Uncle Sam counts it! :)

As for donations, I have a car full of boxes of winter clothing that I'm dropping off on the way home tonight - much of it never or gently used. I have a Christmas tree looking for a good home, as well as having donated a lot of stuff (tools, food, & general things) to various charities. EASILY, the net worth would be 10% of my income, on top of the tithing. I'm not even going into the number of things I've donated to either my sorority or the Panhellenic, or the time spent reading to older people who can't see to read that well.

I really, really don't want to come off as holier than thou, because I'm not. I just think that it would be a much better world if everyone gave 10% - in money, in tithes, in time, whatever.

As Albert Schweitzer said, "Service to others is the rent you pay for the space you occupy on earth."

I mean I guess based on that website it is just dollars & cents. However, The people in those "generous states" probably don't write a check and get it over with any more than the "less generous states." Because I know that I also donate time, clothes, books that aren't counted. But I don't tithe either. I know lots of people who do but my church never practiced that. We have always given donations to the church but I'm not sure it was 10%...we didn't exactly calculate it. Also a far as what constitutes charitible worlk...what if someone is required to do community service due to breaking the law...does that count. And if tithes count...does involvement with the church count. So I think that a survey based on time spent would be difficult. Not that it would be the same or different...and not that time spent is any less valuble. I just think that would be difficult to judge.

hottytoddy, I think you've given all of us something to think about - good topic!!!

I think that when you are evaluating these differences you have to look at the cost of living in each state as well. Real estate in Connecticut is absolutely insanely high. Salaries tend to be higher in areas where the cost of living is higher. I bought a 1350 sq. ft, 3 bedroom ranch with no garage and a 120 x 60 lot for $137,000 in Michigan. My brother, the same year, bought 10 acres, lake front, wooded property with a 2500 sq. ft house with garage and pole barn for $119,000 in Arkansas. Who has more disposable income? Definitely him!

Dee

Yeah living in Mississippi is cheap!

Here is an incredibly over simplified model:

Poor state:
Salary=10
Costs=5
Disposable income=10-5 (=5)

Rich state:
Salary=20
Costs=10
Disposable income=20-10 (=10)

IMO, this shouldn't affect anything much. I may be forced to pay 2K a month in rent if I live in NYC, but I'd also be paid more...

-Rudey

For once, I agree with Rudey. And the woman says in her article (unless, of course, I misunderstood) that they take the average income and subtract out the average charitable contribution... It really should be done by percentages. And even then, if you want to get technical, that's not very fair. I've always found the whole 10% thing a bit wrong (sorry if I'm sounding sacreligious here) because I barely make enough to pay expenses, so even though $100 isn't 10% of my income, it kills me to give it up. Wheras, someone who makes 1,000,000 can give up 10%, leaving 900,000... even once you subtract out taxes, it's a very nice chunk of change to have a great car, house, and send the kiddies off to college. Hence the reason we have a graduated tax policy in the U.S. Wouldn't that be cool... a graduated tithing policy, where it shows how much you really should be giving? And what if the Republicans are giving this much just as a write-off, and not because of the goodness in their heart (since they are the stereotypical wealthier of the population)? I mean, I'm not exactly at the point that I can write off my $100 on my taxes, but the wealthy sure are. Just a thought.

Cost of living and and salary often go hand in hand; when you talk about areas such as NYC, San Francisco and Boston, where real estate is truly "insanely" high, you're also talking about higher average salaries. (being from CT, I can tell you that housing prices aren't THAT high in most parts of the state; real estate taxes are a whole other story though).

When you're talking about disposable income though, to be completely general, I'd think it usually works out the same. This isn't to say that the guy behind the counter of a 7-11 in NYC, living in NYC wouldn't have considerably less money to use, but again I'm speaking very generally.