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Generous and Frugal

4K views 27 replies 24 participants last post by  bookwormpeg 
#1 ·
What are your favorite ways to be generous and frugal?
 
#2 ·
~Having people over for dinner. With the frugal, homey way I cook it isn't that expensive but looks impressive. A meal I cooked recently for company: a baby spinach, colby and strawberry salad with lime dressing, fried chicken, brown rice, fresh mushroom gravy, Southern green beans and Dutch apple pie. It's super fun to enjoy a yummy meal with people especially when most people these days rarely have homey meals. Most people think it's a big treat but it doesn't cost a lot. And most people bring a goodie to share(DH's friends bring good beer)so the expense evens out a bit with the surprises.~
 
#4 ·
I take meals to families with new babies. I just double the meal I'm making for my family and deliver it. I can often stretch the meat so I'm only using 1 to 1.5 pounds for two families.
 
#5 ·
Passing on my children's outgrown clothing and toys instead of selling them at a garage sale or consignment. This is one of my favorite ways to be generous and frugal.
 
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#7 ·
I'm with imagine on trying to donate kids stuff to people I know rather than selling it or taking the tax write-off by donating it to Goodwill. I'd rather help people out personally, and I think it builds goodwill. Last year I gave away a pair of LL Bean snow boots that were probably $50-$75 new to a good friend, and last month she gave me her pack and play for Oliver. That's the kind of basic goodwill I feel good about building.

Also, I like taking all the free stuff I get with coupons, mostly HBA's, and donating them to food-banks. Same idea with taking all the sample size products I get and sending them away for the boxes that are put up for soldiers serving overseas.

And this is smaller, but I like leaving coupons I'm not going to use on the shelf for others to find.
 
#8 ·
I will donate items I get for free with a coupon to a shelter or someone who can get it to someone who needs it. Usually stuff like toothpaste and deoderant. Also swap magazines or movies with a couple friends. Sometimes I will make an extra pet toy to give to a friend with a cat or dog.

Also like to have a couple people over for a meal. Usually I use a protein I purchased on sale and cook up some seasonal veggies. They usually bring something also.
 
#12 ·
For the adults in the family we don't buy birthday presents - (so they probably think we are cheap)

Instead they get an "honor card" from our favorite charity. Little do they know we spend far more on the donation than a present would cost.
 
#14 ·
I made those for Christmas presents. They were very well received. My mom says they are almost always a conversation starter at the grocery store as every one wants to know about them.

Funny story, one time the cashier tried to ring them up and then find the scanner tag as she thought they were t shirts they were selling. LOL

I love using my t shirt bags.
 
#15 ·
I buy the loss leaders at the grocery (canned beans or vegs, pasta, PB, etc) and put them in the food bank bin. I also buy canned food for the animal shelter every time I buy cat food for mine.

I used to cook for people nearly every week, but a lot of them didn't appreciate it. They'd show up late, or not at all, or want to rush off as soon as the plates were cleared, like this was some kind of fast food restaurant.
 
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#16 ·
I giveaway our clothing to people who need it...same with outgrown toys or misc. house items that are too good to throw away...also love cooking...made a beautiful Thai special fried rice 2 weekends ago and it was a huge batch that fed 15 people as a main dish for able 15 bucks(it had shrimp in it).
 
#20 ·
I volunteer time, talent and some money (a very little bit). I volunteer through the church to work the kitchen for special events. Kitchen help ends up taking leftovers home. I can't eat it. But DH and the boarder can.

I am part of a group that swaps unwanted things. Sunday I brought home a garbage bag full of puzzles. I donate most of my used stuff to this group to get rid of it.

I try to set up barter situations with people, so they get the fun and joy of giving too. I think it improves people's sense of self worth if they know they have some talent/thing/information that other people value.

And I also out and out just give. Even if it's to play vocabulary games on FreeRice.com to feed the hungry, or click on Greater Good buttons to donate/support/direct donations for less fortunate people.

I make sure to try and make someone's day by phoning and saying 'hi', or by just being pleasant instead of being self-absorbed and distracted. Sometimes it's as simple as leaving DH's favourite candy bar (which I buy in bulk on discount) on his pillow for when he comes home from work. He laughs at me and enjoys his treat. I love to hear him laugh. :)
 
#21 ·
I too donate more time/talent than tangible items. . . I teach sewing/crochet/knitting at a local homeless shelter , teaching things like basic mending, simple alterations such a hemming. . . crochet a potholder, knit a scarf, etc.

I also teach a free class through the local community college . It's offered in the fall semester each year, on having a frugal and homemade Christmas.

I do donate some excess garden produce to the local food pantry, or on a give away table at church. . . . donate items to the local crisis pregnancy center (usually handmade from items that were given to me)
 
#22 ·
Even cleaning out the closets can help someone in need. Tornado went through here three weeks ago. City was lucky as only one big employer suffered a lot of damage and one mobile home park was destroyed. Park was in poor area leaving few victims with insurance. I got a new bed-in-bag set for my birthday. Old set was faded but good condition and usable. I posted on freecycle only to get a post from one of these victims. Red Cross put them up in some apartments and furnished what they could. I looked through closets getting out a few items I have an abundance of: wash clothes, towels, sheets and blanket to add to bedding set. Victim hasn't been able to replace car yet so I drove down to her new apartment to drop off stuff. She also needed some kid stuff and kitchen stuff which I couldn't help with. I did direct her to really well-stocked charity in town that carries these items since I worked in nonprofit emergency services as an intern a few years back I know about a lot of the services here. Some of my items were older but I'm still using them and they had a lot of life in them to help her out. As I am unemployed, I could not help out financially but I could still help.

Adults in my family no longer exchange gifts. I do buy for my little nieces but always challenge myself to pay as little as possible for something neat instead of spending close to my limit.
 
#23 ·
I sell a lot on ebay but lots of times I will put things up *very* inexpensively (wont even pay my postage or fees) so it wont go in the landfill or if I dont want to freecycle.

I once had someone tell me that she couldnt pay me that day because her disability check was late... I just sent her the stuff for nothing. I know sometimes people do this just to get free stuff, but thats on them, not on me. I also think she was legit because she actually sent me a thank you card after she received the items!

I also will donate when the PO does their food drive thing, and then just misc donations when I can or see a need.
 
#24 ·
All dh's travel shampoo, lotions, etc. go to the Rescue Mission. anything I can pick up really cheap, like today I got two boxes of Velveeta mac and cheese, it will go to the church food panty. If I find underwear, socks, etc on clearence, it also goes to the shelters.
 
#25 ·
You all are wonderful and inspiring folks!!!

Hubby and I give monetarily through our church and other selected agencies. Please don't take this wrong and think that we are rich or goody-two-shoes, but we try to give 1/4-1/3 of our income away. It was a little shaky for me when we started doing this, but we found that the blessings just kept coming back! For example, we learned that some children did not have the money to attend summer camp, and we thought that it would be a very good experience for them. So we just anonymously made a donation to cover 5 children for camp.

We also give of our time. Our church has some "Serve Days" where folks go out and help the elderly, the handicapped, single moms, etc. who need a helping hand with changing oil, doing maintenance or clean up, repairs, etc. And that too comes back as blessings to us. We also try to be available to friends, family and neighbors who need help.

We give to food banks, and Hubby gives blood. We don't have a lot of material stuff to give away; even when I have a yard sale, it looks pretty scarce. But when our son was small, we purchased his clothes, toys, etc. at yard sales, and then gave them away when he was finished, if they were still any good.

I am thankful that I was raised frugal, married a frugal man, and that God has blessed our frugality with the ability to give. It makes life wonderful on so many levels. And I've learned that I can't outgive God.
 
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#26 ·
Passing item's along to my friend's when we no longer need them or donate them. I love making meals and delivering them when someone is sick. I also will pack extra lunches for my husband to take to work for his employees.
 
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