Here in the Frugal Living Blog, we talk a lot about how to save money and be thrifty. And now that we are in the middle of the holiday season, we are focusing a lot on having a frugal Christmas, from decorating to gift giving. We pinch those pennies and make our money go as far as it can. But, as you know, there is a difference between being frugal and being stingy. Sometimes, our frugality makes us better people beyond saving money. How?
Well, one thing I have noticed about people who pinch their pennies, is for the most part, they are good stewards of their money, and in turn, good stewards when it comes to taking care of others in the world. Far from the scrooge-like characterization that many people have of the truly frugal, people who save money and reuse things are in a great position to be generous, and they often are.
One mission that I have for myself this season is to find some way to bless someone else every day with something tangible. It is a gift that I give myself (and my family for the lessons my children learn) for the holidays. Some ideas I have that help me be generous:
Making an extra homemade casserole for an elderly neighbor.
Visiting the thrift store and stocking up on nice baby clothes for an expectant mother.
Using coupons to get free items from the grocery store and then dropping them off at a food pantry or the store’s food collection box.
Going through our Christmas ornaments to select some extras, and then purchasing a small tree with an online deal so we can donate it to a needy family from our old neighborhood.
Donating some of our cleaning and health and beauty stockpile.
Picking up diapers on freecycle for a local pregnancy center.
Buying coats at the thrift store’s half price sale day and then donating them to a coats for kids program.
I’m hoping that I will come up with many more suggestions this season. Do you have any ideas?
Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, technology in the Computing Blog, and creating a home in the Home Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here.
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