fantastic thing you are doing! Good luck!

Bye