How good does it feel to Pay It Forward (PIF)? I have paid for the guy/gal behind me at the drive thru or printed out an extra coupon for Michael's and brought it with me to give someone. Just because your broke doesn't mean you can't Pat It Forward! Sometimes all it takes is time. TipHero had a few ideas on how to frugally Pay It Forward and I wanted to share them with you!
- Roll Spare Change. Collect all of your
spare change and roll it up. You can take half of what you gathered to a
favorite charity or an animal shelter. You'll be surprised by how much
you find and you won't even miss it when it's gone.
- Coupons. You might get coupon inserts in
your Sunday paper or in the mail. Maybe you use them and maybe you
don't. There might even be many that you don't have a need for such as
ones for pet food or diapers. Many grocery stores have coupon exchange
bins at the entrance where you can drop off your unwanted coupons or you
can give them to families that you know of that use products that you
don't. I also leave coupons tucked beside the product they are for around the store.
- Time. Giving your time doing a bit of yard
work for an elderly neighbor, or watching a friend's small children
while she runs errands are very valuable gestures. Volunteer groups are
always looking for additional help.
- Food Pantry. Food pantries need
contributions year-round. The next time you see grocery items at
rock-bottom sale prices or a buy one get one free promotion, just toss a
few extras in the cart. Every time you've collected a small amount,
simply swing by a food bank and make you donation. I do this all of the time, usually to friends/family/neighbors. I clean out my pantry and freezer every time I know someone I know is having a hard time. I appear on their front porch with several bags of groceries and a smile. It makes me feel so good to see them smile!
- Clothing Drive. While donating your old
clothes to clothing drives, women's shelters, and the Salvation Army is
charitable in itself, why not take it a step further and throw some new
items into the mix. Snagging heavily discounted toys after the holidays
or hitting up end-of-season clearance sales will offset your
out-of-pocket expense. Recently, Wal-Mart had T-shirts and shorts marked down to a buck!! I stocked up on various sizes and brought them to school. SEVERAL kids truly needed a few new items.
What are some other ideas do you have for PAYING IT FORWARD? What are some things you have done?? After all, we are in this thing called LIFE together!
