We’re definitely advocates of planning before you send money out the door. But sometimes, the itch to be generous can strike at an unexpected moment. And as long as there’s space in your budget, feel free to give when the moment feels right!
A few assignments ago, Dale shared with us about his family’s decision to give away 20 percent of their discretionary money.
“Because we decided to give away 20 percent, we typically have money waiting to give away. This allows us to always be on the lookout for how to give.”
Dale is setting the bar pretty high. But he inspires us to up our game!
Today’s Assignment
- Note how much money you have left in your Giving Envelope. This is money you can give whenever, wherever. You can’t plan to be spontaneous, but you can free up space in your budget to allow for it.
- If you have a spark to give, give freely. As you move through the week, pay attention to feelings of generosity and act on them.
- Share how it felt to give unexpectedlyjust because you had money available. What compelled you to give spontaneously this week? Let the community know!
Happy budgeting,
-The Goodbudget Team
6 thoughts on “Give Just Because You Can”
We have a terrible income inequality and housing crisis where I live here in San Francisco, and many people are barely scraping by with very few resources. Because I had extra money in my giving envelope, I was able to buy someone who was hungry a warm meal on a cold day, and it felt really good to be able to connect with that person!
It felt really good
Nothing left right now but it felt great to put someone else’s needs to the front
I don’t have anything left at this point, but as I improve my overall budgeting, I look forward to increasing what I can give.
After paying bills, I committed to a certain amount each month. It’s not huge, but it is more than I usually give and it’s consistent. I followed through with giving that money. It absolutely feels like the right decision and I’m glad that I am doing this. I am blessed and do need to give back to my community.
I don’t have enough really in the budget to donate right now. It is nice to think about what to create for others.