Money can can do or buy for us.

When it comes to personal finance, it’s easy to be a bit self-centered. We ask questions like: How much can I save? How can I make more money? How much do I need to retire? We spend a lot of time focusing on fixing our own problems. Now I’m not here to knock personal responsibility and taking care of your family. I value those things.

Today, though, at least for a moment, I challenge you to look past yourself. How can your wealth accumulation (income minus expenses) help others? I’ve got a few ideas below. Contribute your own in the comments below.
Provide a Small Business Loan – One of the absolute coolest tools on the Internet is Kiva.org.

Kiva is a social lending (i.e. peer lending) site that only deals with interest-free loans. Small business owners around the globe in need of a few dollars to grow a business idea can receive a loan from you, facilitated by the Kiva program. You get your money back, and someone somewhere is creating a better life for themselves.

Give an Extra Tithe – If you have extra funds, consider an extra tithe to your Church. No one said you couldn’t give more than 10%. Be sure to consider a special designation of the funds if you want to support a particular project (i.e. mission trip).

Money Can’t Buy…
Love. At least not true love. True love is not for sale, not for any price. It is the deepest of human connections and is invaluable. However, money can be an instrument to show your love for another. You can give money freely to those in need, without expectation of repayment. You can use money to provide shelter for those you love. But if you think you can flash cash and stuff money can buy to find love, you will live a lonely life.

Happiness. Back when I was broke, I made a connection between my emotions and my spending pattern. I was an emotional shopper. When I was sad, I bought something. When I was happy, I bought something. Hey, at least I was consistent!