I’ve been thinking about the soul of money because, as you know, it’s tax time. Happily, our 2005 return is ready to mail, but once again, Mr. Chattering and I won’t know what we’re really owed; we’re too busy with parenthood and spiritual development to itemize our home-office deductions. A third of our finished basement is consumed by a two-terminal workspace. And I know we’re entitled to deduct a small percentage of our mortgage payment, a bit of our large phone and electric bills, office supply expenses, monthly Internet service, etc.

But we don’t and haven’t for years.

Do you think this points to a generosity of spirit, or a childish relationship with finances? The tax lapse is part of a pattern: I pay babysitters well, tip cab drivers a tad more than most people, and forget to ask for receipts when giving clothes and household items to Salvation Army. It’s not that we can afford this largess, it’s just that I’d actually rather leave our boy’s outgrown bicycles on the sidewalk with a handwritten sign that says, “TAKE! FREE! IT’S YOUR LUCKY DAY!” than sell them on Craigslist. I feel like the universe has a financial ebb and flow. I try not to grasp or cling.

My sister, who itemizes for every business lunch and travel expense, says our relaxed manner with our tax deductions “is stupid! Why GIVE your money to the government?” she asks. It would be better, wouldn’t it, to get the larger refund and donate it to an environmental group.

Anyway, tonight I tried to get my mind straight on this by reading a marvelous book called “Money, Money, Money: The Search for Wealth and the Pursuit of Happiness,” a compilation of interviews with folks who have fresh perspectives on the almighty buck. Of particular interest: a riveting conversation between New Dimensions Radio co-founder Michael Toms and philosophy professor Jacob Needleman (definitely one of the loveliest men in the world). Their idea of making more our spending habits more “conscious” would, in the end, help my dear young Chatterings. I’ve noticed that one of our boys keeps his allowance money floating free in an open box, with bills and coins spilling out. If Mr. C. and I do not get a firmer grip on our purse strings, neither will he.

One last chattering thought: I sometimes appear to overspend to make a point, especially when it comes to food. When I buy additive-free groceries, I am saying to the merchants who control the supply: I honor these products and am willing to pay handsomely for them. In this way, I vote with my dollars and perhaps change the world.

How do you connect your spending habits to your spiritual beliefs?