Financial flourishing isn’t only about building wealth; it’s also about building impact. Lent, which begins on Ash Wednesday, is traditionally a season of reflection, discipline, and generosity. And while rooted in Christian tradition, its framework offers something universally valuable: a defined window to realign your time, money, and energy with what matters most.
At Intrua, we often talk about flourishing and generosity is one of its clearest expressions. Giving back is central to our culture and this season naturally invites a conversation about purposeful stewardship. Even outside a religious context, these ideas translate into something surprisingly powerful: a structured, time-bound opportunity to realign your money with your values.
Think of it as a 40-day financial reset.
What Lent Can Look Like Financially
Before we talk about tactics, it helps to zoom out. A financial approach to Lent doesn’t require dramatic sacrifice or sweeping changes. Instead it’s about intentional, temporary adjustments that sharpen awareness. By choosing a few focused practices around spending, saving, and giving, you create a defined window to reset habits, test new disciplines, and see what truly aligns with your values. Over 40 days, small, purposeful shifts can reveal insights that last far longer. Here are some ideas:
Fast from a Spending Habit
Instead of traditional fasting from food, consider fasting from a discretionary expense. That might mean pausing weekday coffee runs, limiting dining out, or putting a temporary hold on impulse online purchases. Financial flourishing doesn’t happen accidentally. It grows when we consciously direct our resources rather than allowing habits or impulses to decide for us.
And the key is not simply spending less but redirecting what you save. If you typically spend $50 per week on takeout, intentionally transfer that amount into a savings account, toward debt payoff, or into a designated giving fund. Over 40 days, small changes often add up to meaningful momentum.
Create a Lenten Giving Plan
Almsgiving is about generosity with purpose. You might commit to a fixed weekly donation or give a small percentage of your income. Other practices include designating any “unexpected” money (like bonuses or tax refunds) toward a cause you care about.1 Some families even create a “Lenten jar,” placing spare cash or weekly transfers into a designated fund, then donating the total at the end of the season.
These practices build anticipation and intentionality around giving rather than treating it as an afterthought.2 Intentional generosity should be more than just a seasonal practice. It’s one of the most powerful ways financial stability translates into community flourishing.
Experiment with “Give First” Budgeting
Lent can also serve as a test drive for a new financial habit: prioritizing generosity or savings at the beginning of each pay cycle instead of the end. What would it feel like to move 3–5% toward giving or investing before any discretionary spending occurs?
Prioritizing generosity at the beginning of your budget reframes money from something you simply consume to something you steward. A 40-day window provides a low-risk opportunity to try it. If it works, you keep it. If not, you adjust.
Offer Time or Expertise
Generosity isn’t limited to dollars. Lent can also be a season of service. Volunteering, mentoring, or offering professional expertise to someone who needs guidance can be just as impactful as financial gifts. For many, structured seasons of service build a stronger long-term habit of engagement.
Waiting to file, or filing an extension, is not a red flag. For many investors, it’s standard practice.
The Financial Benefits of Participating
Even from a purely practical standpoint, a Lenten reset offers tangible benefits:
- Improved cash flow: A temporary reduction in discretionary spending often reveals surprising financial margin.
- Stronger discipline: A defined start and end date makes it easier to stick with new habits.
- Clearer priorities: Separating wants from needs creates perspective that often lasts well beyond 40 days.
- Greater sense of control: Intentional spending and giving reduce the feeling of money “running the show.”
- Increased fulfillment: Research consistently shows that generosity and purposeful spending improve overall well-being.3 Many people find that generosity reduces financial anxiety because it shifts the focus from scarcity to purpose. This mindset helps supports long-term financial flourishing.
Perhaps most importantly, Lent provides structure. It’s easier to change behavior when there’s a defined timeline and a clear purpose behind it.4
A 40-Day Experiment Worth Trying
You don’t need to be Catholic or even religious to benefit from the framework. View it as a six-week financial experiment. Simplify. Reflect. Redirect
At the end of the season, ask yourself: What did I learn about my habits? What surprised me? Which changes are worth keeping?
Sometimes the most meaningful financial growth doesn’t come from complex strategies. Rather, it can come from small, intentional shifts practiced consistently.
At Intrua, we believe true financial strength creates space for generosity. Empowering All to Flourish means helping you build a life where your resources serve your goals, your family, and your community. And if you’d like to talk through how to incorporate generosity or values-based planning into your broader financial strategy, your advisor is here to help you build a plan that supports both your goals and your convictions.