i made a nickel today.

i love money. Despite the overwhelming belief that money cannot purchase happiness, i would argue that it can. At the very least, it definitely provides a very satisfactory unhappiness that i could live with. Whether you buy TVs, video games or just spend money on other things that you don't really need, there is most likely a better way to spend it (at least one that would benefit someone else).
Donating money to support causes other than my personal drinking habit actually does provide a good feeling. i definitely don't give enough to those in need or any noble cause, aside from my monthly donation to Aunt Sallie (bitch).
So, the other day, Megan was opening the mail and there was a letter from The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Not only did they send her free mailing label stickers, they sent her a nickel. i'm not sure how i feel about that.
In the letter, it says "please return your nickel along with your most generous gift to help save the lives of children" Hey now, Indian-giver. If you wanted your nickel, you shouldn't have sent it to us. i like how they send us a nickel, give us ownership over it by calling it 'your nickel' and ask for it back all in the same sentence. Not that we want your precious nickel, i mean the last time i used one was probably 3 years ago taking the toll road to Chicago.
So what are we supposed to do?
A) you keep the nickel and use the labels hoping God doesn't hold it against you for taking from a charity without giving.
B) send back just the nickel and a letter that says you can't be bribed (unfortunately, the stamp would end up costing you money).
C) send back a dime and tell them to keep the change.
D) just donate money to another cause you feel like supporting (including the nickel you were sent)
E) just send them some money and congratulate them on their ability to guilt you into donating

We still haven't decided on our course of action, but i did check them out at www.charitynavigator.org (a review site for charities) and they do have an overall 3 out of 4 rating. Sidenote: While i was at that site, they asked me for money. So i attempted to find a review for Charity Navigator. They do not have a review, but they did give reasons why.

But really, is spending 50,000 nickels cost effective?

Conclusion: That's only $2,500. If just 1 out of every 100 people are guilted into donating $20, that's $10,000 or a profit of $7,500. That leaves 49,500 people sitting there with a nickel writing a blog about how a charity made them feel shitty about their life and proving that maybe money can't buy happiness, but a lousy nickel can cause certain levels of distress. Not to mention, my whole life i have been spelling nickel with the L before the E, and now i have that to worry about.