You don't have much money, but you know you should give to charity. How can you plan your budget so that it gives you something back?
Choose how you want to give.
You can choose from a few different ways to give money to charity. You could choose one charity and use a pre-authorized payment plan to give money to it every month. You could choose to give a set amount each month to a different charity. You might even decide that instead of giving money to charities on a regular basis, you will give money every time someone asks you to at the grocery store or the office. Even though this last one sounds like it might be cheaper, it often ends up costing more because you don't keep track of how much you spend.
No matter how you decide to give your money to charity, be sure to plan for a little extra. You could buy a candy bar from the kid at the door, or you could buy something at the bake sale.
Keep track of the money you give.
Keep a record of what you've given. This will let you keep track of how much you spend, which can help you decide if the amount you donate now is too much or too little based on how much money you make. People used to give away 10% of their income to charity, but you can decide how much or little you want to give.
Check out your charities.
You want the charity money you give to be used well. Some of the largest charities in the world have overhead costs that are as high as 60%. Go to the websites of your charities to see how they spend their money. You should choose charities with low administrative and advertising costs so that you know your money will go directly to helping people in need or to research.
Donate Alternatives
Maybe you can't even pay your bills, let alone give to charity, because you don't have enough money. You could instead give your time. You could help a local charity by collecting money or getting paperwork in order. Most of the time, charities will be more grateful for your time because they need help.
You can also give old cars, clothes, and furniture to charity. Find out what types of collections are held in your area. You might even want someone to come take away your old things if you are doing spring cleaning. Give away things you no longer need, but don't give away trash. If you don't need something, get rid of it. You'd be surprised at how many things you can donate, like soup labels, grocery store receipts, pop can tabs, and even eyeglasses.
Have fun with it.
Most of the time, charities put on events that are fun. You can have a great time at a charity dinner, especially because you know you're doing it for a good cause. You might buy a ticket for a 50/50 draw because there's a chance you might win if they call your number. If a charity is selling something you don't really need, think about whether you could buy it as a gift for someone else. Your friend might be happy to have the baby blanket you just knit, even though you wouldn't have used it.
Pick a charity from the list.
Sometimes you have to spend money, so why not give it to a good cause? For example, if you need your car washed, you might think about going to the charity car wash instead of the car wash at the gas station.
Sometimes, schools or churches sell cheese or oranges to raise money. You can buy cheese and citrus fruits from the charity instead of the grocery store and feel good about how you are spending your money.
No matter how much or how little you make, you can always help people who need it more than you do. Small things that make a big difference can make you feel better about yourself.
