Comments on: There’s Always An Excuse Not To Give http://manvsdebt.com/excuse-not-to-give/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=excuse-not-to-give Sell your crap. Pay off your debt. Do what you love. Mon, 21 May 2012 12:00:58 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Make Julia Child Proud – How to Cook the Perfect Thanksgiving Turkey | Expert Enough http://manvsdebt.com/excuse-not-to-give/comment-page-1/#comment-30515 Make Julia Child Proud – How to Cook the Perfect Thanksgiving Turkey | Expert Enough Wed, 23 Nov 2011 13:49:36 +0000 http://manvsdebt.com/?p=3115#comment-30515 [...] folks these days read blogs like Zen Habits and ManVsDebt and really get into minimalism. I am definitely heading that way in my life, and sometimes even [...] [...] folks these days read blogs like Zen Habits and ManVsDebt and really get into minimalism. I am definitely heading that way in my life, and sometimes even [...]

]]> By: Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas! http://manvsdebt.com/excuse-not-to-give/comment-page-1/#comment-7244 Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas! Fri, 25 Dec 2009 16:03:17 +0000 http://manvsdebt.com/?p=3115#comment-7244 [...] There is always an excuse not to give [...] [...] There is always an excuse not to give [...]

]]> By: Larry http://manvsdebt.com/excuse-not-to-give/comment-page-1/#comment-6105 Larry Fri, 04 Dec 2009 16:02:33 +0000 http://manvsdebt.com/?p=3115#comment-6105 I couldn't disagree more. Saving and giving have to be off the top, or they will never get done - we will always find something to buy, a restaurant to try, or a daily habit (from cigarettes to lattes) to waste that money before we get to the "leftovers" of saving and giving. When I save and give first, I'm making a statement that I will live on the rest. My giving is a statement of trust to God that I will be able to make it on the rest, and He has always come through for me. I'm not asking those without faith to do the same, but it also can be a mental game - When you take $300 out of your $3000 budget each month, your mind understands that there is only $2700 left, so you think a little harder about each purchase. Do I buy cans of Bud to host my family this weekend, or bottles of my favorite microbrew? Do I spend $4 @ Starbucks daily, or is the coffee @ work OK? I've found that since I went to a cash basis six months ago, I've had the same feelings - it's the same type of mental game. The average cash sale @ McDonalds is $4.75 cash or $7.00 for credit card purchases, because it's so much easier to spend when using a card. As a landlord with over 30 renters, your example is hysterical. People who can't pay their rent are mismanaging their money in a hundred different ways, but none of them is charity. Whether you give out of love, out of faith, or to help your own spending discipline, giving must come FIRST, not LAST. I couldn’t disagree more.

Saving and giving have to be off the top, or they will never get done – we will always find something to buy, a restaurant to try, or a daily habit (from cigarettes to lattes) to waste that money before we get to the “leftovers” of saving and giving.

When I save and give first, I’m making a statement that I will live on the rest. My giving is a statement of trust to God that I will be able to make it on the rest, and He has always come through for me. I’m not asking those without faith to do the same, but it also can be a mental game – When you take $300 out of your $3000 budget each month, your mind understands that there is only $2700 left, so you think a little harder about each purchase. Do I buy cans of Bud to host my family this weekend, or bottles of my favorite microbrew? Do I spend $4 @ Starbucks daily, or is the coffee @ work OK?

I’ve found that since I went to a cash basis six months ago, I’ve had the same feelings – it’s the same type of mental game. The average cash sale @ McDonalds is $4.75 cash or $7.00 for credit card purchases, because it’s so much easier to spend when using a card.

As a landlord with over 30 renters, your example is hysterical. People who can’t pay their rent are mismanaging their money in a hundred different ways, but none of them is charity.

Whether you give out of love, out of faith, or to help your own spending discipline, giving must come FIRST, not LAST.

]]> By: Dragos Roua http://manvsdebt.com/excuse-not-to-give/comment-page-1/#comment-6096 Dragos Roua Fri, 04 Dec 2009 08:24:43 +0000 http://manvsdebt.com/?p=3115#comment-6096 Giving should be an extra. You can't give something that you don't have, this is hilarious. Focusing on living a fulfilling life it's actually the FIRST step in starting to give. I am honestly pissed off every time I see a guy who wants to give something but he can't pay his rent. How valuable would be his contribution if he, on the larger scale, creates more imbalance? So, just focus on having first and giving later. :-) .-= Dragos Roua´s last blog ..<a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Edragonu-TheChoiceOfAPersonalPath/~3/liDPEFtE79s/" rel="nofollow">100 Ways To Screw Up Your Life</a> =-. Giving should be an extra. You can’t give something that you don’t have, this is hilarious. Focusing on living a fulfilling life it’s actually the FIRST step in starting to give. I am honestly pissed off every time I see a guy who wants to give something but he can’t pay his rent. How valuable would be his contribution if he, on the larger scale, creates more imbalance?

So, just focus on having first and giving later. :-)
.-= Dragos Roua´s last blog ..100 Ways To Screw Up Your Life =-.

]]> By: Daniel DiGriz http://manvsdebt.com/excuse-not-to-give/comment-page-1/#comment-6056 Daniel DiGriz Wed, 02 Dec 2009 22:28:34 +0000 http://manvsdebt.com/?p=3115#comment-6056 Nah. Sorry if it came off that way. You too, Tina. My bluntness can be... well, like a fart in a church. I was concerned that *I* had inadvertently turned the topic into a religious one which, in almost any blog, seems to end up inviting a big discussion on what this or that religious group thinks we should do. And that's the worst kind of sabotage you can do to someone's blog. Seems the discussion is civilized enough. But if someone were to hire me as the hatchet man to 'get' some political candidate or other, for instance, one of the many things I'd do is go to their blog and post provocative religious questions related to their topics, bending everything that way. Nothing ensures an embarrassing scene more quickly. :) Was worried I'd inadvertently hosed this thread in that way by using a religious metaphor, and that someone that was starting. False alarm. .-= Daniel DiGriz´s last blog ..<a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/digriz/~3/BX68wrylYdE/" rel="nofollow"></a> =-. Nah. Sorry if it came off that way. You too, Tina. My bluntness can be… well, like a fart in a church. I was concerned that *I* had inadvertently turned the topic into a religious one which, in almost any blog, seems to end up inviting a big discussion on what this or that religious group thinks we should do. And that’s the worst kind of sabotage you can do to someone’s blog. Seems the discussion is civilized enough. But if someone were to hire me as the hatchet man to ‘get’ some political candidate or other, for instance, one of the many things I’d do is go to their blog and post provocative religious questions related to their topics, bending everything that way. Nothing ensures an embarrassing scene more quickly. :) Was worried I’d inadvertently hosed this thread in that way by using a religious metaphor, and that someone that was starting. False alarm.
.-= Daniel DiGriz´s last blog .. =-.

]]> By: Baker http://manvsdebt.com/excuse-not-to-give/comment-page-1/#comment-6055 Baker Wed, 02 Dec 2009 22:16:35 +0000 http://manvsdebt.com/?p=3115#comment-6055 Woah, I'm not sure what's going on with the last few comments... I'm lost... haha. Tina, first, you certainly haven't offended me, although Daniel may have thought the comment was directed at his recent comment (I didn't pick that up). :-) I will say that I don't intentionally set out to have the blog reflect Christian values like many of my good personal finance friends (Matt, Bob, Peter, etc...). On the other hand, I don't intentional set out to reflect opposite values either. The values that come out are just related to my life experience (which currently isn't heavily influenced by any religion), but I'm certainly wouldn't be disappointed if someone related those to Christian values (as I respect those values). :-) I find the relationship (or lack of relationship) between people's concept of 'giving', 'tithing' and 'doing good' to be fascinating. So I welcome the comments from both of you! (I always enjoy comments from personal perspectives, I think they add a lot). Woah, I’m not sure what’s going on with the last few comments… I’m lost… haha.

Tina, first, you certainly haven’t offended me, although Daniel may have thought the comment was directed at his recent comment (I didn’t pick that up). :-)

I will say that I don’t intentionally set out to have the blog reflect Christian values like many of my good personal finance friends (Matt, Bob, Peter, etc…). On the other hand, I don’t intentional set out to reflect opposite values either. The values that come out are just related to my life experience (which currently isn’t heavily influenced by any religion), but I’m certainly wouldn’t be disappointed if someone related those to Christian values (as I respect those values). :-)

I find the relationship (or lack of relationship) between people’s concept of ‘giving’, ‘tithing’ and ‘doing good’ to be fascinating. So I welcome the comments from both of you! (I always enjoy comments from personal perspectives, I think they add a lot).

]]> By: Tina http://manvsdebt.com/excuse-not-to-give/comment-page-1/#comment-6053 Tina Wed, 02 Dec 2009 21:30:43 +0000 http://manvsdebt.com/?p=3115#comment-6053 Oh boy...I certainly don't mean to offend anyone (especially you Adam) so please see past the "Christian Values" and see what I'm saying about the idea of giving. Even before I was a Christian, I gave which is what all of the personal finance gurus I've read suggest. I do not want to use religion as a mask to hide behind and hurt people or make them feel condemned. Giving the 10% is best for me because as a single mom of 3 with no support, I have to trust God as my sole provider. Faith+Action=Results I truly believe that the faith in giving is where the power lies. .-= Tina´s last blog ..<a href="http://tinafortune.blogspot.com/2009/12/why-i-decided-to-stop-using-deodorant.html" rel="nofollow">Why I Decided to Stop Using Deodorant</a> =-. Oh boy…I certainly don’t mean to offend anyone (especially you Adam) so please see past the “Christian Values” and see what I’m saying about the idea of giving. Even before I was a Christian, I gave which is what all of the personal finance gurus I’ve read suggest. I do not want to use religion as a mask to hide behind and hurt people or make them feel condemned. Giving the 10% is best for me because as a single mom of 3 with no support, I have to trust God as my sole provider. Faith+Action=Results I truly believe that the faith in giving is where the power lies.
.-= Tina´s last blog ..Why I Decided to Stop Using Deodorant =-.

]]> By: Daniel DiGriz http://manvsdebt.com/excuse-not-to-give/comment-page-1/#comment-6052 Daniel DiGriz Wed, 02 Dec 2009 21:12:14 +0000 http://manvsdebt.com/?p=3115#comment-6052 Source data: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tithe .-= Daniel DiGriz´s last blog ..<a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/digriz/~3/BX68wrylYdE/" rel="nofollow"></a> =-. Source data: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tithe
.-= Daniel DiGriz´s last blog .. =-.

]]> By: Daniel DiGriz http://manvsdebt.com/excuse-not-to-give/comment-page-1/#comment-6051 Daniel DiGriz Wed, 02 Dec 2009 21:10:37 +0000 http://manvsdebt.com/?p=3115#comment-6051 I just wanted to exclude myself from the "Christian values" thing. I hadn't intended with my post to contribute to it being a comfortable place to tell each other how much we ought to give. Perhaps I didn't but, if my post did lead to that, I'm sorry. Incidentally, Israel tithed multiple tithes of multiple things to give to specific multiple persons. There was at tithe given to the priests. A tithe given to the poor. A tithe given to strangers. The notion of taking a straight 10% of your income and giving it to brother Bob the self-appointed pastor at the corner storefront prayer center who heard the call of God in his head telling him to open a storefront, stick a steeple on top, put an ad in the paper, and start taking your money - that's a more recent invention and, even when it's 10%, isn't even remotely related to what a tithe was. It's not to whom it was given, not what it was for, not what it was given out of, and certainly not how often it was given. In fact, to take a mere 10% off the top of your income, which is less than what a middle class household should be saving in its 401K is relatively light compared to an actual tithe by any reference that can be called "Christian tradition". So, I'll just say that anything I had to say about it, wasn't related to assumptions about tithing or the notion that there's a monolithic set of "Christian values" to which we all must adhere - those again, were invented relatively recently, and have nothing to do with me. Though if they're what anyone else wants to follow, it's no skin off my nose. .-= Daniel DiGriz´s last blog ..<a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/digriz/~3/BX68wrylYdE/" rel="nofollow"></a> =-. I just wanted to exclude myself from the “Christian values” thing. I hadn’t intended with my post to contribute to it being a comfortable place to tell each other how much we ought to give. Perhaps I didn’t but, if my post did lead to that, I’m sorry. Incidentally, Israel tithed multiple tithes of multiple things to give to specific multiple persons. There was at tithe given to the priests. A tithe given to the poor. A tithe given to strangers. The notion of taking a straight 10% of your income and giving it to brother Bob the self-appointed pastor at the corner storefront prayer center who heard the call of God in his head telling him to open a storefront, stick a steeple on top, put an ad in the paper, and start taking your money – that’s a more recent invention and, even when it’s 10%, isn’t even remotely related to what a tithe was. It’s not to whom it was given, not what it was for, not what it was given out of, and certainly not how often it was given. In fact, to take a mere 10% off the top of your income, which is less than what a middle class household should be saving in its 401K is relatively light compared to an actual tithe by any reference that can be called “Christian tradition”. So, I’ll just say that anything I had to say about it, wasn’t related to assumptions about tithing or the notion that there’s a monolithic set of “Christian values” to which we all must adhere – those again, were invented relatively recently, and have nothing to do with me. Though if they’re what anyone else wants to follow, it’s no skin off my nose.
.-= Daniel DiGriz´s last blog .. =-.

]]> By: Tina http://manvsdebt.com/excuse-not-to-give/comment-page-1/#comment-6050 Tina Wed, 02 Dec 2009 21:00:58 +0000 http://manvsdebt.com/?p=3115#comment-6050 Just wanted to clarify. Although we are regular tithers, we only give offering when it is truly extra. .-= Tina´s last blog ..<a href="http://tinafortune.blogspot.com/2009/12/why-i-decided-to-stop-using-deodorant.html" rel="nofollow">Why I Decided to Stop Using Deodorant</a> =-. Just wanted to clarify. Although we are regular tithers, we only give offering when it is truly extra.
.-= Tina´s last blog ..Why I Decided to Stop Using Deodorant =-.

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