Two weeks in

We're two weeks into the Luxury Fund experiment and I'd say that it's off to a good start. Thanks for all of the positive response. I think that if we continue to combine our efforts and continue to make small sacrifices every now and then, we can really make a global difference.

A few people have asked for further explanation on how this works exactly. So, here it is - this is not a commitment to giving anything up for good. This is making day to day decisions. Today I may decide to have a cup of coffee at the local coffee shop and tomorrow decide to forgo that cup for the sake of the luxury fund. If I decide not to have that cup of coffee, I can come to the Luxury Fund Blog (soon to be website) and put $3 into the fund by clicking on the "Donate" button and using my check card. Maybe your luxury is an energy drink. Give it up one day and contribute what you would have spent on that drink to the luxury fund. There is no need to change your budget or commit to giving a certain amount each month, but just think one day at a time how you're spending your money and see if you can turn that money that you're spending into money that you're giving. You may end up giving $3 a month or $100 a month, there's no pressure, and it's up to you. As much as this is to raise funds for these organizations, it's also to get us thinking about how privileged we are and how we can help others who aren't so privileged.

At the end of this month (July 31st), we'll divide the money that has come into the fund equally between the organizations that we're supporting and we'll tell you what that amount is. Maybe next month that amount will be more, and as the word spreads hopefully the fund will grow.

Please tell anyone and everyone you know about the Luxury fund and we can all be a part of changing and saving lives.

If you have thoughts or stories about what you have given up or anything related to this experiment, please leave a comment below.

Thanks for being a part of this!

Oh yeah, here's another spending statistic for you ...

In 2001, Americans spent more than $2.1 billion in grocery stores and drugstores on breath freshening products.