Thrifty Thursday - Frugal Giving

This week for my Thrifty Thursday post, I'm talking about giving this holiday season on a budget.

Everywhere you go, charities are asking for help. The Salvation Army has a bell ringer at just about every location (some stores have them stationed at every entrance!), food banks are asking for donations, homeless shelters and animal shelters need your help, etc. It's easy to get overwhelmed and start to tune each and every one out.

Think small. Every little thing helps most charities. Add in a single extra shelf stable food item to each grocery shopping trip. It can be as simple as a 50 cent can of store brand soup. Most stores will have a box at the front that you can drop your donation in.

Choose one type of change - maybe pennies, maybe nickels, maybe quarters and keep those as your donation for the bell ringers and drop them in the kettle each time you go by. At first your donation may seem insignificant, but when you think how many times you may cross paths with the bell ringers during the holiday season, it may really start to add up.

If you coupon, consider donating items from your stash to homeless and battered women's shelters. They are always in need of items such as toothpaste and deodorants, something you can usually score free or very close to free many times throughout the year. If you don't have a large stash, you can always visit the Dollar Tree or similar store - this last trip, I found items such as Oil of Olay body wash and Colgate toothpaste - not trial sizes - and these are perfect for donating at just $1 each.

Watch clearance sections at stores such as Target for toys marked 50% off or more for Giving and Gift Trees. Even during this busy gift season, you can still find great deals to give!

If funds are so tight that you cannot afford to give anything at all, you can still give some very important gifts this holiday season. Volunteering your time for a charity such as by helping to serve a meal, or cleaning cages at an animal shelter is always much appreciated! Another gift you can consider this holiday season, is signing up to be an organ donor if you haven't already. And don't forget another wonderful gift - your prayers!