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 way of doing this is to live on roughly what you would receive if you had to live on benefits, we've looked into benefits payments and provided some guidelines and budget sheets for you to use to decide how much you have to live on for the month, and how much you have left to give away. An even simpler method is to live on £5 a day after your have paid all your housing costs and bills.

We advise you to add up the amount you plan to spend and give beforehand, and show it to a friend for accountability. It would also be great if you can let your church know how much you are hoping to give away, as we will try to get a picture of the Simplify take-up during October.

We'd love you to join us for the month of October 2009. But if that's not realistic, or if a whole month seems unmanageable, you can do Simplify for yourself some other time, or you can live on less for a week or two. Simply tot up your budgets and divide them by four to find out your living and giving for one week.

Because this is not just about how we live for one month, it is about learning lessons that we can use to live lives that are not based on our need for material things. Or come at too high a cost for the world around us. It is about putting what we and others need ahead of what we want, about acknowledging that we have a responsibility to look after our neighbours and the world we share.