Simple Living Works!

Simpler Living Weekly Nudge

Posted on: January 22, 2019

Graphic for “Who’s Risen from the Dead, Anyway?” from SLW! free online collection “Spirit of Simplicity: Quotes & Art for Simpler Living and Global Justice”

1/22/19

In This Issue–Resource of the Month // FREE Daily NUDGE // First-Hand Podcast on Immigration // Jerry’s Top 10 Progressive Podcasts // Much More!

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SLW! Resource of the Month

Who’s Risen from the Dead, Anyway? — getting ready for Lent, Holy Week and Easter — Reflection/Activity Guides // Seders for Passover and Easter // Posters and 40-Day Calendars
// Bulletin Inserts & Covers //  Bonus

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Simpler OneEarth Living Episode 01/19–Immigration and Borders: Horrors, Opportunities, and Needs—Talking with Jimmy Marcelin of Safe Harbors

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COMING–Working for a moratorium on big ag animal confinements to safeguard our water and air.

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Free Subscription: Today’s Simpler Living Nudge

Receive a brief daily nudge toward Simpler Living, such as the ones here, at no charge. Simply reply to SimpleLivingWorks@yahoo.com with NUDGE at the top. You can unsubscribe at any time by replying Unsubscribe Nudge.

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Jerry’s Top 10 Progressive Podcasts

All available from iTunes, Stitcher or your favorite podcast service. Not in priority order. They’re all great! There are many more but one of my New Years resolutions was to be less extensive/overwhelming!

The Fallon Forum with Ed Fallon // Best of the Left // GrowthBusters // Ralph Nader Radio Hour // RePros Fight Back // The Hartmann Report with Thom Hartmann // The OverPopulation Podcast from Population Balance // Jim Hightower’s Radio Lowdown (3 min.!) // Alternative Radio // and, of course, my own, Simpler OneEarth Living, now a co-production of Simple Living Works! and Jubilee OneEarth Economics

Others that are excellent though not political: Homilies by Fr. Richard Rohr // On Being with Krista Tippet

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What Others Are Doing – So Much Help! – Latest Posts

I gladly pass along links from simple living bloggers, podcasters, coaches and others. Some faith-based, some not. You needn’t read them all. Choose just FIVE links to investigate. COMPLETE LIST (Monthly Digest). For links to earlier entries, check the previous SLW! Weekly Digests or Monthly Digests.

What’s Happened

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Recent Podcast Episode–Fair Trade in Schools and Congregations

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Will the New Tax Laws Affect Our Charitable Giving?

On the recent annual #GivingTuesday (11/27/18) we were urged to support non-profit organizations. It’s a real relief from the hyper-consumerism of Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Now some of us are planning our year-end giving. How much can we afford to give away while we look Christmas in the face?

I normally give away as much as possible AND itemize deductions on my Income Tax returns, not only to be helpful but also to get above the standard deduction. This way I can keep my share of taxes from supporting the war machine and force-feeding the military.

The Republican Tax Scam of 2018 has thrown ordinary citizens a bone by doubling the standard deduction (in contrast to the monumental tax deductions for the wealthy and corporations!). This ploy could have a serious negative effect on charitable organizations—now we can get the deduction without giving the money away. (Yes, the deduction also includes property taxes, state income taxes and medical expenses.)

Our plan is to double our giving one year and reduce it the next. That way we get the benefit of the higher standard deduction in “lean “ years and go above it in “fat” years. Likewise, we’ll give to progressive political causes  and candidates (which are not tax deductible) in even-numbered/election years (2018, 2020), to help balance the doubling of charitable donations in odd-numbered years (2019). 

This plan is called “bunching.”  It won’t work for everybody. I am not giving tax advice. I urge you to talk to a tax professional. In the meanwhile, here’s an article that may help: “Bunching Charitable Donations Could Help You Save onTaxes This Year—https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/04/bunching-charitable-donations-could-help-you-save-on-taxes-this-year.html

We can live our consciences and still keep the system from negating our generosity.

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Peace, Gerald “Jerry” Iversen, Chief SLW! Activist

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Through social media, we extend the mission and resources of the non-profit organization Alternatives, 1973-2011.

*We choose to use month numbers rather than the traditional names because the names are inaccurate (September means “7” but it’s the ninth month?!) and they honor gods and emperors from warring ancient Roman culture. For more, see Weekly Nudge, 8/8/18.

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