Simplify: Live Small - Think Big

We'll learn how to Simplify - to make the most of our time, relationships and money - from people who already live on less, and we'll give the money we save away to support those who have no other option.  One of the Simplify challenges is to live on roughly what you would receive if you had to live on benefits for a month and give the rest away to charity. An even simpler method is to live on £5 a day after your have paid all your housing costs and bills.

Over a hundred people used our guidelines to work out their budget and lived as if on benefits for the month of October. Now, as the festive time is approaching we are turning our attention to how we can simplify what is a very consumerist, busy and often stressful time of year.

Trying to simplify Christmas may be quite a different ball game to a month living on £5 a day as there is so much pressure to spend. But we need to recapture the message of giving that is at the heart of Christmas and practice generosity as a radical response to the recession. This would make a massive difference to those who find it an extremely difficult time of year due to severe lack of finance.

Check out the tips and resources that will get you thinking about what you are going to choose to do for Christmas. Could you take the radical challenge of halving last year's spending this year and giving the rest you would have spent to the poor?  Maybe you can make small changes that will make a big difference?

Just because something is "what we do at Christmas", is it obligatory or even very meaningful any more? Surely we can have a joyful, Jesus centred holiday that is less materialistic, more generous and more ethical.