Latest news with #generosity
Forbes
20 hours ago
- Business
- Forbes
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. 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.
News.com.au
2 days ago
- General
- News.com.au
Meet Australia's most generous family ‘bringing light' into the lives of the nation's neediest
The Ottobre family has earned the title of Australia's most generous family, having given hundreds of thousands of dollars away to those in need. Tony and Lynn Ottobre started their donating journey in 2015 after losing their daughter Jenni to brain cancer in hopes of finding a light in the darkness and helping others through hardship. Since then, they have donated over $300,000 across dozens of GoFundMe fundraisers. 'It started years ago when our daughter passed away in 2015, she passed away from brain cancer, and we felt that affiliation with similar patients going through problems that our daughter went and of course their parents,' Mr Ottobre told 'I think that brought us a lot closer to being a bit more charitable than what we normally be. 'It's a terrible position to be in, so we thought that if we could help others in some way that would be good.' Mr Ottobre said most of the fundraisers the couple donate to are in support of brain tumour patients, but in April 2023, they decided to step up to help leading jockey Dean Holland's partner Lucy and his four young children after he died in a tragic racing accident. After failing to find a fundraiser in the hours after Mr Holland's death, the couple decided to take matters into their own hands and create a GoFundMe – raising almost $2m in the process. When asked about being titled Australia's most generous family Mr Ottobre simply responded: 'Well, it's probably better than being the opposite. 'I suppose it's something that you don't even think of, we're not even thinking about being generous other than trying to help people. 'We've worked extremely hard … that we're comfortable enough to donate and help where we can. If we're got some extra and when we can, we help.' Mr Ottobre joked the pair will continue to donate until they run out of money, adding they feel 'much better' after donating to a cause that resonates. 'Donating makes you feel better. It's as simple as that. 'I'm happy for everybody else who is doing something similar because I know the kick they're getting out of it, what they're doing to help other people.' It comes as new research revealed Victoria's – the state Mr and Mrs Ottobre call home – most generous profession are tradies. To celebrate it's tenth anniversary, GoFundMe has uncovered who are the most generous everyday Aussies. Victorian tradies donate an average of $732 per year – 56 per cent higher than other states and a whopping 80 per cent higher than the national average across the country. Why? Builder Cameron Londsdale believes the close-knit communities created on the worksite extend to others doing it tough. Mr Londsdale said tradies were 'fairly compassionate people' who tend to look out for each other and the wider community, especially for a cause that hits home. 'For my most recent donation it was to the drought for the farmers,' he told 'I actually lost my uncle to suicide and he was a wheat farmer, and I know it's not really relevant to the actual drought itself but I know how hard he used to struggle with certain things … trying to help when I can.' He began donating about five years ago, often supporting fundraisers to do with farmers and mental health, and called for others to do what they can. 'Any little bit that you can spare helps especially with those the (issues) I've mentioned, the farmers and mental health, they're such important issues and they're never going to go away,' Mr Londsdale said. 'If you can help, it's definitely worth it.' The data shows Aussies are generous no matter where they live and what they do for work. 'Victoria stands out with the most generous tradies compared with those in other states,' GoFundMe Regional Manager Nicola Britton told 'By contrast, in New South Wales, our most generous group comes from the healthcare sector. 'In South Australia, it's those working in finance and banking who give the most, and in Western Australia and Queensland, we see strong support from the education and public sector communities – each averaging around $650 in annual donations. 'Our research shows that Australian generosity extends to two degrees of separation – nearly 40 per cent of us would donate to a friend of a friend. 'We also see strong support for cases of stolen tools, and causes involving mental health, recovery after accidents, and support for the families of colleagues.' 'Aussies are quick to act when someone is in need.'
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Timothy West's final act of generosity is revealed in will after his death aged 90
Timothy West's final act of generosity has been revealed, with the actor leaving thousands of his fortune to different charities after his death. The star, who was married to Fawlty Towers star Prunella Scales for over 60 years, appeared in soaps Coronation Street and EastEnders, died peacefully with his family around him at a care home in November aged 90.
RNZ News
7 days ago
- General
- RNZ News
Can being generous kill relationships?
Sarah Gundle is a psychologist in private practice and an assistant clinical professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Sarah says she has struggled for many years to understand why extreme or continual acts of generosity may not only fail to inspire lasting appreciation from the receiver but can lead to outright hostility. She joins Jim to discuss 'the tyranny of the gift'. Photo: 123RF
The Independent
11-06-2025
- Business
- The Independent
These are the US states which tip the most
Takeout app Toast's recent restaurant trends report analyzed diner tipping habits across U.S. states, revealing significant variations in generosity. Delaware, West Virginia, and New Hampshire lead in tipping, with customers averaging 21 percent or higher, while Delaware topped the list at 22.1 percent. California and Washington residents tipped the least, averaging 17.3 and 17.8 percent, respectively. Tipping at full-service restaurants slightly increased from 19.3 percent in late 2024 to 19.4 percent in early 2025, while quick-service restaurants remained steady at 15.8 percent. Despite a slight increase in tipping, a Bankrate survey indicated that 63 percent of U.S. residents have a negative view of tipping, with many preferring businesses to pay employees better wages.
