Donating Your Time

Seems as though you lost sight of what's important when depositin'.

The cheques into your bank account and you up out of poverty.Your values is a disarray, prioritizing horribly.Unhappy with the riches cause your piss poor morally.

- T.I. "Live Your Life"

A line item you didn’t see in my real budget was tithings or any recurring donations. And it’s not because I don’t care about others, I do! I’ve been stealing public television for years and feel really bad about it. It’s just that when we need to keep things trim those donations are the first to go. Sorry, Elmo.

If you’re in similar position and unable to contribute financially, I urge you to reach out and see how you can donate your time. Political campaigns on a local and national level need assistance. Health centers, hospitals, zoos, animal shelters, and senior centers are always looking for a helping hand.

Not only is it a good way to meet new people and contribute to society – it’s free! If you’ve trimmed your budget down to the studs and you have no money for fun, a volunteer shift might be the answer.

It doesn’t have to be a purely altruistic act on your part, either. If you love art then see if your local museum offers docent training. What could be better than an up close and personal look at famous works? If there’s a big charity event you wish you could attend, see if they have volunteer staff positions. Maybe you check coats for two hours and party for two. Not too shabby!

Sites like Volunteer Match are a great place to start looking.

Personally, I have volunteered at hospitals, women’s shelters, health clinics, and I even held a big foam finger at a 5K one time. It’s fun, gives back, about most importantly – free!