The gift giver often receives more joy than the gift receiver, and we all like getting new gifts.
A New York Times article read, “Indeed, psychologists say it is often the giver, rather than the recipient, who reaps the biggest psychological gains from a gift” Tara Parker-Pope.
During my spending freeze, a whole host of birthdays, celebrations, and baby showers came up.
What is interesting is how easily I could give now that I was on my spending freeze.
When I was numbing my feelings through purchasing dresses, pants, coats, and shoes, I felt good in the moment after I purchased something I loved. Then afterwards I always felt stressed once I realized I hadn’t budgeted for all those celebrations and other last minute gifts coming up. I always felt a little stretched by giving, even though I knew I shouldn’t.
However, now that I’m on my spending freeze, it’s freed me to give more freely than I ever have given before.
It’s also made me realize that sometimes the stuff I have purchased, I just didn’t really need, and I bought it to numb my emotions.
You see, if I was simply having a bad day, or feeling overwhelmed about work, I would go shopping.
Now that I haven’t been shopping, I haven’t been counting my pennies, or worried either.
Instead, I feel so much more free. I feel free from the cares and the worries that managing money brings. I am free to just enjoy a long run, dinner with my husband, time reading or journaling without worrying that I just wouldn’t have “enough” money left over for next month.
As I have becoming wiser with stewarding my resources to give rather than to spend on myself, I came across the verse below.
It really emphasizes that all that we do in life and in this world as long as we live needs to be about love.
We give out of love. If we are to spend, it needs to be out of love, not out of some knee jerk feeling.
Financial Day Dreamer 