From time to time may of us are deluged with donation requests from worthy causes. The inability to act on all of them can sometimes make us feel cheap or selfish. Here\u2019s the related paradox, though: I\u2019m pretty sure it doesn\u2019t often occur to cheap, selfish people to feel that way!<\/p>\n

So what can you do when your generous impulses outstrip your budget? When there is too much month left at the end of the money?<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a list of cheap (as in \u201cfree\u201d or \u201cinexpensive\u201d) ways generosity can be expressed.<\/p>\n

Mow the neighbor\u2019s side yard \u2014 even when it\u2019s not your turn. Of course you\u2019ll want to be sure to leave the non-mowable plants safely untouched and in place.<\/p>\n

If you have a special skill such as writing, cooking, fundraising, or are adept at using social media consider offering your services pro bono. So many nonprofits<\/a> and advocacy groups have specialized needs but can\u2019t afford dedicated staff to do the quality of work they\u2019d like to do.<\/p>\n

Find a Little Free Library<\/a> near you and donate a book. Can’t find one? Start one.<\/p>\n

Choose a struggling (or not so struggling) artist or writer and publicly thank them on Twitter, Insta, Amazon, Goodreads, Facebook, their web page… or somewhere else on the web. Something as simple as “I love your work. Please keep it up.” Powerful medicine.<\/p>\n

Nominate a talented friend for an award. Like The Bloggies<\/a>. Or The Webbies<\/a>. Or The Stevies<\/a>. Or an award that is specific to their field or endeavor or your\/their geography.<\/p>\n

While researching cheap ways to be generous I discovered some organizations dedicated to sending handwritten letters. The people who recieve this kindness could be those with mental health issues, the elderly, members of the military, abuse survivors, hospital patients<\/a> \u2014 pretty much anyone who could use a pick-me-up. If you’d like to help someone in this \u00a0manner, Letters to Strangers,<\/a> the Write_On Campaign<\/a>, and A Million Thanks<\/a> all accept letters.<\/p>\n

Leave a rave review on the iTunes page of your favorite podcast<\/a>. Gush. Five stars. Bravo!!! Standing O! (You get the idea.)<\/p>\n

If your friends and loved ones often ask you for birthday or holiday gift ideas, you can ask them to donate to a favorite charity<\/a> instead.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t care how cheap you are – why not replace the damned toilet paper when it\u2019s low. (It\u2019s so much kinder than letting the next person run out.)<\/p>\n

Next time you feel frustrated with someone in your life, try giving them the benefit of the doubt. Generosity of thought and intention is a special gift that doesn\u2019t cost a dime, allows you to believe the best about another person and will probably save you some emotional pain. It\u2019s really not cheap to remember everyone is doing the best they can with what they\u2019ve got.<\/p>\n

Even an email chain can be uplifting; when someone has a great idea, tell them how much you like it in front of everyone! You\u2019re being kind by encouraging them among peers.<\/p>\n

Are you, a family member, or a close friend part of a large organization? Do any of you own a business? Perhaps you could do some match-making: let them know about a well-run organization that would benefit from sponsorship. (People actually look at that sort of advertising.)<\/p>\n

Share a simple compliment three strangers: a child, someone your own age, and an elder.<\/p>\n

Did you know there\u2019s an educational game on\u00a0FreeRice<\/a>\u00a0that benefits the United Nations World Food\u00a0Programme with 10 grains of rice for\u00a0every question you answer correctly?<\/p>\n

While writing this I thought of a time that my family and I were leaving an outdoor event. There had been showers on and off all day but, as we were pulling out, it really started to come down. Hard. Favorite Husband rolled down the window and handed our (cheap but effective) umbrella to some disappointed-looking late arrivals. The event was some time ago, and I don\u2019t remember many details about it, but I\u2019ll never forget the look on their surprised, happy faces reminding me that generosity often benefits the giver most of all.<\/p>\n

Do you have a favorite low- or no-cost way to share your generous nature with the world? Please let us know in the comments.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

##<\/p>\n

Share the love! (Should I change the title to \u201c15 Ways…\u201d?) It\u2019s easy to tweet about this.<\/p>\n

[bctt tweet=”Favorite Husband rolled down the window and handed our (cheap but effective) umbrella to some disappointed-looking late arrivals. I don\u2019t remember many event details, but I\u2019ll never forget the look on their surprised, happy faces reminding me that generosity often benefits the giver most of all. ” username=”AndreaPatten”]<\/p>\n

[bctt tweet=”Generosity of thought and intention is a special gift that doesn\u2019t cost a dime, allows you to believe the best about another person and will probably save you some emotional pain.” username=”AndreaPatten”]<\/p>\n

[bctt tweet=”From time to time may of us are deluged with donation requests fro worthy causes. The inability to act on all of them can sometimes make us feel cheap or selfish. The related paradox? I\u2019m pretty sure it doesn\u2019t often occur to cheap, selfish people to feel that way! ” username=”AndreaPatten”]<\/p>\n

[bctt tweet=”I don\u2019t care how cheap you are – why not replace the damned toilet paper when it\u2019s low. (It\u2019s so much kinder than letting the next person run out.) ” username=”AndreaPatten”]<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

From time to time may of us are deluged with donation requests from worthy causes. The inability to act on all of them can sometimes make us feel cheap or selfish. Here\u2019s the related paradox, though: I\u2019m pretty sure it doesn\u2019t often occur to cheap, selfish people to feel that way! So what can you do when your generous impulses outstrip your budget? When there is too much month left at the end of the money? Here\u2019s a list of cheap (as in \u201cfree\u201d or \u201cinexpensive\u201d) ways generosity can be expressed. Mow the neighbor\u2019s side yard \u2014 even when it\u2019s not your turn. Of course you\u2019ll want to be sure to leave the non-mowable plants safely untouched and in place. If you have a special skill such as writing, cooking, fundraising, or are adept at using social media consider offering your services pro bono. So many nonprofits and advocacy groups have specialized needs but can\u2019t afford dedicated staff to do the quality of work they\u2019d like to do. Find a Little Free Library near you and donate a book. Can’t find one? Start one. Choose a struggling (or not so struggling) artist or writer and publicly thank them on Twitter, Insta, Amazon, Goodreads, Facebook, their web page… or somewhere else on the web. Something as simple as “I love your work. Please keep it up.” Powerful medicine. Nominate a talented friend for an award. Like The Bloggies. Or The Webbies. Or The Stevies. Or an award that is specific to their field or endeavor or your\/their geography. While researching cheap ways to be generous I discovered some organizations dedicated to sending handwritten letters. The people who recieve this kindness could be those with mental health issues, the elderly, members of the military, abuse survivors, hospital patients \u2014 pretty much anyone who could use a pick-me-up. If you’d like to help someone in this \u00a0manner, Letters to Strangers, the Write_On Campaign, and A Million Thanks all accept letters. Leave a rave review on the iTunes page of your favorite podcast. Gush. Five stars. Bravo!!! Standing O! (You get the idea.) If your friends and loved ones often ask you for birthday or holiday gift ideas, you can ask them to donate to a favorite charity instead. I don\u2019t care how cheap you are – why not replace the damned toilet paper when it\u2019s low. (It\u2019s so much kinder than letting the next person run out.) Next time you feel frustrated with someone in your life, try giving them the benefit of the doubt. Generosity of thought and intention is a special gift that doesn\u2019t cost a dime, allows you to believe the best about another person and will probably save you some emotional pain. It\u2019s really not cheap to remember everyone is doing the best they can with what they\u2019ve got. Even an email chain can be uplifting; when someone has a great idea, tell them how much you like it in front of everyone! You\u2019re being kind by encouraging them among peers. Are you, a family member, or a close friend part of a large organization? Do any of you own a business? Perhaps you could do some match-making: let them know about a well-run organization that would benefit from sponsorship. (People actually look at that sort of advertising.) Share a simple compliment three strangers: a child, someone your own age, and an elder. Did you know there\u2019s an educational game on\u00a0FreeRice\u00a0that benefits the United Nations World Food\u00a0Programme with 10 grains of rice for\u00a0every question you answer correctly? While writing this I thought of a time that my family and I were leaving an outdoor event. There had been showers on and off all day but, as we were pulling out, it really started to come down. Hard. Favorite Husband rolled down the window and handed our (cheap but effective) umbrella to some disappointed-looking late arrivals. The event was some time ago, and I don\u2019t remember many details about it, but I\u2019ll never forget the look on their surprised, happy faces reminding me that generosity often benefits the giver most of all. Do you have a favorite low- or no-cost way to share your generous nature with the world? Please let us know in the comments.   ## Share the love! (Should I change the title to \u201c15 Ways…\u201d?) It\u2019s easy to tweet about this. [bctt tweet=”Favorite Husband rolled down the window and handed our (cheap but effective) umbrella to some disappointed-looking late arrivals. I don\u2019t remember many event details, but I\u2019ll never forget the look on their surprised, happy faces reminding me that generosity often benefits the giver most of all. ” username=”AndreaPatten”] [bctt tweet=”Generosity of thought and intention is a special gift that doesn\u2019t cost a dime, allows you to believe the best about another person and will probably save you some emotional pain.” username=”AndreaPatten”] [bctt tweet=”From time to time may of us are deluged with donation requests fro worthy causes. The inability to act on all of them can sometimes make us feel cheap or selfish. The related paradox? I\u2019m pretty sure it doesn\u2019t often occur to cheap, selfish people to feel that way! ” username=”AndreaPatten”] [bctt tweet=”I don\u2019t care how cheap you are – why not replace the damned toilet paper when it\u2019s low. (It\u2019s so much kinder than letting the next person run out.) ” username=”AndreaPatten”]    <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14818,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,6,9],"tags":[],"post_folder":[],"class_list":["post-13555","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-happiness","category-self-care","category-thinking"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.andreapatten.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13555","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.andreapatten.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.andreapatten.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.andreapatten.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.andreapatten.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13555"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.andreapatten.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13555\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14831,"href":"https:\/\/www.andreapatten.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13555\/revisions\/14831"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.andreapatten.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14818"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.andreapatten.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13555"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.andreapatten.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13555"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.andreapatten.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13555"},{"taxonomy":"post_folder","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.andreapatten.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_folder?post=13555"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}