The tithing thread got me thinking about this...and feeling very grateful. :)

For those that are no longer paying tithing, what do you spend your extra 10% on?

We have tried to find other good causes like sending money to Haiti and Feed the Children programs. Of course we are able to eat better ourselves now also.

One of the things I feel the happiest about though is being able to enroll my little boy in a great preschool. He loves it.

It costs almost the entire amount we used to spend in tithing for a month but I feel soooooo much better investing that money into my child's future rather than investing in LDS real estate!

What about you?

Social security only goes so far these days!

Cigarettes and expensive Cabernet, Zinfandel and tequila (not necessarily in that order).

Ron

silhouette Wrote:
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> n/t


Dude/Dudette:

I feel ya. My kids are all grown now, but damn, I was watchin' my budget with 6 eyes after I got divorced.

Ron

I put half of it in my 401k. The other half goes to staying married - extra nights out,gifts etc. That's the only nice thing that came out of paying tithing for me -it taught me to live within my means.

I spend my surplus on my Vette. My wife likes to drive it and so do I. We do things in it with our local Corvette club. So it helps our marriage.

Great idea, Vetteguy~! If only DH knew about this post, he would really pester me... he wants one, I hate them! But that's what he wont get from refusing to go on exmormon!

We took our 4 kids on the first. It was expensive, but cost less than tithing for the year would have. Our kids talk about it constantly...they had a great time!

2011 Hyundai limited, black on black on black, Moon roof, radar and GPS, six CD in dashboard, onboard computer, onboard DVD, limousine tinted, six speed transmission, full leather, every seat heated, power seats, windows, keyless entry, satellite radio, MP 3 USB ports, cruise, windows, rear air conditioning, ETC. ETC. F you CK the cult. For the first time in my life I'm having fun, screw them.

I put 10% of my gross paycheck into my retirement account, and have ever since I quit the church. I figure that it will take much better care of me than the church would in my old age.

2 things we never had money for when we were fulltithers:
Savings.
Charity.

Heck, the only time we got anything into our savings account was when we could afford to throw the tax returns into it.

And just to make sure the cultmaster is miffed, we also donate to the church we attend.

It is kinda funny, people claim how much it helps the taxes to have that deduction, but in reality, 6Gs in the bank is worth more than the 2-300 bucks more on the tax return, and 6Gs in the netherworld of morg finances.

Ok, so it's a crappy little airplane and I've only been diving 10 times or so but anything recreational I figure is tithing money that was not sent to the Church. It is such a win lose situation now, and I cannot even begin to tell you how good I feel about it.

Just say no to tithing...

Well, I'm retired so I wouldn't be paying much now.

I retired early because I had so much saved up from NOT PAYING TITHES for decades.

It's true, you can save it and it adds up after a while. It bought me my freedom.

My sister and I were just talking about this today. Since I stopped paying tithing earlier this year, I have been "greatly blessed". I got the job I have wanted for quite some time. I paid off all of my debt from my divorce settlement, and I am receiving a small inheritance from my uncle's estate next month.

In terms of what I do with that extra 10%...for the first time in YEARS, I have a modest savings. Also, I take better care of myself. I can now afford an occasional facial or massage. Since I stopped paying tithing, my financial worries have vanished. I'm not wealthy, by any means, but my budget isn't so tight that it induces anxiety.

My stomach CHURNS when I think of all the money I have given to The Cult.

Paying off credit card debt and building up savings. It's amazing how much faster I am accomplishing my financial goals now that I'm not throwing my money away to the church. It literally makes me sick thinking how much money I gave to the Morg. Worst. Financial. Decision. Ever.

Forgot to add that we were able to go to Hawaii in March because I was actually able to save up for it.

What's sick is how members are so brainwashed into thinking something horrible will happen to them if they don't pay up. Such a horrible thing to do to hardworking people and their families. So wrong.

I actually have a friend who lives in an AZ/UT border town and pays tithing on her welfare. WTF??? Sick.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/23/2010 01:23AM by goldenrule.

I spend that money on fun things I like to do with my kiddos. Before, it was a struggle to even buy diapers. Now, not so much.

I use it to justify buying anything that I really shouldn't buy, like: "What the hell, it's still less than tithing".

So than means expensive art, expensive cigars, expensive holidays, expensive coffee, expensive whisky,...

As a dedicated "10% of your gross" for decades, the impact of not paying tithing is life altering. When you subtract from your gross pay "non-discretionary" expenses like taxes, insurance, house payments, groceries, etc. and look at what's left over, not paying tithing will double or triple your discretionary net income.

That's the dirty little secret they don't like to talk about.

I now enjoy spending that money on:

Charities that really make a difference in peoples lives, like Heiffer International.

Fabulous vacations to the tropics with my wife as often as possible (those are my best minutes on the planet).

Savings! I've been out for 6 years, and even after a very messy divorce I have more money put away for retirement than I ever thought I would.

My husband is the breadwinner and is Muslim so we pay Zakat to the charity of our choice which is a LOT less than what I paid in tithing back when I was working...

SweetZ Wrote:
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> My husband is the breadwinner and is Muslim so we
> pay Zakat to the charity of our choice which is a
> LOT less than what I paid in tithing back when I
> was working...

Thank you Sweetz .. I was forced to look up the meaning of Zakat. To me, it sounds much more like what a Tithe or Fast Offering should be used for. The less fortunate. What a god would want us to do.

Also, Off Topic. I really think those who oppose the Mosque near ground zero are just total nut jobs. Please, please correct me if I am wrong, but isn't a Mosque similar in purpose to an LDS Meetinghouse or Stake Center? Mutli purpose in use, depending on its size and location?

EBay and savings. It is so wonderful!

Healthier food, near-species orchid plants (for propagation purposes), a nice digital microscope (for studying fresh-water invertebrate morphology as a hobby), veneer (for marquetry), and ABC glass objects.

Also, I was able to hire a nice worker for a few weeks this past summer. I am hoping to be able to hire him next summer as he was a riot to have around.

I have no credit card debt. No mortgage. No car payment.

Obviously, tithing is not "fire insurance," or I would be a crispy critter by now for being a non-tithe payer.

Happy Sunday!

I was so starved for actual worship of the Lord that I now am spending my tithing money on monastary retreats where silence, bible study and prayer are the standard, centering prayer workshops, helping the poor and sick, helping my child and grandchildren, and on seeing God's beautiful world.

We spend it on grandchildren/charities OF OUR CHOICE/savings. It isn't much but over the years, it makes us happy to do the things we ant to do instead of what some rich guy wants us to do.

The kids are growing up fast and in a few years will be leaving the nest. We are blowing our tithing money on family vacations. It's been better than investing because I would have lost money doing that but the memories will go on forever.