Generosity and your first five-year plan
Put the whole system together and decide what your money is for.
Give what you have decided in your heart, not reluctantly. Generosity planned in advance is joy; generosity invented under pressure is guilt.
2 Corinthians 9:7
Plan it, do not improvise it
Decide a giving percentage as part of your budget, whether that is 1%, 10% or a fixed amount. Planned giving is steady, it does not compete with your rent, and it does not depend on being asked in a moment you cannot say no to. Many people tithe a set share of income; others give to specific causes. The number matters less than the decision being yours.
Generosity with boundaries
Give from what you have, not from what you are borrowing. Helping a friend is good; covering their rent on a credit card is a problem you will both inherit. And check organizations before you give: a real charity can tell you exactly where money goes and will never pressure you for a card number over the phone.
Key terms
Tithe: A set share of income, traditionally 10%, given regularly.
Stewardship: Managing what you have been given with care and intention.
This week's money move
Write your one-page five-year plan
0 of 4 done
Week 12 check
3 questions · no grade, just a gut check
1. The first step of the six-step money system is…
2. Planned giving works because…
3. A $3,000 goal in 24 months needs about how much per month?