Am I being too generous ? Or am I too tight ?

I don't make regular charity donations, but do make occasional one off ones (after a disaster for example).

However, I work in the charity sector and hence earn about £10-15k less that I'd get for a similar job in the commercial sector. I also regularly volunteer my time.

I think of this as as good as a donation, but occasionally feel that maybe I should do more.

Good point, it is maybe something that we should fear and therefore something we should all be prepared for. I have been in the redundancy siuation 5 times and 5 times I have taken full advantage, a large pay packet and a new job to go to. On the first occasion I took a job that paid me the same, I then realised it is not to be feared, as every other occasion has resulted in an increase. Maybe it's the way we see things, I see redundancy as an opportunity not a crisis, I have gone on to coach others through redundancy and the ones who grasp the opportunity generally are the positive ones who come up smelling of roses, then again most things to me seem like that. If you behave positive you will generally fare better.

Colin McLaughlin wrote (see)

I gave about 12 doses of blood in my younger days but then stopped giving because I felt I should be paid for it. (Yes, I know it would attract the wrong sort of people, but nonetheless the NHS pays for everything else. Why should they get blood free?)

I read this yesterday, but couldn't reply becauase of the restrictions at work but felt I had to ask you Colin what do you mean by "The wrong sort of people?"

Are you trying to say that blood from people who would want paying is of lesser quality?

 

 

 

 

 

I don't think you're right in assuming that, it raises another point though, if I give blood and it used on NHS patients that's fine and to be expected, if I give blood and it goes to private medicine and is used in an operation where the patient or his insurance company will be charged, is it morally correct to charge for blood I have given free and in good faith.

Cougie you're right of course but part of being prepared is being ready to exit, my contract always provides for 6 months notice in my favour, or I don't take it on.

Nick Windsor 4 wrote (see)

Wilkie I don't give to charity but I do pay tax at the higher rate which is basically the same, and is basically unfair

Gosh yes, the very first thing I thought when I entered the higher tax bracket was "how unfair, I've been given a huge pay rise and now have to pay more tax to give to charities!"  

I don't understand the argument that paying tax = charitable donations. We don't have a choice but to pay tax, and we have little say (beyond voting) as to how our taxes are spent. Is my employer giving to charity because I chose to give some of the money they pay me to charity?

Anyway, if you want to give to charity - give. If you don't - don't. But it would be refreshing if people had the spine to say "I don't want to give money to charity" instead of trying to pretend the reason they don't is because the government does it for them.

Another question - if it was possible to opt-out of paying the proportion of your tax that goes to charity, would you donate that money to charity yourself?

No I would keep it for my wife and children

I'm not sure what you're getting at EKGO.

As I understand it, the blood service is run by the NHS.

Someone paying for private treatment is paying for just that - the treatment - not the blood, which they would be entitled to from the NHS anyway.

Gee Raff wrote (see)

Colin McLaughlin wrote (see)

I gave about 12 doses of blood in my younger days but then stopped giving because I felt I should be paid for it. (Yes, I know it would attract the wrong sort of people, but nonetheless the NHS pays for everything else. Why should they get blood free?)

I read this yesterday, but couldn't reply becauase of the restrictions at work but felt I had to ask you Colin what do you mean by "The wrong sort of people?"

Are you trying to say that blood from people who would want paying is of lesser quality?

 

 

 

 

 

 

when he said that payment would attract the wrong type of people he meant people like himself who are only willing to save a life if he gets paid for it....one blood donation can now save the life of several newborn babies........

but if the government can't find the money to pay Colin for his huge time and effort why on earth should he care about the life of a newborn baby.its not his child or grandchild.....

Fair enough, so actually what the government spends your taxes on is irrelevant to your choice not to donate money to charity

If we've got a problem with paying tax in general, or higher rate tax in particular, we can always immigrate to a jurisdiction where tax laws are more favourable. Otherwise just suck it up as the opportunity cost of living and working in the UK and stop trotting out the "I pay my taxes" line. It's very overdone.  

if you object to paying taxes you can always ask to be paid less so that you pay less....

Nick Windsor 4 wrote (see)

Cougie you're right of course but part of being prepared is being ready to exit, my contract always provides for 6 months notice in my favour, or I don't take it on.

So, now you seem to be damning those who are unemployed through redundancy, because they weren't 'prepared' enough to only take a job which had a 6 month notice contract?

Indeed, Seren!

"Oh no, please don't pay me more! I don't agree with the government's policy on foreign aid!"

What do you do for a living Nick Windsor 4?

xine267 wrote (see)

Fair enough, so actually what the government spends your taxes on is irrelevant to your choice not to donate money to charity

 

Well it shoud be - unless you have some strange idea, like Nick does, that it's all somehow going to benefit scroungers and not paying valuable people like nurses, policemen and prison warders.

not every job has a 6 month contract notice period, and I think you'll find that is unusual, as is extended sickness pay if you have a good attendance record.
and I'm sorry but anybody can find themselves unemployed no matter how well educated, motivated, trained they think they are. 
In my 3 cases of redundancy it was  alittle hard to be prepared for redundancy, my contract notice was one month and it wasn't exactly up for negotiation. You are lucky that you work in a sector that is so bouyant (and that you can work form home doing with two broken arms) but I dismiss the fact that you can avoid it and simply walk into another job.
I'll ignore the implication that I didn't try hard enough (nor train hard enough).
Wilkie - I have 3 (small) monthly DDs, annual subscription to one other, and usually do the odd sponsoring of others (and I too have done stuff for charity). I suspect Nick doesn't do it but I also buy raffle tickets from the kids' school, to win some prize that I probably donated...

Oh and I give blood, I'll doing anything for a cup of tea and a packet of bourbons..