Preventing "stupid" purchases before you make them and injecting that money into the cause.
What is Diverting: Diverting is an innovative method for altering your spending habits to divert money into poverty-reduction efforts. Take the money you would have given to one industry and inject it into the cause (ie. Divert that $10 in your wallet away from the fast food industry and into poverty-reduction).
Here's the Concept! What industries are you currently giving your money to? Oil companies, beer companies, coffee companies? How can you alter your spending habits to divert some of that money into your favorite cause? You don't have to take a vow of poverty to help the world's poor, just identify opportunities in your daily life to shift your spending habits away from "junk" and into poverty-reduction.
SEND US YOUR DIVERTING VIDEOS
Create goofy and funny videos to send us. Upload your video to YouTube and send the link to press_borgenproject.org.
$5 in your Wallet: Where's it Going?
You could spend it on a beer (donate to Budweiser).
... or you could divert it toward improving living conditions for the world's poor.
How to Divert
Before making a purchase, ask yourself how badly you need it... Don't really need it? Write a check to the cause for however much you would have spent on item. Congratulations you've Diverted! You just prevented yourself from making an unnecessary purchase and diverted that money into the cause! We recommend carrying blank checks with you at all times and writing the check to the cause while in the store or at the moment you've made the decision to divert. This adds to the sense of accomplishment.
Secrets of Great Diverters
1. See the Future: Look at products through the lens of six months from now. The item looks awfully appealing before you buy it, but what value will it have to you in six months? Is it collecting dust? Did you already throw it away? Does it still work? The beauty of diverting is you dont have to change your lifestyle to make a significant impact.
2. Learn from the Past: Look around your home. With items that you now view as "junk" or "clutter" remember the day you bought them. Remember how you had to have it?
