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by Sasha
Though notes would be good...
Photo: Catalina Olavarria/Flickr
‘Go the extra mile,’ you’re thinking, as you lie on your sofa. ‘I can’t go the extra inch. This isn’t some sponsored walk thing, is it?’
No, my friends, it’s not. It’s an exercise in financial efficiency – oh, the fun! – that will allow even the most broke among us to have a go at raising some money for our favourite charities.
Here’s how it works. Most of us have everyday opportunities to save a bit of money here and there but we don’t bother because the amounts are fairly trivial and it doesn’t seem worth the extra effort. Perhaps your usual breakfast cereal is on special offer but there’s no room for ten boxes of it in your cupboard; maybe you’ve got a small item that seems too much trouble to list on Ebay so you give it away.
However, these savings can quickly add up and if you know the money is going to an ME charity, you’ll be motivated to make that extra bit of effort. So this week, commit yourself to saving or making money in a way that you wouldn’t have bothered with if you weren’t doing it for charity, and at the end of the week, donate your hard-earned wealth.
To show you how this works, I’ve had a go myself the week that I wrote this article and here’s how it went.
Saturday: Had a mineral water (boring!) instead of a cappuccino while out for a coffee with a friend. Saving: 90p.
Tuesday: I only buy odds and ends at the Co-op supermarket but force myself to bother with their loyalty card so that I can donate the money. Today they sent me their annual statement: £5.41.
Thursday: I went to buy my usual A4 refill pad at the stationers and found they were on offer if you bought three. Only two were on the shelf so I sent an assistant off for a third when I wouldn’t normally have wanted to stand waiting that long. Saving: £1.02.
Friday: Tesco gave me one of those annoying vouchers last week offering money off if I spent £15, much more than I normally spend in a supermarket because I can’t carry that much shopping home. I usually just throw these vouchers away but this time I bought eight boxes of tissues, which I’m going to have to keep in the wardrobe. Saving: £3.00.
My total saving during my test week, then, was £10.33, which I shall roll up with whatever I save this week and donate to the charity of my choice.
So, you get the idea. This week, starting today, join in with me as I do this again. Let your favourite charity know about this event – you have full permission to repost this particular article immediately anywhere, as long as you include a link back to this page – and encourage them to ask their supporters to join in too. Let’s see if we can get all our charities benefiting.
And post below, and/or on your charity’s Facebook page or blog, if they feature the article, to tell everyone how much you’re saving and how you’re doing it, to help others do the same.
Let’s go that extra mile and make some money!
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