Make A Change Monday: Give Back Joyfully and Freely (With No Strings Attached!)

photo © 2010 Howard Lake | more info (via: Wylio)

When I first started Family Friendly Frugality, I knew I wanted to approach frugal living from a very relaxed and welcoming mindset. I wanted to create a blog about frugal living that didn’t leave people  feeling overwhelmed or less than when they walked away.

The main complaint I hear about saving money nowadays is that it is too darn overwhelming to know where to begin. If you have $20,000 in credit card debt, is clipping a few coupons realistically going to make much of an impact to your bottom line? If you are drowning in student loans and house payments, is living within your means even possible?

The answer to all of the above is  yes. While the small things you do might not add up to financial freedom, they do make a big difference. Some of them will chip away at your debt or create more wiggle room in a tight budget. Some of them will simply give you more confidence and a self esteem boost, proving to yourself that you can save money!

So I am starting a Make a Change Monday series where I will simply give you one task to work on for the week. You might already be doing it…so you get to skip that week! If not though, try it out and see if it makes a difference! I’ll keep them small manageable changes that don’t require a lot of effort or learning the drugstore game .

This week’s Make A Change Task:

Give Back Joyfully and Freely

Have you ever noticed that the more GOOD you put out into the world, the more GOOD comes trickling back to you? I don’t think that’s a coincidence at all! Don’t get me wrong, bad things definitely happen to good people.

However, when you are kind and considerate and generous, for the most part you inspire those around you to act in kind.

When you start making the commitment to save money, you’ll start noticing that you have more money to work with! While the tendency can be to grasp every dollar tightly to ensure you never go broke again, I challenge you to loosen those purse strings just a *bit* and give freely and joyfully to those around you.

Give back to:

• Family
• Friends
• Church
• Schools
• those less fortunate
• wherever!

Maybe you can only give in the form of canned goods and coupons, that’s okay too. The important thing is that you give joyfully and freely with no strings attached. I am a Christian, so I do believe that there are spiritual benefits from giving freely and joyfully. If you are not, you can still look at it from a karmic point of view. Giving to others is definitely good karma!

This week, set aside a bit of cash to donate. Comb through your pantry and make a gift basket for a neighbor. Or if you are still struggling yourself financially, just call someone and give them your time and your listening ear.

We all have something to give, and the world would be a much better place if we all pitched in!
Previous Make a Change Monday Tasks.