For #GivingTuesday 2021, I gave $150 to my favorite nonprofit. This is a big amount for me. I’ve always given in small amounts to various charities, political candidates, and GofundMe campaigns throughout the year, whenever the mood struck.
My giving has changed this year. I now support a few nonprofits on a monthly basis (small amounts). I made a few “larger” donations with the highest amount on #GivingTuesday. I was motivated to give a higher amount for several reasons. One, I have been following this organization on social media and felt a strong connection not just to the cause but also to people behind the scenes. Plus, I was motivated by matching finds from Facebook.
Scarcity Mentality
According to this Forbes article, the term “scarcity mentality” was created by Stephen Covey in his famous book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. This is the belief that resources and opportunities are limited, or scarce. Imagine if all the money in the world is represented one pie chart, and not everyone gets a slice.
In a world of self-help gurus and motivational speakers, the scarcity mentality is a bad thing. It is a negative, limiting, self defeating mindset that must be overcome.
I totally understand why this mindset can hold a person back. However, in reality, aren’t resources finite? There are only so many executive and managerial positions available at every company. The demand/need for houses is greater than supply.
My scarcity mentality is mostly related to personal finances, not career opportunities. Given my background, it’s not really surprising that I worry about money. While we were never hungry, my family did not have money for extras and we went through some lean times.
I also struggled in college and early 20s due to my lack of money management skills and low paying jobs. There were some “close calls” in terms of finances, including borrowing from a friend to pay rent, and constant worrying about overdraft fees due to my meager bank account.
Even though those days are long gone, and we are comfortable enough to have emergency savings and 401ks, I can’t shake the scarcity mentality and feeling that my family could end up in the poorhouse at any moment. In my mind, the next disaster was around the corner.
As I was writing this post, I realized that the scarcity mentality was not holding me back from splurging on myself. If I really want something, it takes me a second to add it to my shopping cart. Maybe my scarcity mentality is only partially to blame for my lack of giving!
Why is so much easier to click “Buy now” than “Donate”? Is anyone else in the same boat?
Middle Class Revolution 
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