by Jeff Shinabarger

After you read More or Less by Jeff Shinabarger, you will be doing some soul searching and asking yourself that question. Mr. Shinabarger sets up experiments for himself to see if it is possible to do with less – less food, less clothing, less “stuff”. My favorite experiment is the one where he and his wife decide to see how far the food in the house will last them. This isn’t something I want to try, especially with two teenagers in the house.

Mr. Shinabarger pushes the reader to look around and see if there is something you don’t need that someone else might benefit from. The likelihood is that you do have “extra” and you probably know who can use it – the homeless person you always ignore, an organization collecting clothing and furniture whose pamphlet you throw away, or possibly giving your time to help someone else.

The author even goes as far as setting up his own organizations as a vehicle to help others. What do you do with a Gift Card that has a few cents or a few dollars on it? Use it or toss it aside? If you aren’t going to use it, you can send the card to GiftGiver.com, one of the author’s organizations. GiftGiver.com will find people who appreciate even the smallest amounts on the cards.

Maybe you won’t go as far as the author encourages, but reading More or Less will make you feel you can do something for others by giving anything that is more than you need.