King David said, “I will not offer up to the Lord anything that costs me nothing!” Many people hear a phrase like “Not Equal Gifts, but Equal Sacrifices” and say, “I have so many expenses each month, I really can’t afford to give much.”We understand your concerns and empathize with you. That is why we have come up with something that may be helpful to you. It is a list of 12 “creative” ways to give. You may want to combine one or more of these to represent your commitment, or come up with some on your own!

• Commit your income tax refund check to the Lord for the three-year period.
• Commit an estimated raise in salary to the Lord for the next three years.
• Be a coupon clipper! Food is probably the largest expense each month, taking up time and $30-$40 per week. Thirty dollars a week for three years is $4,680.
• Give up a habit. Easier said than done, but not impossible. For example, a gourmet coffee, plus tax each day for three years, costs nearly $3,000.
• Put off a discretionary major purchase and redirect the money to the campaign.
• Adjust your vacations. For one or more of the years, do something close and inexpensive like day hikes, picnics, or take a three-day vacation instead of a week and save on the airfare and hotel costs. This can save $1,000 to $2,000, easily.
• Continue a bill payment. If you will be paying off a car or school loan in the next year, commit to continue to “pay the bill” by redirecting the money to the stewardship campaign after the bill is paid off. A $100 payment per month over three years is $3,600.
• A dollar increase per week. This is a great idea for those who have never given or do not see a way to increase current giving. Start by giving one dollar the first week, then two, then three, etc., praying all along that the Lord would show you a way to add that next dollar and increase each week. If you were to keep this up for three years, you would give $12,000!
• Make a commitment to drink only water at a restaurant. One person could save $5 a week or more. That’s a minimum of $780 just for drinking water!
• Wait for a movie to come out on video instead of seeing it at the theater. One trip to the movie theater can cost over $25 with popcorn and candy for two people! If you cut out two movies per month, that’s almost $1,500 over three years.
• Cut your cable package. Basic cable is about $25 per month compared to $50+ per month for regular cable. Cutting out Showtime, HBO, or other premium channels can save another $12-$25 per month as well.
• Have a yard sale. It’s amazing how much “stuff” accumulates over the years. Commit to clearing out some space and devoting the funds to the Lord.