Here at BeCentsAble, our mission is “to help families save time and money so they can focus on more important things. We encourage everyone to ‘spread the wealth’ by using their new money-saving skills to give back to their communities.”
Recently one of my best friends and a regular reader of BeCentsAble carried out this mission as she donated over $530 worth of items to a local battered women’s shelter but only spent $220. Although all the money was not from her own pocket, she used her time and bargain-shopping talents to stretch the donated dollars to their fullest potential.
Employees at her husband’s workplace gather donations each year to give to women and children at the local safe house. In addition to donating money, my friend looked at her stockpile of toiletry items from her CVS and Walgreens bargain hunting and knew that there were others who needed them more than her and so she gave it away. “Then,” she said, “it dawned on me. Why not volunteer to help out and do the rest of the shopping?” She took the money that had been donated by co-workers and doubled it, buying twice as much as what could have been purchased without using coupons, sales and other bargain-hunting strategies.
For $220 she donated 130 items including 10 jumbo packs of diapers, 2 $20 Walmart gift cards, 11 packs of batteries, 15 toy items, 3 packages of toilet paper, 12 boxes of Kleenex and too many toiletry and food items to list.
I know most of us don’t have $220 to give away. My friend didn’t either. But she gave what she had, and that is what the true spirit of giving is all about. She met the needs of others by giving of her time and she helped bring light to those who may look back at 2008 as the worst year of their lives. My friend inspires me because I know that she also has had the hardest year of her life so far and yet she continues to reach out to others. I hope that her servant’s heart inspires you as well and that in 2009 we all embrace the spirit of giving all year long.
Other charity on the cheap posts you may be interested in reading:
Over $200 worth of items donated for a cost of around $25.
Two Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes donated for a cost of around $5.00.
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