What do you give up for Lent?

I am giving up the use of my debit card (for anything other than online purchases) and donating the change I get with every purchase to charity. The change I get from meals out will go to the foodbank and the money from other spending will go to a charity non-specific. When something comes to a flat dollar amount (and for every online purchase) I put a dollar in the jar.

I also give up some of my free time everyday and read the daily readings.

This year I VOW to stick with abstaining from meat. My husband has been deployed the last two Lent's and keeping track of days is harder than you'd think- I would always catch myself right after cooking or eating sausage at breakfast!

Wow! I love the change to charity idea!! I am planning to do something similar with the daily readings. I am devoting 15-30 min each day to read my Bible, pray and just have some quiet time. Disconnect from everything else! Not sure about the meat thing. Maybe next year for that!! I hope it goes well! Would love to add you as a friend!

Ugh... I am going to aim for giving up pop - again. This is a hard one, because when it comes to going out for a drink, adding rum to a diet pepsi is my favorite now, since I've been watching calories. But - the point is for it to be hard. Plus a trip to Hawaii and a drive from Colorado... oh, what am I doing trying to take this on?! Good thing... I'll be getting in my water!

Oh - and I like to try and DO something, not just give up something... so I have a journal from Women of Faith that I'm going to begin - with short thoughts each day and limited space to write. I'd like to believe I will get to Mass or Rosary at least once a week... but we'll see. Rosary is built into my schedule at work... so I guess I'll try that one - Rosary each week.

Can't believe it's Fat Tuesday today...

Eating out at all. No quick trips to the gas station, no drive throughs, no sit down restaurants. Nothing. Just what I make at home!

I usually give up sodas and fried foods but since I rarely have those items now, I deactivated my Facebook acct.

good idea.

The boyfriend and I are giving up fast food and are eating vegetarian one day a week (in addition to our no meat on Fridays). I'm pretty excited, actually .

I really really..wanna give up sweets and junk food. I can't say I will though..

This year I have decided to give up Lent for Lent.

Loves it! :laugh:

in the past I have given up bread and potatoes. Last year it was Facebook. This year I am giving up the scale, since I weigh myself everyday. I plan to log and keep up with my calories and exercise, but will stay off the scale for the next 6 weeks.

FAcebook.

IT IS DONE

I love being Catholic and the opportunity to observe Lent! (Also love that other faiths chose to observe it as well!) This year I'm giving up the mindless use of my iPhone. When I'm bored, or even when I have the opportunity to play with my son or spend time with my husband, I've found myself on my phone just wasting time! Well NOT anymore! I've also decided to put a little more effort into "being my husbands girlfriend" again!

One year I gave up Wal-Mart....I didn't step foot in the place for the entire 40 days! I went to every other store BUT there!
It was amazing!

Last year we gave up fried food and chocolate.....the fried food we stuck with and have now been fried food free for one year...unless we eat at a restaurant then the husband and kids go for it if they want, I usually don't but I do have the occasional french fry.....just nohing fried at home anymore!

This year I am giving up ice cream and frozen yogurt(yes, this is a saccrifice for me. I eat ice cream almost every day)
I have a few other things that I'm planning on cutting back on but not truly givng up completely!

Good Luck everyone!

Anglican/Protestant here - no need to observe Lent with a huge act but I've used the time to try to give something up in a act of solidarity.

Meat (except Seafood)
Daytime smoking
Nighttime alcohol nightcaps
Deadly sin: Sloth - as an act to keep busy and root out inactivity and make changes to initiate a difference in areas of my life that need attention and deserve action.

I had a midnight steak, few scotch, a few smokes late last night as a symbolic last before I start to the next 40 days of absence.

I am giving up Chocolate! I already want some! grrrrr!!!

I've been thinking about this all day today. Was going to be pizza, but since there is a Lean Cuisine Roasted Vegetable Pizza sitting on my desk waiting for lunch, I think I would be off to a bad start.

I like the debit card idea, but my bank doesn't have enough ATM's, so I would end up paying a fortune in fees.

I think I will give up my $1.25 daily Diet Coke from the vending machine and put the money in my son's rice bowl for school.

I stopped giving up typical things and started giving up my time and some $$.

I go buy lunch sacks and fill them with daily essentials and some food and water and one scripture. Then on the first day I make sure I give a pack to one person and then each day I add a person.

Other than that I do fast.