Think Outside The Piggy Bank

charity and pets

The problem with after Christmas sales is the lack of after Christmas money. --MAXINE

Don't know about you, but Christmas seems like a loooong time ago already. And while it's a tad late to talk about Christmas gift-giving, I came across an article that I had clipped that I still want to share. The holiday season is a time when we are more likely to donate to charity and here in my hometown this past December a few local organizations got together and came up with the idea of including pets when asking for donations. A veterinary clinic hosted a 'Fill My Tummy' drive and collected pet food, leashes, collars, treats, toys and litter for clients of two area food banks. Given that there has been a 15% increase in surrendered pets here over the past year and that people shouldn't have to choose between feeding themselves or their companion animals, this venture was a good idea, and I hope, a great success!

my cheap hairdresser

Actually, he's fairly expensive, but after a friend of mine treated me last summer to an appointment with him, I realized that he was worth it. For years I'd gone to either barbershops or chain store franchises because I figured that with short hair it wouldn't make much of a difference, but I was wrong. Not only does he spend almost an hour cutting as opposed to ten minutes, but the cuts also grow out well, and after almost a year I have yet to be disappointed. Yep, it certainly costs more than the $10 I'm used to, but sometimes you DO get what you pay for, and I figure that by having become a member of the "graygirl" revolution in my late twenties already, I've saved oodles of money just by never having coloured it. And I certainly don't have any intention of starting now.

So when I say that my hairdresser is cheap, I don't mean frugal cheap (which to my mind is a good thing) but stingy cheap (which is not good). Apparently he lost his wallet, but when a gentleman was nice enough to return it to the shop, he inadvertently parked in the wrong spot and got a ticket. Did my hairdresser reward him for returning the (money-packed I might add) wallet by paying for the ticket? Nope. Offered him only half. Now even I wouldn't go that far! I mean, not everyone expects a reward for returning lost property, but then to lose money by trying to do the right thing? Yikes. The worst part is that I know my hairdresser is doing well enough financially because he travels (both locally and abroad) about every six weeks. We're talking Paris, France here. But did I speak up and say anything today at my appointment after having heard about this? Did I, like the two other customers I know, decide to find another hairdresser? Nope. And does that make me just (or almost) as bad?

give and let go

I really liked Donna Freedman's article Why I gave a guy a dollar on Smart Spending the other day, and regardless of whether you give directly to the person asking, or choose to contribute to agencies that help indirectly, I think it's important to give. What I think may be even more important though in the case of people on the street asking for money is to at least acknowledge their presence. As far as I'm concerned they have the right to ask, we have the (equal) right to say no, but we don't have the right to just walk by and pretend they don't exist. I have to admit that whether I give money on any given day will depend on how much I've got, what I still need to do with it, my mood, and my reaction to that particular person. What I do try to do though if I decide not to give is to at least look them in the eye, smile, and say "I'm sorry, not today." I have yet to get an angry response and will often get a smile back, or a "Thanks anyway."

Giving, in my opinion, is important for any number of reasons: to show gratitude for what you already have, to show kinship with your fellow human beings (or other living creatures), to acknowledge the fact that any one of us could end up in a similar situation, and simply because it's the right thing to do. I also think it's important to give no matter what your financial situation, because there will always be someone worse off than you. And while I personally like the idea of tithing (giving away 10%), I don't believe the actual percentage matters as much as your intention. If fiscally you can only afford to give away 1%, then in my opinion that is better than giving 10% when you can easily give away 30%. Giving is also easier when it's automatic and you have it deducted from your account at a predetermined time. That also ensures that giving becomes a priority, rather than something you may or may not do depending on how much is left. Of course if money is so tight that you absolutely can't give any of it away, then give of your time instead as time is money as well.

Finally, if you're going to give, then just give. Sure, do your homework if donating to specific agencies and try to find out how much of the money actually goes to the population it's supposed to help (if too much of a percentage is earmarked for administrative purposes then donate elsewhere), but if you're handing over cash to someone on the street, then just give. It's up to them now how they're going to spend it as you've fulfilled your side of the equation by giving.