NCET Biz Tips: The five-dollar difference

An age-old question is ‘Can money buy happiness?’, so what do you think? Can money buy happiness? I’m sure you’re already thinking, ‘Of course not!’, but I digress…

Now I know this might be a new thought for some of you, but your money doesn’t really matter… what you put it into, does. Let me explain:

If I gave you a million dollars and you put it in your safe, in five years it would still be one million dollars. It wouldn’t change at all.

If you put it into a high interest savings account, in five years you’d have quite a bit more. But what if you put that same million into a lucrative investment? In five years, you’d likely have significantly more money.

So, the money doesn’t really matter, what you put it into does! Now using that frame of mind, what if I told you the way we spend our money can and does affect our happiness?!

Science has proven that there's so much good that comes from ‘prosocial’ spending or giving to someone other than ourselves.

When we give to others, whether it’s 5 million dollars, or 5 dollars, there are real, tangible positive changes in us mentally, emotionally, and even physically!

So, let’s give this a try! I don’t have a million dollars to give you, but I do have five easy five-dollar differences that you can do today!

1. The Drive-Thru Pay It Forward (Cost: $5-10): Paying for the coffee of the person behind you, is one of the easiest ways to make a difference in someone’s day.

2. The “Essentials” Bag (Cost: $5): The “Essentials Bag” as I call them are toiletry kits in Ziplock bags filled with basic essentials: toothbrush, toothpaste, floss picks, a razor, a pack of wet wipes, a pack of gum, bottle of water and couple bucks. Keep a few of these in your car to hand out.

3. The Random Hand-off (Cost: $5): The Random Hand-off is probably the easiest difference to make. Keep a couple five-dollar bills in your car to hand out to someone in need.

4. The extra tip: It doesn’t matter how much the bill is. That’s not the point. The point is to give an EXTRA five bucks, no matter the bill. Think about how many service industries have tips. Pretty much every restaurant, coffee shop, bar, pizza place gladly welcomes tips, so if you’re leaving a tip, leave an EXTRA five bucks.

5. The literal five-dollar difference: Share the principles of The five-dollar difference with someone and then give them a five-dollar bill so they could go make a difference that same day. Not only are you making a difference, but now you’re giving them the opportunity to be part of the movement as well.

Also, by giving them a five-dollar bill, you’re eliminating the common excuse of, “I’d love to help, but I don’t have five bucks.”

There you have it, five easy five-dollar differences. Soo…which one will you start with?

At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter where you live, how much money you have or give, or even how old you are... when you give to others, YOU are happier!

The five-dollar difference is a one-of-a-kind presentation where participants learn analogies and hear real-world examples of how they can expand their giving to make the biggest impact possible and each participant receives a $5 bill to go make a difference in their communities right then!

Learn more about the five-dollar difference at https://www.ncet.org/ncet-event-calendar/ncet-biz-bite-the-five-dollar-difference-jason-candler.

Jason Candler is a father, and also a grandfather to two beautiful grand babies: Ember Lee and Ryleigh Grace... with a third one on the way!

He is a truly a big kid at heart. Like his favorite author, Og Mandino, he worked as a life insurance consultant for a national company before opening his own agency.

His passions include spending time outdoors with his family and friends, exploring new hot springs, swimming in Lake Tahoe, cooking, photography, and training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu — he currently holds a purple belt.

He shares the five-dollar difference wherever his journeys take him. When he’s not busy exploring his passions, he can be found cheering for his favorite team, the Seattle Seahawks. GO HAWKS!