It was amazing to read all of your feedback on THIS POST!  I asked Sarah to share the Top 10 Things She Learned from her year-long spending fast.

=== Sarah’s Thoughts ===

As of today, I have officially gone 365 days without buying anything new. Joe asked me to record the top 10 things I learned from this experience.

Today is March 21st 2012 and I have nothing new I need to buy today. I expect this day will come and go like every other day – I’m even going to the mall and won’t be buying anything but yogen fruz!

Here is how it changed me, and here is what I learned:

1. Healthy spending is as much of a lifestyle for your heart as healthy eating is a lifestyle for your body. I’ve adapted to a new lifestyle.
2. I still have more than enough. Although I wasn’t purchasing anything new for myself, it was embarrassing how much I already had in my possession. I could still shop at second hand stores. It became a treasure hunt when I needed something. When was the last time you did an inventory check?
3. I value gifts so much more. When you aren’t buying for yourself, you really appreciate someone else’s thoughtfulness.
4. I learned what was frivolous. When I received a gift card, I put thought into what to purchase and why. There was no thoughtless, frivolous spending.
5. Time matters. It was amazing how many times I wanted something in the moment, and how less than 24 hours later I had forgotten about it completely.
6. I found a new love for gift-giving!  The only time I could shop was to buy gifts for people – so I found a new love for gift-giving! The best part is I never walked out having ended up spending money on myself…
7. I focus more on the people I’m with than the products to buy.  At the beginning of this challenge, the hardest part came in leisure shopping trips. Now I focus more on the people I’m with than the products to buy.
8. I stopped spending so I could give, but giving has to be intentional. Although I wasn’t spending money on ‘new stuff’, it was easy for that money to end up in my savings or on eating out if I didn’t have a plan for it.
9. I’m still greedy. It’s something that doesn’t get ‘cured,’ only surrendered. Living in North America, greed is like germs. You just get over a bad cold and go back into a school full of kids with runny noses.
10. Generosity can be just as contagious.

=== End of Sarah’s Top 10 Learnings ===

Two Questions for the readers:

1. Which learning impacted you the most as you read it?
2. Could you take this challenge and see how it changes your spending habits?

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This post was guest-written by Sarah – I’ve written about her spending fast previously HERE.  Today marks the end of her 365 day spending fast – Congratulations!!!

=== Sarah’s post ===

I’m Greedy.  So what?

Once, a baby peed all over my lap because his mom didn’t have any diapers.  Once, I held the hand of a homeless man who was in agony, and he couldn’t tell me why.  Once, a woman said “God bless you!!” with a huge, toothless smile when I had only given her half a sandwich.

The poor exist because we have not learned to love our neighbor as ourselves. (credit to Shane Claiborne for opening my eyes to that in a whole new way…)

I claim to be a Christian; to follow Jesus Christ.  “Love your neighbor as yourself” is his commandment, second only to loving God with all we are.  It’s funny how those link hand-in-hand so closely.  If we claim to love God without loving our neighbor, can God’s love really be in us? (1 John 3:17)  Recently, I’ve begun to see how much I am failing at this.  I am greedy!  So what?

“If you have two coats, one of them belongs to the poor.” – Dorothy Day (…but the guy that baptized Jesus said it first!)

I have three coats.  Actually, four.

I buy myself things I don’t need all the time.  Those shoes that were on sale. That little dress I might wear… someday.  A wall hanging I just fell in love with.  More CD’s, books, movies – why not?!

I’m afraid to count how many t-shirts are in my drawer.

We all buy things we don’t need, and we all have neighbors that need. So what?

You already know this – we live in a community and nation that is obsessed with more, bigger, better. The more we get, the more we want. Our stuff “expires” fast and then we want to buy more stuff. When will we stop believing in stuff?  Meanwhile, your neighbor has an empty fridge.  My neighbor has no friends. Their neighbor has no home.  Still, so what?

We have an opportunity to change things; the only thing I can change is me.

Will you join me?

As a result of personal conviction on this issue, I realize I need to confess my greed and throw it away.  So I confess to you now – I am greedy, and I am sorry! On March 21st 2011, I resolved to buy nothing new for myself for 365 days.  I will shop at second hand stores only.  I will borrow and share.  I will give what I do not need to those who need it more.  I want to be free from always wanting, and I pray this resolution changes me from the inside out. Every time I see something new that I want to buy, instead I’ll turn to God and say thanks for all the ways He has already taken care of me. Filled and inspired by the love of Jesus, I’ll throw my old self away and put on a new way to live. (Ephesians 4:21-24)

Will you join me in buying nothing new for a day, a week, a month, a year, whatever you choose…?  Instead, give that money to someone you know that needs it, or take a bag of groceries to the food bank or a friend, or support your local church, or sponsor a child through Compassion, or send some flowers.

Will you let it change you?

=== End of Sarah’s post ===

One of the finest and most convicting posts I’ve read in some time.  Your thoughts?

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Many people that I meet who are TOTALLY B-R-O-K-E have all the appearances of being wealthy.

They …

• Have a great job
• Have a great education
• Started out life on a middle-class launch pad
• Wear awesome clothes
• Drive a super nice car – like a Mercedes

BUT …

They go home and park that car in front of a trailer – or in front of a 100%-financed house.   They use a credit card to buy their food and gas.   Their credit is trashed.   And they wonder why they can’t ever seem to get ahead.

It’s called “STUFF-ITIS”.   It is being afflicted with the DESIRE TO LOOK GOOD, and it is accompanied with the lack of ability to prepare and follow a real plan that allows them to prosper.

It is called – “All hat and no cattle.”

If this is you, TODAY is the day to set yourself free.     Here are some practical steps you can take:

1. YELL really loud
2. Announce that you are SICK of living this way!
3. Resolve to STOP signing up for any more debt.
4. Prepare a spending plan BEFORE your next paycheck arrives and PLAN every dime before you actually receive it (FREE budgeting tools HERE).
5. FOLLOW the plan!
6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 EVERY SINGLE MONTH!!!

I like Mercedes.   I like nice things.   But NOT when they rob me of greater things.   Who’s with me?

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