Looking for ways to give back or pay it forward? Josh Elledge from www.savingsangel.com has 7 tips to help you brainstorm.
- Help a student. “Students typically need to raise money for at least one activity or event every year,” Elledge said. “Don’t want what they’re selling? Ask if simply giving them cash is ok.”
- Hold a second hand sale for a cause. “Save yourself a lot of work by making the sale by donation only, rather than pricing everything,” Elledge said. “Use social media to get out the details of the sale and cause.”
- Tip generously. “Even if the service is poor, we typically give less when the server doesn’t do a good job,” Elledge said. “But we don’t know what they’re going through outside the restaurant so it may actually be the best time to give more generously.”
- Buy someone’s coffee or lunch. “Ask the cashier quietly and leave before they even know you did it,” Elledge said. “This method of giving back works especially well for showing appreciation to police officers, first responders and emergency personnel.”
- Use coupons for new items just to give away. “If you belong to mailing lists for places like JC Penney or Sears from time to time you should receive really good coupons that result in free or almost free merchandise,” Elledge said. “Use them to pick up things you could give to a needy family or give to an organization that distributes new goods.”
- Comb clearance with others in mind. “While you're already out shopping pick up deeply discounted goods that could work right now for needs in your community or stockpile for holiday drives such as toys for tots or angel tree.
- Buy groceries and health and beauty items just to donate. “When you combine sales and coupons you can get perfect items to donate every week for pennie on the dollar.”
