$ + Meaning = Value

I was reading an article the other day about how pennies and nickels are becoming less and less practical. It actually is more expensive for the US mint to make a penny or nickel than for us to use one: 1.79 cents for a penny and 9.22 cents for a nickel.

What exactly is your money worth?

When it comes to money, the value printed on our currency does not really convey what its true value is. For example, if I am struggling to make ends meet, a $1 bill is worth a lot more to me than to someone who has a high paying job and no debt. And, if I'm spending my money to buy a beloved family member a gift, the dollar price on that gift does not adequately convey the value that I have added to the item because of who I am giving it to. A $1 bill isn't always worth just $1.

So, what does $20 mean to you?

At its lowest level, $20 is to me:
Not even half of my phone bill, cable/internet bill, or electric bill
About two and a half bags of dog food for Darcy
Four times I meet my friends for coffee and only buy one drink
Less than what I'll need to buy a hardcover book

But what if we take that same $20 and give it more value by using it for something much more important that my wireless internet, overpriced coffee, or another book that I should have just gotten from the library?

$20 can give one person clean water for 20 years. Think of how much value that $20 now has. An adult or child no longer has to walk miles every day to access clean water. The threat of violence in that individual's life has now decreased because they are not spending so much time on the road. A child can now consistently attend school. Another child is no longer at as high a risk for illness. An adult can focus on working to raise money to support their family rather than worry about how they are going to provide clean water for them.

That's an awful lot of value added to one $20 bill. Does your money have any value?