Live Both: Mastering The Save Versus Give Paradox
Reducing, removing or overcome financial barrier, financial concept : US dollar bag on a maze ... More puzzle. The image depicting a situation how to overcome financial difficulties and avoid a financial distress. getty
For as long as I've been interested in money, I've wrestled with a personal tension: I want to be generous with what I have, but I also want to be a wise saver. In theory, both goals make sense. But in practice, they often feel like opposites.
Saving helps me achieve goals and manage life's inevitable risks, like losing income during seasons of unemployment or my elder years. Saving is satisfying to me because it is measurable and strategic. It helps me prepare for emergencies and invest in products and services that are a blessing to the world. On the other hand, giving is aligned to love. It is who I am as a Christian since it is who God is. 'For God so loved the world that He gave…' It creates connection, reduces isolation, and reminds me that money isn't just about me. Yet every dollar I give is a dollar I can't save—and every dollar I save is one I'm not using to make a difference today.
For a long time, I treated this as a problem to solve. I searched for the right budget, the perfect ratio, the clean formula. What I discovered instead is that this is not a problem to solve—it's a paradox to navigate.
Eventually, I found that the best way for me to make peace with this tension wasn't through spreadsheets or rules. It was through metaphors. These images helped me understand my relationship with money in a more human and creative way, and they gave me a framework to build a financial life that reflects both responsibility and generosity.
Here are four metaphors that have reshaped how I think about saving and giving: 1. Water
Stagnant water getty
Imagine a lake that has no outlet. Over time, the water becomes stagnant. Nutrients build up. Salt accumulates. Life dies off. That's what happens in places like the Dead Sea. Compare that to a river or a lake that flows—it stays vibrant, oxygenated, and full of life.
That image helped me see that holding onto all my money, even for good reasons, eventually becomes toxic. If there's no outflow, I lose something essential. I become overly cautious. I start to think I never have 'enough.'
But the opposite extreme is no better. If water rushes out without being replenished, the stream dries up. I've been there too—giving more than I could sustain, eventually becoming resentful or dependent on others to meet my needs.
This metaphor reminded me that a healthy financial life needs both inflow and outflow. Saving without giving becomes lifeless. Giving without saving becomes unsustainable. My goal is to find the flow. 2. Barn
A beautiful winter scenic in Alberta, Canada. White horse and red barn. Rolling prairie. getty
A barn isn't built out of fear—it's built out of foresight. Farmers don't build barns because they're selfish. They do it because they know winter is coming. They know that without storing seed and grain, they can't plant again in the spring.
When I think about saving in this way, it no longer feels like hoarding. It becomes a way to protect my ability to contribute long-term. It's not about stockpiling money so I can escape the world. It's about preparing myself to remain useful, even when conditions change.
I've learned that my version of a 'barn' includes an emergency fund, health insurance, and enough margin to say yes when an unexpected opportunity to help someone arises. 3. Tree
Fruit tree getty
A tree does something beautiful: it holds onto what it needs, and it gives away the rest. It stores nutrients in its roots, but it also produces fruit, gives shade, and releases oxygen. It serves both itself and everything around it.
Trees also overproduce. They don't just generate one apple or one acorn. They produce far more than they need. That picture helped me shift from thinking about generosity as a loss to thinking about it as natural overflow.
I don't want to be a tree that's either dried out or bloated. I want to be rooted and resilient, and fruitful. Saving helps me stand firm. Giving helps me reach outward. The two support each other. 4.Amphibian
Red salamander (Pseudotriton ruber) getty
I've always been fascinated by amphibians. They can live in two worlds: water and land. If they stay in the water too long, they suffocate. If they stay on land too long, they dry out.
That's how I feel sometimes with my money. The financial planning world rewards discipline and saving. But the social world I live in—my relationships, my community—runs on giving and connection. If I lean too hard into one world, I lose touch with the other.
Being an amphibian means learning to move between both. I spend time reviewing my savings goals, but I also look for ways to help others, share what I have, and experience the joy of giving. It's not about perfect balance every day. It's about becoming fluent in both environments over time. My Personal Strategy
After years of trial and error, I settled on a simple principle that works for me. I decided that my giving rate should always be at least double my saving rate. This ratio reminds me to prioritize generosity, because it aligns with who I am as a follower of Jesus. I also need to view my savings as a tool to create a more sustainable flow of giving throughout my life, helping me avoid costly debt during seasons of hardship.
This strategy may not be perfect or permanent. But it feels honest. It's rooted in the metaphors that help me make sense of money; and in the values I want to live by. Final Thoughts
If you feel torn between saving and giving, you're not alone. It's not a simple decision, and it may never be. But it doesn't have to be a source of stress. Instead, it can be a creative challenge.
You don't have to find the one right answer. You just need to find the rhythm that works for you. Metaphors can help. They give us new language. They slow us down. They turn pressure into perspective.
Metaphors can also help with the paradoxes of investing, like whether to buy cheap and old or expensive and new. See my Forbes article that discusses using metaphor to navigate an age-old investing paradox here: Forbes Live Both: Mastering The Growth Vs. Value Investing Paradox By Shane Enete
At the end of the day, I'm not looking for a formula. I'm looking for meaning. I want my money to reflect both who I am and who I want to become. And that means learning how to give freely while still saving wisely.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
30 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Comtech Rejoins iCERT, Deepening Commitment to Public Safety Innovation
Renewed Membership Reinforces Public Safety Commitment and Expands Advocacy Platform CHANDLER, Ariz., June 20, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun. 20, 2025-- Comtech Telecommunications Corp. (NASDAQ: CMTL) ("Comtech" or the "Company"), a global communications technology leader, today announced that its Terrestrial & Wireless Networks ("T&W") business segment has rejoined the Industry Council for Emergency Response Technologies, Inc. ("iCERT"). Founded in 2005, iCERT is a commercial sector trade association that brings together leading technology companies to drive innovation, shape effective policy, and promote open standards that improve public safety and emergency response. This return to iCERT is part of a series of strategic moves by the T&W business segment, including the launch of Allerium Mira - a cloud-native call handling platform designed to simplify complexity and support evolving 9-1-1 needs. Together, these efforts reflect a renewed commitment to public safety and essential service providers, backed by the same trusted team, proven solutions, and industry-wide support. "We're excited to collaborate with iCERT as it expands its focus on key issues and innovations in emergency communications," said Susan Ornstein, Senior Director of Legal & Regulatory Affairs of Comtech T&W, who joined the association's board of directors earlier this month. "Under its new leadership, iCERT is amplifying the voice of its members on public policy issues and engaging partner associations like NASNA, NENA, and APCO to advance shared priorities across the public safety community. Together with iCERT, Comtech is well positioned to address pressing public safety and regulatory matters, and advocate for federal funding, legislation, and FCC policy updates." "Few organizations have meant as much to me throughout my career as iCERT," said Jeff Robertson, President of Comtech T&W. "Twenty years ago, I worked alongside two industry visionaries to establish this organization with the shared goal of fostering collaboration between the public and private sectors. I was privileged to serve as iCERT's inaugural executive director and have remained a strong advocate of its mission throughout my career. Seeing our company rejoin the iCERT community is especially meaningful. Comtech is committed to delivering results that help communities become safer, more connected, and resilient, and iCERT is a vital partner in advancing that work." "iCERT stands committed to propelling public safety forward, facilitating collaboration among its member base and industry stakeholders, and creating an environment that fosters innovation and progress," said Don Brittingham, Interim Executive Director of iCERT. "Members like Comtech play a vital role in strengthening the organization's depth and breadth of experience across the full public safety call flow. I am excited to welcome Jeff Robertson and his team back to iCERT and look forward to empowering public safety together." About Comtech Comtech Telecommunications Corp. is a leading provider of satellite and space communications technologies; terrestrial and wireless network solutions; Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) and emergency services; and cloud native capabilities to commercial and government customers around the world. Through its culture of innovation and employee empowerment, Comtech leverages its global presence and decades of technology leadership and experience to create some of the world's most innovative solutions for mission-critical communications. For more information, please visit About iCERT iCERT—The Industry Council for Emergency Response Technologies—is the only industry trade association focused exclusively on emergency response technologies and related equipment, systems, and services. iCERT is dedicated to improving public safety through innovation. For more information, please visit Forward-Looking Statements Certain information in this press release contains statements that are forward-looking in nature and involve certain significant risks and uncertainties. Actual results and performance could differ materially from such forward-looking information. The Company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings identify many such risks and uncertainties. Any forward-looking information in this press release is qualified in its entirety by the risks and uncertainties described in such Securities and Exchange Commission filings. View source version on Contacts Investor Relations Maria Ceriello631-962-7102investors@ Media Contact Jamie
Bloomberg
37 minutes ago
- Bloomberg
Rebecca Shi on ICE Raids Scaring Essential US Workers
Rebecca Shi, American Business Immigration Coalition Executive Director, discusses the impact ICE raids are having on the US labor force and shares her thoughts on whether or not the deportations themselves or the fear the deportations are instilling on workers are putting more stress on the job market. She speaks with Joe Mathieu and Tyler Kendall on the late edition of Bloomberg's "Balance of Power." (Source: Bloomberg)
Yahoo
37 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Trade Idea Moves Twins' Byron Buxton to Phillies
Trade Idea Moves Twins' Byron Buxton to Phillies originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Boston Red Sox may have started a new trend in their trade of Rafael Devers: using the trade market to offload a superstar previously signed to lengthy, big-money deals. Advertisement In 2023, Devers signed a 10-year, $313.5 million extension to his already-existing contract, which was set to expire at the end of the season. The financial commitments the Red Sox had to the slugger did not deter them from moving him just one and a half years into the deal, as they traded him to the San Francisco Giants. Such a transaction has only happened one other time in MLB history – when the Miami Marlins traded Giancarlo Stanton to the New York Yankees three years into a 13-year, $325 million deal in 2018. That beckons a double-barreled question: When will this kind of deal happen again, and who will it involve? According to Bleacher Report's Zachary D. Rymer, the Minnesota Twins and Philadelphia Phillies should field calls to each other about All-Star outfielder Byron Buxton, a player who also won a Gold Glove Award in 2017. Buxton is currently in year four of a seven-year, $100 million deal with the Twins. Jul 31, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; Minnesota Twins center fielder Byron Buxton (25) celebrates his solo home run against the New York Mets with teammates in the dugout during the second inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports © Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports "Buxton's long-term future... remains suspect. He is keeping up his act as a two-way star when he does play, but he's a 31-year-old with one of the most cluttered injury histories in recent memory. And as such, the Twins should be wondering if this is their last best chance to sell high on him," Rymer wrote. Advertisement "Because he has full no-trade protection, he'll only go anywhere if he wants to. But if the Twins present him with a chance to spend the rest of his prime with a proper World Series contender, it could be hard for him to turn it down." Rymer sees the Phillies as an ideal trade destination for Buxton because he would fulfill a need the team has been missing for years. "Not since the early days of Odúbel Herrera's career have the Phillies had a reliable regular in center field, much less a star. They have managed to succeed despite this, but that should raise questions about how far they could go if they actually went out and got a star to roam the middle of their outfield," Rymer wrote. "A trade for Buxton would fit the bill, and such a deal would be right up Dave Dombrowski's alley." Advertisement Through 57 games this season, Buxton is hitting .280 with 15 home runs, 45 RBIs, 12 stolen bases, a .898 OPS, and 2.6 WAR (according to Baseball Reference). Related: Phillies' Cristopher Sánchez Reflects on Best Start of 2025 This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 20, 2025, where it first appeared.
