This may sound odd to some people but the fact is, giving is also a part of the wealth equation. Personally, Aunty Scroogey feels that all she has, is by the grace of other people, and it is therefore important to give back to society. Throughout the years, other people’s actions / money / teachings / advice have benefited her; likewise, she would like her actions / money / teachings / advice to benefit other people as well. One doesn’t need to be filthy rich like Bill Gates in order to make a contribution to charity; there are no hard and fast rules as to how much to contribute so long as it is a comfortable amount to the donor.

Aunty Scroogey has her own set of guidelines when choosing a charity to contribute to. For example, the Aunty doesn’t donate to individual needy persons but prefers to donate to organizations working towards a specific cause to benefit the general public. Of course, you will need to know and feel comfortable with the organization in question on how they handle donations.

Giving back to society also does not stop at just monetary contribution. It could also be in some other forms such as volunteering your time for a cause. Aunty Scroogey’s neighbour – an energetic young girl gifted in photography and design – volunteers her time and skills to design websites for charity groups free of charge. One of the reasons that Aunty Scroogey writes this column is to reach out to people who keep falling onto the wrong side of debt and help them break out of the poverty cycle.

Here’s an exercise: take a moment and reflect, while you are on your financial journey, in what ways (yes, I’m sure there are more than one) are you able to make someone else’s life better?