Five tips on Simplifying and Living Generously, stolen from Anne Jackson

With the onset of a new year and new goals, and the awful plight of our Haitian neighbors, there's no better time than now to consider how we can make lifestyle changes to be able to give generously.

And, instead of pretending I came up with these nifty suggestions, we're just gonna take it straight from author/blogger/speaker/really-bad-driver (self-titled): Anne Jackson. 

• PAY OFF DEBT – Obviously. Chris and I have been credit card debt free for over a year and a half. There are people who handle credit cards responsibly and there are people who can’t. We can’t. (Rather, I should say I can’t!) There are plenty of programs that can help you do this, or you can just make a plan and stick to it. That’s what we did. We had a smart friend who helped us make a budget, we stuck to it, and two years later we had paid off all of our credit cards. When we had saved up a few thousand dollars, we paid off one of our cars. We still have one blasted car loan to pay off, but saving hundreds of dollars a month by not having debt frees that money up.

• DOWNSIZE – Live in a smaller place. Yes, even with kids. You’ll pay less in monthly housing expenses and utilities, as well as maintenance. Is it annoying sometimes to have one bathroom for two people and our dining room (with no wall between it and our living room) converted into two offices and a recording studio? Sometimes. But dang, I love keeping our housing expenses down. And it’s really quick to clean up.

• GIVE IT TO GOODWILL - When you downsize, you have to get rid of stuff. The easy rule here is if you haven’t used it in a year, donate it. If it’s worth something, try selling it on Craigslist or eBay. We set aside two weekends a year to go through our house to clean out the clutter.

• DECIDE WHAT’S OPTIONAL – Do you have to have cable with 300 channels? Can you get by on basic cable, or no cable at all? Can you live without a home phone number? Can you cut your minutes or data back on your mobile phones? Do you need internet at home (Here’s a tip: if you have problems with porn, kill your internet at home and the data plan on your phone. Seriously.) Are there magazines you can unsubscribe from or newspapers you no longer read?

• EAT IN – Grocery shopping always scares me. I hate spending a bunch of money at once because it seems like it’s cheaper to eat out. It’s not. Plan a menu for the week and write down what you need to buy and stick with it. Also, if you eat in, you can go two different routes to save money.
  
  • Use portion control. Only make what is the serving size of what you’re eating. This way, you won’t overeat and you can use the leftover product later.
  • Make a ton of food! There’s only two of us, but sometimes I’ll cook for six. So, I’ll immediately plate the food for two servings, and put the other four servings away for leftovers (either freeze them or eat them for lunch later in the week). Your food will go so much further this way.

• JUST BE GENEROUS – Whenever you feel that nudge, go all in. Keep protein bars and water in your car for when you meet someone who needs a meal. Give until it hurts – that’s true sacrifice. Generosity is contagious, and when you live with a spirit of generosity, you’ll never be left wanting.
  

I (April) would love to hear what you guys (gals, really) think about this! What have you tried? Do you have other suggestions as well? Click here to get back to our blog so you can comment.

Let's put our money where our mouth is, and plan to give, not just on impulse! Our God calls Himself the Defender of the orphan and the widow--let's worship Him by doing the same!