Living simply. I thought I had a good idea what that looked like. I thought I was putting it (somewhat) into practice. I didn't want to get caught up in society's consumerism. I wanted to be generous. But then, this happened.
Then this.
Then a group of women started to meet and discuss what we could do to foster simplicity, peace, generosity. We wanted to do more for AIDS orphans.
Then this happened.
Ziploc bags with cash? Nothing new? Only having 100 things? Let me share what's been happening with the Smith's.
A friend shared an article with me about a movement called "The Compact". This group started in San Francisco in 2006, and the word has spread. These people were fed up with consumerism and waste, and decided to not buy anything new for a whole year. Well, that was 6 years ago and they are still going strong. I began to wonder if I could do that. I'm not a great shopper, and thrift stores around me are mainly of the Value Village variety, but I decided to be very mindful of my shopping habits. If I could find something used, I would buy it over buying new. Which then led to...
The Hole in our Gospel. You can read about that here. A friend who read this post then reached out and asked if a few gals would like to get together to talk about this and applying it to our lives. I was on board right away. I knew we needed to start to live simpler lives. We weren't living beyond our means, accumulating debt. But we were spending more than we needed to be spending. And I knew if we could pare down our monthly budget, we could give more money away. And that is what we have done. Month one, under our belts. We had Ziploc bags labelled for our different budget lines (groceries, entertainment, household, etc.) filled with the cash we were willing to spend. Once the cash was gone, it was gone. We spent about $1500 less than we normally would, by trimming our budget everywhere (groceries, entertainment, investments, etc.). And do you know what? We survived - even with hosting Thanksgiving and Ben eating at home for 3 full weeks, we did it. We said no to some things. We said some things would have to wait. We had great conversations about stuff, needs, and wants. I was eagerly looking ahead to see what was next.
Precious Clement was next, our newest sponsored child. Ro picked her because she was a girl and "girls don't have as many opportunities to go to school", she was Ro's age, and Ro "liked her dress" in the photo. We are thrilled to have another sponsored child from Mposa, Malawi! Then, One Roof.
One Roof was an amazing time of celebration put on by our church, The Meeting House. Thousands gathered at The Powerade Centre in Brampton to sing, dance, and learn of our new mission. It is broken into 3 parts - care, invite, grow. Invite and care really resonated with me. We are aiming to relationally invest $5 million in local and global compassion initiatives. That's what church is to me - living out Jesus' love. What better way than to redistribute some of our wealth!
Then, the same friend who shared about "The Compact", sent me a link to the 100 thing challenge. Phew! The basic gist is you par your belongings down to 100 things. Let's face it. For some of us, what fills are house are items that aren't required. Testimonials include being more joyful, more thoughtful, and FREE - free from the pull of stuff, free from society's pull to spend, spend, spend. I started by counting how many things I had. I grouped several things together: underwear, socks, and bras (counted as 1 item), make up, face care, bike gear, hair care, books, and hair accessories (6 items). And yes, each piece of jewelry, each article of clothing, each pair of shoes, was counted individually. I ended up at 155, after paring it down from about 180 (I can't remember exactly). Today I went through the girls' items and Vi is sitting around 115 and Ro is around 200. That didn't include the roughly 40 things they hold in common (toy kitchen, dishes, food items, blocks, etc.). Some grouping of items happened with them also. I can't wait to go over the results with them tomorrow and talk about how much we have and how little our sponsored children have (as a comparison) - another great example of "needs" and "wants". I can't wait to see what they choose to give up/give away. What blows my mind is some people count household items in their list too (like bed, pictures, individual books, kitchen table, cars, etc.). We have a long way to go. :)
Next in line is to simplify our family's schedule (I overextended us as I thought Ro was going to be home schooled). Our one commitment wraps up in 3 weeks, the other 3 wrap up the first week of December, and 2 are ongoing but manageable. We are not enrolling the girls in any sports or activities for the winter session. Hear is all sigh a collective sigh of relief......
I am so thankful for the lessons that I have been learning. I may be learning these lessons later in life, but I'm so excited to foster a counter-cultural spirit in my daughters so that they are unabashedly generous, loving, compassionate, and difference-makers.
I'd love to hear what others are doing to simplify.
Here's to freedom and generosity,
Tam
Showing posts with label money. Show all posts
Showing posts with label money. Show all posts
November 2, 2012
October 3, 2011
let's talk about ... money?
Did any of you ever talk about money or finances with your parents growing up? Did anyone's parents ever model budgeting or balancing your account? I grew up in a household where we had enough money for most of our needs, with very little, or any, leftover for wants. Don't get me wrong. There were gifts for birthdays and Christmas, but financially, things were simpler. Food for holidays consisted of mixed nuts, veggie trays with dip, chips and dip, turkey, roast beef, Yorkshire pudding, pies, Christmas baking. I remember lunches of a sandwich, maybe a cookie, and an apple. We could drink water out of the school fountain. In highschool my lunch of choice was Melba toast, a carrot, and an apple. When the money ran out for the month, there was no credit card for overextending ourselves or living beyond our means. Mom and Dad gave money away at the beginning of the month to ensure it was there to give, instead of waiting until other obligations were met. We always had enough.
Fast forward 20-25 years. Here I sit with 2 children of my own, more aware than ever of the imbalance of resources in our world. In fact, check out The Global Rich List for 2011 and see where you rank. We sit in the top .37% richest people in the world. That's mind blowing. It is imbalance. How has this happened? Why does this continue to happen? We can ask ourselves these questions, but the biggest question is WHAT AM I DOING ABOUT IT? And to answer "nothing" or spew some excuse is not acceptable. To say there will always be the poor is disgusting. Period.
A daily refocus is required. A true evaluation of "want" and "need" is essential. Education of our children is imperative. A heart broken for those around is critical. Jesus' heart and eyes is a prayerful necessity. So again I ask, what are we doing? We need to be openly communicating about these things, challenging each other, holding each other accountable. Here are some steps we all can take:
1. How much food do we waste each month? Food that rots in our fridge because we forgot about it, or didn't want to eat it as leftovers, or we didn't feel like making dinner? Only in our wealthy homes do we think such things. Make a menu plan for the week so we have less waste. For example, overlap ingredients so that if you are making something that calls for 1/2 onion, find another recipe that will use the other half. Yes, this takes some tine and effort to get your head thinking in these terms, but it is worth it to free up money to give away, and it is environmentally responsible.
2. Eat simply. We have been programmed to think variety is a necessity, that exotic foods are better, that rich foods are more delicious. Spices and herbs can really kick up a meal. There is nothing wrong with eating foods that are found in your neck of the woods (read The 100 Mile Diet for more on this). Again, an environmentally responsible move, a challenge, but eating simpler will again free up resources.
3. Make a reasonable budget and stick with it. This is not as difficult as some make it out to be. Download bank statements online for the last 6 months and see how much you have spending on what. Do a gut check. Are we spending too much on eating out? On clothing? On entertainment? Do my kids really need 10 pairs of pants for the new season? You see my drift. We need to ask the tough questions and do the soul search to find your own answer. What is right for some, what works for some, might not work for everyone. Ask someone you respect and trust for input. Jesus is happy to help.
4. TALK TO OUR KIDS ABOUT THE WORLD AROUND THEM. They can handle it. But please, do it in a developmentally appropriate way. You know your child. Use the wisdom you have to make wise choices and have good discussions. Just 3 days ago, Ro and I watched a video put together by friends at The Meeting House and talked about the images we saw - what people were wearing or not wearing, how people moved around (walking), what their homes were like (mud huts), what their hospital was like, etc. What moved my future doctor was the state of their hospital and the lack of technology. Kids need hooks to hang ideas off of. So do we. From there, we talked about what we can do to help (some examples included sponsor a child, give money to organizations that have workers on the ground who can help provide aid, food, medicine, water, etc., change how we spend money so we have more to give away, adoption). Because Ro is so interested in money right now, Ben and I decided to give Ro money each week for completing helpful chores (make her bed, put her pajamas away, clear the table, put her toys away, put her dirty clothes in the laundry hamper, and deal with her school stuff on school days). She does some of these things sporadically, some things she already does every day. We talked about the purpose of this with Ro. Not only does it teach the "family mentality" (I'm part of this family so I can do my part), we are going to teach her about saving, about spending, about being generous. I'm excited about laying this foundation with her, and how this will also keep me mindful while managing our household finances.
We have such a long way to go, but we cannot close our eyes, plug our ears, sink into societal numbness. We must do all we can, and we must do it now. Join us? It's our prayer that we do so, humbling ourselves, joining together with sisters and brothers.
What are we doing?
Tam
Fast forward 20-25 years. Here I sit with 2 children of my own, more aware than ever of the imbalance of resources in our world. In fact, check out The Global Rich List for 2011 and see where you rank. We sit in the top .37% richest people in the world. That's mind blowing. It is imbalance. How has this happened? Why does this continue to happen? We can ask ourselves these questions, but the biggest question is WHAT AM I DOING ABOUT IT? And to answer "nothing" or spew some excuse is not acceptable. To say there will always be the poor is disgusting. Period.
A daily refocus is required. A true evaluation of "want" and "need" is essential. Education of our children is imperative. A heart broken for those around is critical. Jesus' heart and eyes is a prayerful necessity. So again I ask, what are we doing? We need to be openly communicating about these things, challenging each other, holding each other accountable. Here are some steps we all can take:
1. How much food do we waste each month? Food that rots in our fridge because we forgot about it, or didn't want to eat it as leftovers, or we didn't feel like making dinner? Only in our wealthy homes do we think such things. Make a menu plan for the week so we have less waste. For example, overlap ingredients so that if you are making something that calls for 1/2 onion, find another recipe that will use the other half. Yes, this takes some tine and effort to get your head thinking in these terms, but it is worth it to free up money to give away, and it is environmentally responsible.
2. Eat simply. We have been programmed to think variety is a necessity, that exotic foods are better, that rich foods are more delicious. Spices and herbs can really kick up a meal. There is nothing wrong with eating foods that are found in your neck of the woods (read The 100 Mile Diet for more on this). Again, an environmentally responsible move, a challenge, but eating simpler will again free up resources.
3. Make a reasonable budget and stick with it. This is not as difficult as some make it out to be. Download bank statements online for the last 6 months and see how much you have spending on what. Do a gut check. Are we spending too much on eating out? On clothing? On entertainment? Do my kids really need 10 pairs of pants for the new season? You see my drift. We need to ask the tough questions and do the soul search to find your own answer. What is right for some, what works for some, might not work for everyone. Ask someone you respect and trust for input. Jesus is happy to help.
4. TALK TO OUR KIDS ABOUT THE WORLD AROUND THEM. They can handle it. But please, do it in a developmentally appropriate way. You know your child. Use the wisdom you have to make wise choices and have good discussions. Just 3 days ago, Ro and I watched a video put together by friends at The Meeting House and talked about the images we saw - what people were wearing or not wearing, how people moved around (walking), what their homes were like (mud huts), what their hospital was like, etc. What moved my future doctor was the state of their hospital and the lack of technology. Kids need hooks to hang ideas off of. So do we. From there, we talked about what we can do to help (some examples included sponsor a child, give money to organizations that have workers on the ground who can help provide aid, food, medicine, water, etc., change how we spend money so we have more to give away, adoption). Because Ro is so interested in money right now, Ben and I decided to give Ro money each week for completing helpful chores (make her bed, put her pajamas away, clear the table, put her toys away, put her dirty clothes in the laundry hamper, and deal with her school stuff on school days). She does some of these things sporadically, some things she already does every day. We talked about the purpose of this with Ro. Not only does it teach the "family mentality" (I'm part of this family so I can do my part), we are going to teach her about saving, about spending, about being generous. I'm excited about laying this foundation with her, and how this will also keep me mindful while managing our household finances.
We have such a long way to go, but we cannot close our eyes, plug our ears, sink into societal numbness. We must do all we can, and we must do it now. Join us? It's our prayer that we do so, humbling ourselves, joining together with sisters and brothers.
What are we doing?
Tam
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