Tis Better to Give

We believe in giving an allowance to Young One. A lot of people I speak with don't give their kids allowances. They figure they give in sometimes and say no sometimes. We tried that and it really didn't work. We gave in more than we said no. So, we started what we call The Ledger. It's Young One's little accounting system that he uses to keep track of his money. It's done wonders for our family. He knows when he can afford something. We no longer have to be the bad guys about not letting him have something. He gets to watch his money grow and best of all, he's learning some very valuable lessons about saving and giving.

Every week we give him a set amount for allowance. From that amount, though, he has to save a percentage for college and donate a percentage to charity. It's amazing how quickly that money adds up.

This year, he decided to donate to our local food shelf with the money he saved, and to do so in honor of his teachers. He decided that they all would appreciate his donation in their name instead of just one more gift card, homemade treat, or teacher themed present that they all are inundated with at this time of year.

I promised him that I would make sure his money could feed as many people as possible, so I hit Aldi while he was at school yesterday. Thanks to him, there will be soup, macaroni and cheese, and oatmeal for dozens of families.

It doesn't take long to add a few more items to your cart this time of year. Our area food shelves are struggling despite the generosity of so many during this season. Please take a moment in this busy time of year to remember those that are less fortunate than you. You may be surprised at just how many of your neighbors you may be helping.

Then mark your calendars for the less generous times of year. Just a quick reminder that you need to help restock the food shelves.

Peace.