Today starts the Christian season of Lent, and most folks would say, “Big Deal”. I view Lent as a time for growth both spiritually but also in day-to-day life. I have written many articles about Lent over the years, I even had a Lenten Money challenge. While Money and Lent can go hand in hand, there are other areas you can work on.
In my life, I am a bit of a pack rat, and I don’t throw out many things, which creates clutter. Clutter can lead to hoarding, so this Lent season, we will be attempting something new.
The 40 Bag Challenge
This is a great idea, and if this seems daunting, the Salvation Army has a derivation. The Salvation Army suggests filling a bag and donating it to them as part of Lent (just 1 bag). Start there and see if you can do that.
Note also the challenge says a bag of any size. You can start with a grocery bag, you don’t need a garbage bag.
Money and Lent Ideas
Organize your money for Lent. Remember it is only for 40 days. Some more ideas for Lent:
- Pay with cash for all 40 days. This might slow your spending habits.
- Organizing and automating your bill paying may not be that hard to do.
- Pay off debt, cut down on entertainment expenses and use that money to start paying down debt.
- Eat a healthy diet for 40 days, cook your meals, after all fresh fruit and veggies are cheaper now. Exercise, just go for a 1 mile walk for 40 days, see how you feel?
Lent is not just a time to “give something up”, it is also a time to reflect and to grow.
Other Clutter Articles
- Money and Lent: Clutter too? You can use Lent as an excuse to actually clean up your clutter.
- Bazaar: Where Clutter Goes this is a common topic, in fact, I wrote about it in The Church Bazaar and Uncluttering as well.
- De-cluttering Financially (redux) making sure you keep your financial life uncluttered is important as well.
- Unclutter your life! is one of my first posts about the importance of getting rid of clutter.