This isn't as straightforward as clipping a coupon and saving $1.00, but it does save me a lot of money in the long run and I have fun doing it. I have found that the more I give the more I receive. Granted, I don't give to receive, but have seen the benefits of it day in and day out. For example, if a neighbor gives us a box of apples, I partition them into bags for our house and 3 or 4 neighbors or friends. Lo, and behold a couple of days later a basket of tomatoes will come my way or a frozen turkey or a freshly baked pie. The benefits are far greater than if I would have kept the whole box for myself. The same goes for clothes. I try to give what we can't use and I am totally on a nice list of hand me down items from other families, mostly totally different families. To me it is the law of sowing & reaping. The more I sow, the more I reap. People always seem to wonder why our family seems to be blessed all the time and I just have to smile. It truly is better to give than receive. Giving from your heart has endless rewards. :love:

Sandi

As a more practical example...UPS just delivered a package filled with about $500.00 worth of kitchen items including a high end juicer machine and an electric yogurt machine with other goodies. A single friend of mine (more like a sister as we have been friends for 10 years) bought them for me "just because". Why would she do that? She says she is eternally grateful for me. What have I given her? Besides the occasional small gift....nothing but LOVE. She says that when no one loved her, I did. When no one accepted her, I accepted her for who she was without asking her for anything in return. Her family tries to manipulate her for things all the time (she is well off). Instead she gets greater joy out of giving to someone that desires nothing from her. She treats my children as her own, has been there when I was sick, when I was too tired to clean house, helped me move 3 times, helps me paint, she helps me do the jobs nobody ever wants to volunteer to do.

To me this is just an example of how we can influence the lives of others everyday. There are so many rewards for giving and loving others. Everyone's always trying to find a friend like her. Look around. There are so many people out there looking for a friend.

To me, this kind of lifestyle really is satisfying and for the sake of this thread one can say "saves me money as well".

I do this alot also. I had just given about 15 bags of clothing away to various people and the next day I got a gift card from a neighbor because I was generous with the items she received. i never asked for anything in return and told everyone if they can't use it to find someone who could or I could just pick up what they didn't want and give it to someone else.

allgirls

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allgirls, mom to 3 girls

I give all the time. If I have something that somebody else needs why shouldnt I share it?
I dont always get it back from the person I gave to but in some way or anyother everything comes back to you. I can remember I once donated over 300 beanie babies to russian orphans!At the time I was pregant and a few weeks later an unmarked package for the new baby was sent to me. Im pretty sure it was from the church that took my beanie babies.