I like the Giving What We Can norm of “give 10% of income when you have it and 1% of your spending money otherwise”. That’s 1% of whatever you have for eating out, going to the movies, etc. While 1% is small, it keeps you in the habit of giving, makes you think about where to give, and demonstrates to yourself and others that you’re committed.
I suspect that asking your parents if you could be more frugal and they would donate the difference would just strain your relationship to little gain.
I suspect that asking your parents if you could be more frugal and they would donate the difference would just strain your relationship to little gain.
This is why I never tried it. When choosing which college to go to, I did ask whether going to the vastly cheaper of two options and donating the difference was an option, and was told it wasn’t, and I could tell that similar suggestions along those lines wouldn’t go over well. (In retrospect, it was good they kept me from doing unusual things like that, and that I’m so influenced by social norms—taking beliefs seriously while still a stupid kid in other ways is dangerous.)
I like the Giving What We Can norm of “give 10% of income when you have it and 1% of your spending money otherwise”. That’s 1% of whatever you have for eating out, going to the movies, etc. While 1% is small, it keeps you in the habit of giving, makes you think about where to give, and demonstrates to yourself and others that you’re committed.
I suspect that asking your parents if you could be more frugal and they would donate the difference would just strain your relationship to little gain.
This is why I never tried it. When choosing which college to go to, I did ask whether going to the vastly cheaper of two options and donating the difference was an option, and was told it wasn’t, and I could tell that similar suggestions along those lines wouldn’t go over well. (In retrospect, it was good they kept me from doing unusual things like that, and that I’m so influenced by social norms—taking beliefs seriously while still a stupid kid in other ways is dangerous.)