Years ago I read an article in the NYT Sunday Magazine based on the premise that it takes about $200 worth of vaccinations, etc. to keep a child alive until the age of 18 and that each time you make a purchase, you should consider its worth relative to keeping one child alive long enough to reach adulthood. I'm giving a name to that spending choice - Alt-Spend - and highlighting different non-profits and what they could do with your Alt-Spend. The amounts will change based on the current hot spends.