Supporting local charities and causes in my hometown is something that is near and dear to my heart. But unfortunately, I don?t have much money built into my monthly budget for charitable giving because much of my income is going toward paying off my consumer debt and student loans, not to mention trying to build a decent sized emergency fund.
Thus, I?ve had to get creative in order to be able to give more to charity without spending a lot of money. Here are a few things I?ve done to increase my charitable donations without busting my budget.
Donate Your Stuff
I?ve touched on this before, but one way I give to charity is by donating my clutter. I don?t mean this in a degrading way at all. When I go through and decide that I?m no longer going to keep something I decide if it?s Ebay worthy or yard sale worthy, donation worthy, or only worthy of going in the trash.
Obviously the best stuff that I?m getting rid of is going to be put aside for my next yard sale or donated. Plus, after my yard sale is over I always donate whatever is leftover too.
Use Coupons for Your Charitable Donations
My monthly budget does include a line item for charitable donations, but it?s a very small amount ($10). Luckily, I?ve found a way to make my $10 stretch into several shopping bags worth of stuff for a local women?s shelter. Our local women?s shelter will occasionally spread the word that they are in need of certain items, like toothpaste, deodorant, makeup and beauty products, or feminine hygiene items.
Lots of these things are actually pretty pricey to go buy at the store and they don?t accept used products for obvious (hygienic) reasons. But because one of my hobbies is couponing, I can usually donate quite a bit of these kinds of things throughout the year. Whenever I can get these items for next to nothing I stock up and then when they say they need more donations, I can gather up my stockpile and donate it to them. They loving getting my donation and they never have to know that I got most of the items for nearly free thanks to coupons.
Give Your Free Time
Another great idea you can use to make a difference without sacrificing any of the money you have ear-marked for debt repayment?is to volunteer your time. Between my full-time job, my part-time job, my blog, and my online side hustles, I don?t have a lot of free time these days but I always find a way to fit in volunteer work when one my favorite organizations calls me up needing help with something.
For instance, I?m going to be spending two Saturdays in a row helping with 4-H events in my hometown. I could certainly be using that time to work on other things, but it?s a cause that?s important to me so I make time for it when they need help.
Giving to charity and organizations in your community doesn?t mean you have to break the bank. In fact, lots of organizations are happier to receive these things, especially volunteer labor, instead of just a check hastily written out to their cause.
How do you fit charitable giving into your budget? What tricks do have you found works best to stretch your charitable donations? Do you donate throughout the year, or just at specific times?
Photo courtesy of: Kathryn Harper
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My wife and I donate old clothing and goods around our house all of the time. We usually make a run to the Salvation Army store 3 times a year with a few bags of stuff.
In addition to this, we volunteer a good bit. We never get turned down as charities are always looking for help.
Lastly, I run a lot of 5k races on the weekends. The cost of entry is usually around $20 and it goes to a charity. So I get a good run in and help out at the same time.
Those are all great ways to donate to charity without putting a strain on your budget. Good ideas!
We definitely donate a bunch of stuff to charity. I know that we could make money on it by selling it via Craigslist or eBay, but I feel better about donating it.
I do sell some of my stuff, but I donate quite a bit of it too. Selling can be a big hassle for little reward.
We love giving of our time, and donating the stuff we no longer need as well. It’s nice knowing that we’re helping other families by giving away things we don’t use anymore.
Those are great ways to give without having to have a line item in your budget for it.
Time is really important because most can’t give it and it is something that is priceless. I really find time whenever there’s a charity. And I find time to look for stuff that I can share with.
I try to find time too, but it can be difficult…
Those are great ideas. Another way to stretch your donation is by doing a charity walk or other fundraising event. In addition to your own donation, getting friends and family to contribute can really make a difference.
Great idea!