I’m taking a page from my daughter’s book and doing a little math….

Kirk and I are committed to giving away a lot of money over our lifetime. A lot is, of course, relative but the goals we have set for ourselves look something like this:

• Live on half our income
• Give away 20%
• Save 20%
• With the remaining 10% being ‘free money’

We’re a ways off from these goals. We’ve been working on them for 5 years or so but we’ve been distracted by things like our mortgage, school loans, a little $3000 sewer problem 6 weeks after we moved into this house and $4000 in car repairs last summer - in short, the stuff of life.

Later this summer, we’re hoping to free up a little cash to participate in micro-financing. There are two that I know of - Finca and Kiva - and likely more. (note: a google search turned up LOTS more options) And while this isn’t technically giving money away we’ll consider it a gift and upon repayment reinvest it in another project.

Reading the stories on Kiva was humbling - it’s amazing what $25 or $50 can do! Wondering what to do with some pocket change? Change a life or two!