————————————————————————————————————————
Welcome to My Personal Finance Journey! If you are new here, please read the “About” or “First-Time Visitor” pages to find out more about us. If you would like to receive free updates on articles like this by email, then sign up here or you canย subscribe to the RSS feed. Also, check us out on Twitter or Facebook. Thanks for visiting! Keep on learning!
————————————————————————————————————————
Click hereย to enter my free $51.95 giveaway for a chance to win 5% of My Personal Finance Journey blog income and give another 5% to a charity of your choosing! Deadline to enter is January 31st, 2013.
The following post is by MPFJ staff writer, Melissa Batai. Melissa is a freelance writer who covers topics ranging from personal finance to business to organics to food.ย She blogs atย Mom’s Plans,ย where she shares her family’s journey to healthier living and paying down debt.
ย
If you look at most people’s New Year’s Resolutions, they are extremely self-centered.
My guess is that the top two resolutions are to get in shape/lose weight and to gain a handle on finances, whether that means making more money or paying down debt.ย These resolutions are about me, me, me.
Unfortunately, most people fail within the first month or two of making resolutions, yet they continue making the same ones every year.ย As Dr. Phil says, “If you keep doing what you are doing, you are going to keep getting the same results.” ย Instead, why not make 2013 the year you reach outside yourself and give willingly to others? ย You may be surprised by the difference it can make in your life.
Giving Is Selfish, but It Benefits Both Parties
I read another blogger say that volunteering and donating are selfish acts.ย I had to do a double take and re-read the line, but after some consideration, I had to admit that he is right. Volunteering and donating are selfish acts because we enjoy the way we feel when we do something good for others.
However, these so called selfish acts come with benefits on both sides.
Every year, Jacob bikes for MS.ย Sure, he enjoys biking and donating to charity, but the MS Foundation also benefits from the donations he is able to raise.ย Essentially, both sides benefit. If you have a boat that you no longer use, you can donate it. The organization that accepts the boat will sell it at auction and give the money to a pre-approved charity.ย In return, you not only receive the satisfaction of knowing that your generosity helped those in need, but also a tax receipt in the amount for which the boat sold. This is a true win-win situation because your donation provides everyone involved with some benefits.
Giving Cultivates Gratitude
There is something about volunteering and donating that can change your own behavior.
For years, my husband and I had talked about sponsoring a child through World Vision, but we were never sure if we had the money to do so.ย This year, even though we have debt, we decided to sponsor a child who is 8 years old, just like our son, and born on the same day as our son.
Two amazing things happened.ย First, my son, who is never really good about doing his chores even though they are attached to monetary payments, suddenly started doing them regularly because he wanted to use some of his money to help sponsor the boy, Janvier.ย Now, he regularly donates about $5 to $10 to help pay the monthly sponsorship fee.
Second, my work, which I had been hoping to increase, suddenly increased and continues to do so.ย It is almost like by opening our purse strings a bit and giving, the world gave us more.ย ย (Of course, I am not saying there is a correlation or that this will happen to everyone, but many people speak of this phenomenon.ย As they give, they get more in return.)ย While initially we weren’t sure we could afford the monthly sponsorship fee, we now know that we can.
Giving can change your life, largely because you step outside yourself.ย Humans tend to be very self-centered, and by doing for others, you often realize how good you have it.ย While you might bemoan the fact that you “only” have $300 to spend on Christmas gifts, if you take the time to donate a basket of food to a needy family, you will see how grateful they are.ย Suddenly, the $300 you have seems like more than enough.
It is easy to get caught in the trap of envying those who have more than you, especially if you watch television and see the lavish lifestyles others lead.ย However, if you look at your own life, you will see that you probably have more than enough.
Donate and Volunteer As You Can
If you are looking to make a difference by donating or volunteering, you don’t have to make a commitment for years as we did with our sponsored child.ย Instead, you can choose one time donations such as donating some of your extra dry goods to the local food pantry or serving in a soup kitchen one day.ย Make it a goal to do one act of good at least every month.
As New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said, “We’re put here on this earth to share and to help each other. . .and nothing I will ever do – or you or anybody else that’s generous – will give you as much pleasure as you get when you look in the mirror just before you turn off the light and say, ‘Hey, you know, I’m making a difference.'” (
Christian Science Monitor).
You may find that as you step outside yourself, your own financial issues begin to resolve themselves.
ย
How about you all? Do you volunteer or donate regularly?ย What has been your experience?
Share your experiences by commenting below!
***Photo courtesy ofย http://www.flickr.com/photos/usdagov/6550470383/sizes/l/in/photostream/
