2020 has been a tough year for the vast majority. Lots of fundraising events for charities have all been cancelled this year due to Covid, small businesses have been forced to close their doors and lots of individuals have faced redundancy. I wanted to put together a list of ways to help support local communities, individuals, charities and more without spending loads of money.
Support Independent Businesses / Shop Local
A lot of the huge retail giants will be fine for Christmas this year whereas lots of smaller businesses may not see another festive period without support. I’m all for buying the occasional treat coffee from a stand alone coffee shop as opposed to global chain and other similar small purchases. With most physical shops closed there are still ways to support smaller individuals such as buying from creatives on Etsy. If you’re intending to buy something anyway why not try to shop small if the price is very similar? Asking around friends and family is also a good way to find small businesses, you may find a friend who is a The Body Shop representative, another who makes cards etc.
Supporting Charities
Whilst charity shop doors may be physically closed there’s a lot of charities which have eBay accounts and sell items on their to raise much needed funds. Admittedly prices tend to be a bit higher than in the shops but fairly equal to what lots of private sellers are listing things for. Other ways to help can be collecting donations and keeping hold of them until the stores are allowed to reopen. I see lots of goods just dumped on the street which is such a shame and a waste. It you sell on eBay yourself you could consider donating a percentage to charity. This is very easy to do via eBay and can be as little as 5% which although sounds small all adds up.
Giving To Local Food Banks
Earlier this year I signed up to a cashback app called Shopmium which either partially or totally refunds your purchase on a specific item bought in a specific store. It’s possible to get free food products and I think it’s a lovely idea to claim these and donate to local banks. Most bigger supermarkets have collections for these near the entrance or exit. What with supermarket value ranges it’s so easy to contribute to these without spending a lot of money. For example 50p could easily cover 2 bags of pasta in Tesco.
Asking Friends And Family When Having Clear Outs
I’ve been very lucky with relatives having clear outs giving me items which have saved me money. I’d estimate a good third of my work wardrobe is second hand and passed along to me which has helped me out a lot. I’ve previously done book swaps with friends, given a keen plant mum some empty plastic pots I wouldn’t use etc. Small actions like this can do someone a good turn without ever costing any money and it reduces waste too. I once had a landlady gift me a beautiful winter coat that was destined for the charity shop when she realised I was struggling in exchange for me listing some items on eBay for her, it worked out well for us both.
Giving Your Time
I appreciate not everyone has the time to spare but asking friends or family you intended to buy Christmas gifts for if there’s anything you could do to help instead could make a world of difference. It could be really simple, cost next to nothing but be a huge help to them. Before lockdown 2.0 a friend offered to take me by car to a Tesco superstore every 2 or 3 weeks to stock up as I only lived near tiny shops and deliveries were impossible to come by. It made my life so much simpler, I didn’t have to worry about physically carrying it all home and was able to actually stock the cupboards properly.
Comments Welcome
Forever Saving For A Rainy Day 