Following up on my post exactly one month ago on The Give Blog: in today's Chicago Tribune, Champaign Husband, Wife Are Ultra-Frugal So They Can Help Charities; They Aren't Giving Christmas Gift to One Another, but They Hope to Give Away $50,000:
Suja Thomas, who wears socks with holes, isn't giving her husband anything for Christmas. Likewise, when Scott Bahr proposed to Thomas in spring 2008, he offered her a red plastic heart in place of an engagement ring.
The Champaign couple's intense frugality is by design. Their idea is to save as much as possible in order to give more money to others in need. This Christmas, the pair raised the stakes. Thomas and Bahr have pledged to give up to $50,000 of their own money to five charities by matching donations from others.
As of Tuesday afternoon, they had raised close to $20,000 — short of their $50,000 goal. Still, it means that five charities will split a minimum of $40,000.
Their campaign was launched Nov. 23 and runs through Thursday. After that, the couple will continue to encourage the spirit of giving through their Web site, The Give Blog: Conscious Living and Giving. "In our lives, we have been looking for the next thing to make us happy — a new bike, a new shirt, going to the movies, going out to eat, cable, or the next vacation," the couple said in their mission statement. "We have discovered that we obtain the most fulfillment in our lives, from looking beyond these daily cravings to what our money can do for people who are in need."
The couple can afford a comfortable life. Thomas, 43, is a law professor at the University of Illinois. Bahr, 41, who also works at the university, is a controls programmer in the facilities and services department.
Please consider helping Suja and Scott reach their goal by making an online gift to one or more of the five charities (as my wife and I have):
Other Law Prof Blogs (and other legal blogs) have embraced this worthy cause:
