Give more, live...better?
This family gives 25% of their income. It's helped them reconnect, simplify, and thrive.
Many people take the 10% Pledge because it won’t actually impact the way they live. In other words, they tell us that the difference an extra 10% will make to them is very small compared to the enormous good it can do for others.
This sentiment makes perfect sense. Earning an average income in a rich country usually means you’re in at least the richest 5% of the world. And sending money from a richer country to a poorer one usually means your money can go about 100x further.
But recently, we heard from a family whose Pledge does impact the way they live, and even noticeably changes how much they spend.
Meet Jon Watson, one of the bloggers behind Living More with Less. He lives in Brisbane, Australia with his wife, Emelie, and two kids. For Jon and his family, the ~25% they’ve chosen to donate each year is not only a way to do a tremendous amount of good in the world. It’s also helping them live life to the fullest — by spending less.
Above: Jon with some of his family
In one of his blog posts “How we afford to give” Jon writes about what his family values most: freedom, opportunity, simplicity, and meaning. He also references a period in his life when accumulation and luxury started to cause an identity disconnect: he realised he wasn’t living the way he wanted to, and it felt hollow.
Today, he and his family of four live on about one quarter of their AUD 190K household income, and it’s helping them to live more.
“Living with less isn’t about going without or making pointless sacrifices. It’s about being deliberate in our actions to make space for what matters: connection, creativity, contribution, and community,” writes Jon.
I stumbled upon Jon’s blog a few months ago, and wanted to learn more. Serendipitously, before I could reach out, he submitted a member story! I’m really excited for you to read his thoughts about giving and living. Here they are:
1. Tell me about yourself. What keeps you busy and what makes you tick?
I’m a full-time dad, part-time engineer, and full-hearted idealist. I’ve been spending a lot of time reading and writing for my blog promoting progressive environmental and social ideals with a focus on the benefits to the individuals making the changes. I also find myself occupied fixing bikes, shoes, toys and furniture, participating in community groups, growing food (or trying to!) and generally building a life that puts people and planet first.
What makes me tick? I’m a real nerd for knowledge and making good choices. I recognize that ordinary people, giving thoughtfully, can quite easily save lives and add greater purpose to their own. I gave away about 30% of my income last year yet have everything I need. I find joy in nature, purpose in giving, and energy in showing others it’s possible to live more fully by wanting less.
2. You talk a lot about your giving on your blog. Do you have thoughts on being public about your giving?
Peter Singer’s reminder that sharing our giving habits can actually help others overcome inertia really stuck with me. I realised that staying quiet was, in its own way, a missed opportunity. So I made it public, not for praise, but because I can handle a bit of eye-rolling if it means someone else decides to give. I’d already been giving for years when I took the Pledge, but signing it was a way to say, “This matters. It works. You can do it too.” If lives are saved because I spoke up, it’s absolutely worth it.
3. What are the issues in the world that you care most deeply about?
I care most about inequality, climate change, and the systems that keep both in place. It breaks my heart that children still die from preventable causes while others throw out uneaten food. I’m passionate about health, education, and basic dignity, things everyone should have, but millions don’t. I also care deeply about enjoying life, both our own and that of all organisms, now and in the future. Climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution threaten everything, especially for those already struggling. But I’m hopeful. We already have the tools to solve so much. What’s missing isn’t solutions, it’s the will. And in part that requires adopting new models of what constitutes a good life. That’s why I focus on effective giving, community action, and living as if every life truly matters.
4. You write on your blog about your experience volunteering in Vietnam after graduating. Can you tell me more about that?
Emelie and I joined an Australian youth volunteering expedition, hoping our labour and enthusiasm would help others. Unfortunately the program was mostly focused on outcomes for the volunteers and the public image of the agency and left some of the intended beneficiaries worse off than before. Emelie and I stayed on after the program concluded and did what we could to repair the situation, but the key learning was the importance of local knowledge and empowerment of the supported communities. We concluded that we would be far better off working lucrative jobs in Australia to fund effective programs that employ partners from the supported communities.
From then on we spent our next 8 months in SEA immersing ourselves in local culture and lifestyle, cycling through remote regions across Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Yunnan, Thailand and Malaysia. We consistently experienced the greatest warmth and generosity from the people with the least material wealth. This really helped lock in our people and planet first mindset.
5. Do you ever find it difficult to give?
I had some reservations during the start of the COVID lockdowns where there was a fair degree of economic uncertainty. I wondered if I would still be employed in 6 months. But after doing some budgeting I realised there were plenty of other ways I could save that wouldn't really have any impact on my lifestyle or my family's. I think it felt even better to give that year, knowing how hard the recipients also had it.
6. Do you try to effect change in any other way?
Absolutely. Giving is just one piece of the puzzle. I live in a way that reflects my values and do what I can to inspire others without preaching. Like being kind at every opportunity, cycling instead of driving, eating plant-based, sharing tools, fixing instead of replacing, and consuming consciously. I advocate for sustainability and generosity at work, in our community, and through our project Living More with Less, where we share practical steps and personal stories on moving toward a lower-impact, higher-purpose life. My wife and I also raise our kids to think critically about fairness, climate, and compassion. I’ve written to politicians, donated blood, volunteer at a Repair Cafe, been involved with climate change advocacy and helped friends, neighbours and strangers fix things.
7. Any words of advice for other people considering the pledge?
Whether you pledge or not, know that giving is one thing that will make your life better and that choosing effective charities gives confidence it is making someone else's life better too. The same can not be said about any other use you could put that money to, once all true needs have been met.
8. How does having a household of four impact your giving? Do you ever wrestle with how much to set aside for your kids versus how much to donate?
I’m confident in the research that shows children who grow up without a silver platter have better long-term outcomes on all measures, provided they receive the appropriate emotional support.
And even with our relatively frugal lifestyle, our kids have vastly more stuff and opportunities than we did as children and more than the majority of children do now.
But of course, I do struggle with some fear of judgment around this – for example, judgment that we aren’t being good parents by choosing not to do things like “perfecting” our kids’ smile through cosmetic dental work or other similar “opportunities”.
9. What are your visions for the future?
I see a future where success, whether for an individual, a company, or a nation, is measured by the welfare it creates, the lives it uplifts, the resilience it fosters. Where technology serves us instead of enslaving us. Where we embrace personal sufficiency and celebrate public luxury: clean air, thriving ecosystems, good health, shared creativity, meaningful work, and strong communities.
I see an awakening. A rising of purpose beyond profit. A shift in what we value, teach, and reward. Where aggressive and divisive rhetoric is met not with outrage, but with calm, united indifference, or even warmth and compassion. Where conflict becomes an opportunity for deeper understanding and appreciation of the other party.
I see humankind reuniting with the living world. Restoring our place within nature rather than above it. And I imagine us, many generations from now, thriving together with enough wisdom, kindness, and solidarity to face whatever geological or interstellar challenges come our way. Not just surviving, but rising. Together. Not as separate tribes or competing interests, but as one species, on one fragile, beautiful planet.
10. Wow. Do you write poetry in your spare time?
Haha, only for birthdays and anniversaries. But a good question deserves a good answer and we need dreams now as much as ever.
11. Have any books, documentaries, articles or studies significantly changed the way you see giving?
Yes. The Most Good You Can Do and The Life You Can Save (both by Peter Singer) were together the real turning point. I’d already been giving, but they sharpened everything. The case was made so clearly: not only why we should give, but how to give in a way that actually works. It cut through all the excuses, and made me realise how much good even modest giving can do.
12. Thanks so much for speaking with me! Where can people read more?
They can absolutely check out my blog, Living More with Less, and in particular, here are two articles about giving.