Monthly “Do-Good” Giveaway: January

January 24, 2013 in Giving with 0 Comments

Every month in 2013 I’ll be doing a Monthly “Do-Good” Giveaway. Giveaways will be from charities or social good companies. It’s a win-win-win endeavor. I get to support people and causes I believe in, you get to win something cool and be encouraged by the good others are doing, and the charities and social enterprises get exposure to new friends.

I WON’T WATCH

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  This month’s giveaway comes from I Won’t Watch. I Won’t Watch supports children in poverty around the world by selling really neat watches. My college roommate and his wife, Tyler and Sarah Anderson, are also selling these watches to raise support to go to India as compassion workers and help kids and teens. I’ve got two watches I’ll be giving away: one is black and the other pink. You can enter the drawing twice: once by submitting an email or signing in with facebook, the other by tweeting out information to your followers. Contest will end Monday at 10 AM.


This is what this blog is about. Learning together how we can use our money to serve God and others. Thanks for participating. I’m already so excited for next month’s giveaway! Stay tuned by subscribing.

Could you save money by packing a lunch? Maybe.

January 22, 2013 in Personal Finance with 6 Comments

Do you carry or buy a lunch? Could you save by packing a lunch? I take a lunch about  3 times a week and my wife 4 times. She is a teacher and could buy a lunch at school for $3 dollars. It costs me $3.50 at my work cafeteria. I started wondering if the cost of packing a lunch was even worth it. The answer…BARELY. But the time savings and health benefits will mean we keep packing instead of buying.

Sandwich:

Bread- $0.13 (2 slices)
Turkey/Chicken Lunch Meat- $0.77 ($6.15 per pound)
Dabble of Mustard- $0.01
Roma Tomato- $0.12 (1 slices)
Spinach- $0.08 ($1.50 per bag)
Muenster Cheese- $0.10 (1/2 slice)

Sides:

Yogurt- $0.47
Organic Apples- $0.44 
Carrots- $0.25 ($1.00 per package)
Pepper- $0.10 ($0.70/per pepper)
Cheese stick- $0.21

We reuse our sandwich and veggie packs for few days, which saves a few pennies. So it costs us another $.02/per day to carry our food to work.

Total:  $2.70 per lunch

Could you save buying a lunch? Do you pack or buy? Why?

Weekly Financial and Fundraising Platter (no. 20)

January 19, 2013 in Financial Platter with 0 Comments

Here are this weeks highlights from the world of giving, personal finance, and fundraising:

Making The Ask: As a fundraiser the question I get most is, how do you ask people for lots of money? Margaret from The Fundraising Collective explains well that we are not making an ask but giving an opportunity to make a difference.

Where Evangelicals Give (and no longer give): The Evangelical Council for Financial Responsibility put out their 2012 report on giving. Overall giving was down by 1.7% from 2011 to 2010. Also, wealthy families are using new tools, like donor advised funds.

Grow Your Career While Giving Back: Free Money Finance gives ideas on how you can grow your career and make a difference, mainly by volunteering.

Is Shopping On Ebay Safe?: I do much of my shopping online. So I appreciated the tips to ensure my shopping experience goes well. To date I have never had a negative online shopping experience.

The Truth About Help: Jon Acuff gives great advice. We can’t do it alone and the best way to get help from others is to give help first.

What is a “tithe?”

January 15, 2013 in Fundraising, Giving with 4 Comments

If your church is like mine every Sunday we pass shiny, over-sized bowls around the auditorium. We call this the giving or our “tithes and offerings.” But what does “tithe” even mean?

Old Testament and Tithing
Quite literally tithe means “tenth.” The Bible’s first mention of tithing is in Genesis 14 when Abraham gives Melchizedek, a priest of God, a tenth of the spoils from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Under the OT law it was mainly agricultural products that were tithed. Leviticus 27:30 says, “A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord.”  In a few instances animals are also indicated as part of the tithe (Leviticus 27:32), though not in every instance. There is clear evidence that currency also existed during these days but money is never mentioned as a tithe requirement in the OT.

The OT also speaks of firstfruits (Exodus 23:19; 34:26; Leviticus 2:14) . Firstfruits seem to be different than a tithe. The giving of firstfruits was a practice required to remind the people that everything they had came from God.

The tithe is mentioned in Hezekiah, Malachi, and other places throughout the OT. A tithe was a requirement given under the law of God. The people of God were to recognize God as the owner and provider.

New Testament and Tithing
The tithe is only mentioned three times in the NT. During Jesus ministry he corrects the Pharisees who tithe but neglect justice and mercy (Matthew 23:23, Luke 11:42). The only other mention is in a Hebrews 5 in a recap of Abraham’s life.

While a literal tithe (10%) is rarely mentioned, giving is mentioned often in the NT.

So What Is Required Now
I believe tithing (10%) is no longer a requirement of God and the Bible. Instead giving is a heart issue. We are to give out of a response to the overwhelming grace provided through Jesus. Jesus fulfilled the OT law. That said, Jesus did not come to lower the giving bar. He didn’t die on a cross so we could give less. Instead he gave EVERYTHING and our response should be to do the same.

The tithe (10%) is a good barometer. It doesn’t all have to be given to your church, but the whole of scripture would indicate your church should be the priority. Some of us should be giving much more than 10%, others of us are in situations where it will be much less. No one should feel guilty if we can’t give 10%, but all of us should feel guilty if we are not giving generously, even sacrificially.

If you want more of a guide on HOW to responsibly plan your giving, check out my recent post on Preparing to Give.

Do you interpret tithing differently? Do believe your church should be the priority in giving?

Weekly Financial Platter (no. 19)

January 12, 2013 in Financial Platter with 1 Comment

What Should You Do With Unwanted Gift Cards: I rarely have the problem of not using a gift card. But if you received an unwanted gift card, here are some options.

Real Estate 101: This post links to a bunch of other posts about real estate investing. Thanks to HGTV I think we all have had the fantasy of flipping houses at massive profits. Well, before you actually do I suggest reading and learning everything thing you can lest you reap massive losses.

Are “Doomsday Preppers” Crazy?: Like this blogger I have had thoughts of prepping for a natural disasters, terrorist attacks, or elongated power outages thanks to suicidal squirrels. But beyond a gallon of water in the basement have done little to nothing. Here are some survival tips and ideas.

What People Buy When They Buy Something On Sale: Seth Godin’s always short, always insightful posts.

This prank is awesome:

 

Saving $150/yr With Just A Few Clicks

January 8, 2013 in Personal Finance with 8 Comments

Last week I had a salesman come to my door offering to sign me up for lower Kilowatts Per Hour (KWH)  rate on my electric bill. I said no nicely, internally assuming it was a scam. I did take his brochure. I read the brochure, did some research online, ran some numbers and to my horror realized I paid $13 more LAST MONTH than I needed to for electricity. That’s almost 2 super grande mochachinos at Starbucks! Why was I wasting my money on electric when I could be wasting it elsewhere? Rewind. Why was I wasting money on electric when I could be putting it in a Roth(IRA) or giving it away? That’s better.

Here is how I switched and will likely save between $150-200 this next year:

1. Check your current bill for what you pay per KWH. Mine was 9.5 cents per KWH.

2. Ensure you do not have an early termination fee. If you have never done anything about your energy delivery, then likely you are not under contract.

3. Google Public Utilities Commission of ____________ (enter state name). Here is the Ohio PUCO site.

4. Find your Public Utilities Commission  Apples to Apples comparison tool.

5. From there you can find the available rates and contract term lengths and sign up. Your bill will still come from your utility company, now you have a different electricity provider. The rate I chose was 6.25 cents per KWH for a contract that runs 2 years through First Energy Solutions.

 Let me know how it works!

Weekly Financial Platter (no. 18)

January 5, 2013 in Financial Platter with 0 Comments

Will Supreme Court Take Away Right To Sell Stuff?:  This is not a joke. Money Wise Pastor breaks down a case before the supreme court this year that threatens your right to sell stuff on Ebay and Craigslist.

Investors Are Jumping From Mutual Fund Mangers Into Low-Cost Funds: I am not a proponent for either having your funds managed or doing it on your own. That’s a decision you have to make based on your understand of your financial picture. A while back I was debating the use of Certified Financial Planner.

The Impact Of The American Taxpayer Relief Act On Charitable Giving: The Fiscal Cliff was avoided thanks to the American Taxpayer Relief act. Brian M. Sagrestano, JD, CFRE, explains how this Act will affect Charitable giving to non-profits and churches.

2013 Financial Resolutions: I’m not a big “resolutions” guy but I do renew goals every year using a mix of the Michael Hyatt and Matthew Murphy’s life plan. Financial is always a part of my goal planning. Free Money Finance put some of his financial goals out there for all to see.

10 Ways To Be Rich Without Being Wealthy: Kevin Mercadante has come up with 10 forms of wealth—all of them non-monetary in nature—that can lead to a rich life and require very little emphasis on having or earning a lot of money.

Receipt Reflections

January 2, 2013 in Personal Finance with 2 Comments

Around this time of year I sit down and comb through all of our receipts from the previous year. Those that are insignificant I shred; receipts for larger purchases or those that might be important for filing taxes I keep. I find going through receipts all at once identifies spending trends and brings back memories from the past year.

Here are some of my receipt reflections for 2012…

1. The store we frequent the most: Kroger
We buy groceries once a week, so it makes sense for Kroger to be the place we most frequent. Not surprisingly Wal-mart and Aldi were 2nd and 3rd respectively.

2. Restaurant we visited the most in 2012: Chipotle
The first half of the year Qdoba was in the mix. Then a Chipotle was built just a mile from our house. We haven’t been to Qdoba since. I’ve never gone wrong in suggesting Chipotle to my wife so I expect this trend to continue in 2013. We usually split a burrito. Saves $8 and still fills me up.

3. The category (besides our mortgage) that we spent the most money: medical expenses
Between 2 MRI’s for my wife and a major surgery for me we overspent this category by a couple THOUSAND dollars. While certainly not in our plans we are thankful we had the emergency funds available to cover the costs. Hopefully  this next year we will stick to colds and headaches instead of neck injuries and ear surgeries.

4. The category we were most under our projected budget: clothes
Last year we had one big shopping trip to the outlets. We had written down all the essentials we needed and had some amazing coupons. Besides that one trip we spent very little on clothes.

5. We had some neat experiences in 2012
We had a stay-cation in Indiana, a wedding in West Virginia, a few weekend trips to Cincinnati, and many friends came to visit. I also went on business trips to Arizona, Washington DC, Baltimore, New Jersey, Tennessee, and North/South Carolina. Looking through the receipts you see where you went and what you did. Good memories.

6. Golf and coffee are my spending weaknesses
The receipts don’t lie. When it comes to golf and coffee my pocketbook loosens up a bit.

7. We had some neat opportunities to give
As I went through the receipts I reflected on the causes and people we gave to in 2012. The birthday challenge my wife put on for me is a giving experience from this past year I will never forget.

What did your receipts say about your 2012? What will your receipts say about 2013?

 

 

Weekly Financial Platter (no. 17)

December 30, 2012 in Financial Platter with 0 Comments

Do You Pay Your Kids For Good Grades?: I was never paid for grades growing up. Sometimes though we would do something special as a family to celebrate.

Eight Steps To Successful Year-end Email Campaign?: Great information for non-profits and churches.  The best 2 days of online giving for the year are upon us.

Driven Crazy By Car Loans: I soon may be in the market for a “new” car in the next six months so I’m starting to read up and try to figure out what will be best for my situation.

Top Ways To Prevent The “Fiscal Cliff” From Impacting You: Pretty straight forward stuff but always a good reminder in the midst of uncertainty.

The One Thing I Do At The End Of Each Year: Tim Elmore provides a guide for those wanting to do some reflection on the past year and some visioneering for the year ahead.

 

Prepare to Give in 2013

December 27, 2012 in Giving, Personal Finance with 1 Comment

“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” Benjamin Franklin

Over the past few weeks I have talked with a few different people whom I consider to be generous givers. I asked them about there decision process when it comes to giving. One common theme emerged, they made a plan to give.  It’s at the end of  year that my wife and I put together our giving plan for the following year. Here is the process we go through:

Step 1: Figure Out How Much We Have To Give
As a part of my budgeting process each year I approximate how much we will have to give. I figure up both the percentage of income we plan to give as well as an approximate dollar amount. Life change can always bring income change, so I find it best to have  both percentage goal as well as a dollar goal.

Step 2: Write Down the Charities We Want to Give To
We write down where we plan to give and then put it order according to which charities we think we want to give the most to down to the least. Here is a rough sketch of what that looks like for us:
1. Church
2. Alma Mater (college)
3. Local Charity #1
4. Local Charity #2
5. Alma Mater (high school)
6. Missionaries

Step 3: Create A Spontaneous Giving Category
We like to create a spontaneous category foropportunities that just come along. It’s a joy to be able to meet a need on the spot and know you have the funds available.

Step 4: Write A Dollar Figure Next to Each Charity
Let’s just say you have $1,000 dollars to give.You may spread your giving out like this:
1. Church- $400
2. Alma Mater (college)- $200
3. Local Charity #1-$100
4. Local Charity #2- $100
5. Alma Mater (high school)- $50
6. Missionaries- $50
7. Spontaneous Giving- $100
Total= $1,000

Step 5: Pray Over Your Giving Goals
Ask God to bless your plan and the organizations you are giving to. Ask Him to give you opportunities to spontaneously give. And ask Him to point out if there are any changes that need to be made to your plan.

Step 6: Work The Plan
Be sure not to wait until next December to do all your giving. It will be HARD to write all those checks at one time. Instead spread your giving out. We give to our church every week. Others we mainly give to on a quarterly basis.

What does your plan look like? Anything you do different?

 

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