rocketman

As prices move up - so does wages. When I started my first job (1984), an hour of min. wage work would buy a good lunch i.e. a "combo meal" at Hardees or Wendy's. Guess what, in 2007 an hour of min wage works buys the same lunch. My guess is that when my Dad was a teen the same thing occured except it was .75 or 1.00. And I would bet (if I was a betting man) that in another twenty years the same hour of wages will buy the same meal - except it might be $20

Andy, Fast Offerings should be given, how you calculate them is up to you. If your usual meal costs you $.50 (eatting ramen or just 2 eggs) and you don't have extra money - a buck is full payment of fast offerings. Later in life you will have the opportunity to pay much more. Where little financial resources are given little is expected to help others - where much is given - much is expected. Here's the way I figure it, (and this is just because now I am much more wealthy than when I was a struggling student). I look at how much I spent on my most expensive meals recently. For me, these are eating out at nice resturants. I use that as my base cost for a meal, and I pay my fast offerings as if four of those meals were purchased (two for me & two for wife). I have used this formula ever since I was a struggling student - when I would eat out for $2, $5 was plently of fast offerings. Later I would spend $10 to $12 each, so my offering was about $50, now its higher - but I can afford more now and I believe more is expected now. The people that are struggling will greatly appriciate the help. Rocketman