We have always fit it in regardless of how tight our finances are at the time.

Here are some ideas for giving back on a limited budget...

-Donate your time. Often, getting volunteers is harder than getting cash donations. Even if it is only a few hours here and there, it is appreciated.

-I donate groceries regularly to the church food bank. When I see a good deal at the store I pick up an extra one...sometimes more if it is an item that they are always in need of (cereal, peanut butter, canned soups, etc.). It sort of gets lost in the grocery budget and I don't really notice the money is gone.

-All you ladies that get freebies or stockpile...take your extra health and beauty items (yes, even sample sizes) to a nursing home near you. They are always needing things like shampoo, soap, lotion, etc. Women's and Children's shelters, group homes, and the like will take them too.

-Take your unwanted items to a women's shelter. They will take almost anything as these women often have nothing but the clothes on their back when they arrive. They love clothing, baby items, and any household items to help these ladies get a fresh start on life.

-I also always send a donation to a charity in memory of people who have passed on instead of flowers. If you normally spend the money on flowers, you aren't out anything more and it goes to help someone else.

Anyone else have any ideas?

We try to give but you can't keep up with all the calls one gets begging for money! We give to certain health charities, at church of course, school fundraising, and some grocery items. I always pass along our clothing to others who could use them. Last week I baked brownies for 20 people who were building a house for Habitat For Humanity. I also made a cake for a single guy who goes to our church. He really appreciated it! When finances are more abundant, we give more, but sometime we can't gives as much in the money department, but it's nice to give in other ways too!

No matter what, no matter how little we have, we pay our tithing of 10%. We do extra things on top of that, charities, and kids at Christmas, donating things, and etc, but thiose arent a priority like the tithing is, so some year we do more, some years we do less.

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"And the state of his bathroom -- I'm not one to gossip, but there are things crusted on his sink that have not simply developed intelligent life but have in all probability by now evolved their own political systems." Cain describes Abel in in SANDMAN #70

These are great ideas, Spoodler. It's a great reminder that you don't need to spend a lot of money to give back to your community or causes you believe in.

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I would love to give to the woman's shelter here, but the address is secret for security reasons. How would I go about donating?

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We set up our charitable giving so that it automatically comes out of our account every month.

This way

We don't forget ... and

When people come to the door asking for money, we can honestly say we've given elsewhere.

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Call them.

Some will meet you at a neutral location, and some will let you drop stuff off, it justs depends on the facility.

I do a lot with donating time. I think it is a great idea to donate things that don't hinder you finanially like things to the church garage sale or that old beat up car to a charity.

I knit so Last christmas my knitting group did baby hats for premies in orphanges in Affrica. Lots of things take knitted items. Chemo caps, newborn hats and blankets, Layette sets for burrial of stillborn babies, prayer shawls etc.

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Kimberly Proud Mommy to Bethany Rose April 2006

They usually have a drop off point. Look in the phone book or ask at church. Someone can tell you what they need and they will pick up or let you take to a neutral location. That is such a good charity.

TY Sharry and Spoodler, I'll do that. I get alot of clothes from my SIL that most of the time doesn't fit me. I'd feel so much better if children or the women there could use them, they're nice clothes.

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