I have difficulty giving maaser, looking for chizuk

bookstore15

Yesterday at 6:38 am

I think the best advice is to learn and internalize bitachon. It helped me, I got an English shaar habitachon and it made such a difference in my attitude.
Practically, is there a way I can get it to automatically be separated when money comes in to my bank account? I haven't figured that out.

amother

DarkViolet ↓

Yesterday at 6:42 am

amother DarkMagenta wrote:

What made it easier for me was to think of it like taxes. The same way we don’t have a choice about paying taxes and it’s automatically taken out of our paycheck.

Exactly. I don’t view it as mine. If we were struggling I’d ask a shaila if we are obligated to give and then it might be mine. For now I view it as borrowed money burning a hole in my pocket.
We do direct deposit straight into another bank account.
And I have a debit card and checkbook for that account. I’m like a gabbai tzedaka the steward of that account.

amother

↑ DarkViolet

Yesterday at 6:44 am

bookstore15 wrote:

we asked the bookkeeper at work to divide it for us to make it two different deposits on payday.

amother

Burlywood

Yesterday at 6:48 am

Would it be easier if you have to causes important to you, sort of like you are making good use of the money.

For example buy strollers for needy people (that you or your friends know)

Another idea is to give a little at a time so you can get used to the idea and the felling of giving.

amother

Firebrick

Yesterday at 9:27 am

What Oddoneout said. Easy-peasy. Now that I'm retired and get a pension rather than a paycheck, I can't split the direct deposit between two accounts anymore. When the pension appears in checking, I transfer 10% from regular checking to the linked tzedaka checking account. Also easy-peasy, if not quite automatic the way it used to be. If you take it right off the top immediately, it becomes habitual and painless.

amother

Powderblue

Yesterday at 9:36 am

We give chomesh. Basically I give away 200 from every 1000 I earn. I sometimes feel actual heartache when I separate it. It is so so hard.
For those saying "think of it like taxes". Am I the only one who starts questioning every policy when the irs sends their bill? As if I personally underwrite every penny the government ever spent. Taxes stink.

But. Our income doubled (more than once actually) since we started giving it (as a zchus for something else entirely. We did not see that yeshua.) It was so clear, so black on white, that our bookkeeper was inspired to start giving chomesh himself.

Anonymous because I shared it with many people in real life.

amother

Turquoise

Yesterday at 9:38 am

Well the money doesn’t belong to you!
Would you use your neighbors money that was owed to them but you don’t give it back and just spend it on things you need? That would be stealing

This money is HaShem money.

So maybe look at it like that. It’s not yours to keep.
It’ll be taken one way or another whether that’s will a bill or a job cutting back and you being fired.

Also giving money somehow gives you money. It doesn’t make sense on paper but it happens that way.

hitherefriend

Yesterday at 10:55 am

I forget who says this but I remember it being legit, that maaser is the only mitzvah that Hashem says to test Him with. Meaning, when you give maaser you will gain money in the end and it wont be a loss at all