A thought, while everyone is spending like mad...

[BurlyBeaR]

Apparently, today is the biggest on line spending spree of the year. £10,000 per second or something (I've contributed to that myself with a pair of CAT boots from Amazon and one or two *ahem* items from La Q.

Anyway, I just thought it would be appropriate, while we chuck our money about, to think about those less fortunate.

Help, if you can. Either this or your own favourite cause. Whatever you like, as long as its not all about us eh?

http://community.crisis.org.uk/xmasappeal

 

[Frazzled]

Perhaps Basso would like to donate, matching what his room at Claridge's cost for one night?

 

[Vienna]

I don`t send Christmas cards especially since the cost of postage has risen so dramatically. If the average person posts 20 cards that`s £10 in stamps, more if you post them first class and not including the cost of the cards. Most people glance at the card when it arrives and then hang it up and either bin it or recycle it in the New Year. So instead of sending out cards I make a donation to a charity where the £10 can be put to better use.

 

[SuziQ]

I went to Tesco on Saturday, the local food bank had a display and they were asking everyone to buy just one item to donate on the way out. I bought a bagful as I didn't know when I would see them collecting again, but I didn't see anyone else donating and they had very little in the boxes-this was late afternoon, they had been collecting all day and people were pouring through the doors with hugely laden trollies. Tescos had pledged to increase whatever was donated by 30%. Such a shame they had such a poor response.

I think it is good for you to remind us that there are many others less fortunate, Burlz.

 

[SparklyBarbs]

I gave a pile of stuff to a womens refuge, they usually leave the house in the middle of the night
and take nothing, so this church all helps out, and anything you give goes to them. They also do
food parcels, which in this day and age is a disgrace, but necessary. There's so many good causes,
its hard to pick. But a good idea

 

[janie]

posted a great long reply on here which has totally disappeared.......

gift exchange = no point = give the money to charity instead

 

[Latchi]

I gave a pile of stuff to a womens refuge, they usually leave the house in the middle of the night
and take nothing, so this church all helps out, and anything you give goes to them. They also do
food parcels, which in this day and age is a disgrace, but necessary. There's so many good causes,
its hard to pick. But a good idea

Fantastic cause SB! My good friend does one sat night a month with the homeless outreach in belfast, I always get our ones to gather up a few wee bits & bobs to give to her. Some of the stories she tells me are so heartbreaking & a stark reminder that being homeless can happen to anyone. Thank you Burlz for starting this thread, Im feeling extra grateful for my cosy bed tonight x

 

[petpixie]

I went to Tesco on Saturday, the local food bank had a display and they were asking everyone to buy just one item to donate on the way out. I bought a bagful as I didn't know when I would see them collecting again, but I didn't see anyone else donating and they had very little in the boxes-this was late afternoon, they had been collecting all day and people were pouring through the doors with hugely laden trollies. Tescos had pledged to increase whatever was donated by 30%. Such a shame they had such a poor response.

I think it is good for you to remind us that there are many others less fortunate, Burlz.

The same thing was at my local Tesco on Saturday. I contributed and was glad to see the trolley was well stocked. People had been very generous.

 

[AndiK]

I salve my conscience about my own QVC spending by accessing the website via easyfundraising.org.uk. I was going to start a new thread about it but guessed someone would have done so long ago. In case not, every time you buy something online, QVC gives 2.5% of the item cost (ie excluding P&P) to the charity and you get update emails when the sale is registered and the money has been paid. It's only 60 or 70p here and there but it costs us nothing. You just sign up, pick a charity and then all the online shopping you do, check easyfundraising first to check the company is part of the scheme. Many are: QVC as well as many Amazon departments, M&S, Debenhams, etc - in the last six months, I've raised about £15 for my chosen charity this way, at no cost to me (mostly for QVC shopping as it happens).

If you think it's a good idea, I'll start a new thread to spread the word. Let me know if you want to know more, anyone.

 

[SparklyBarbs]

I salve my conscience about my own QVC spending by accessing the website via easyfundraising.org.uk. I was going to start a new thread about it but guessed someone would have done so long ago. In case not, every time you buy something online, QVC gives 2.5% of the item cost (ie excluding P&P) to the charity and you get update emails when the sale is registered and the money has been paid. It's only 60 or 70p here and there but it costs us nothing. You just sign up, pick a charity and then all the online shopping you do, check easyfundraising first to check the company is part of the scheme. Many are: QVC as well as many Amazon departments, M&S, Debenhams, etc - in the last six months, I've raised about £15 for my chosen charity this way, at no cost to me (mostly for QVC shopping as it happens).

If you think it's a good idea, I'll start a new thread to spread the word. Let me know if you want to know more, anyone.

I personally think its a brill idea, and if everyone did it it would soon mount up. Never heard of it. Thanks

 

[Frazzled]

I make a donation to the Salvation Army and our local Rotary Round Table, they come round every year with a motorised sleigh plus a jolly "Santa" blasting out carols. It's nice knowing the money is collected to help people in the local community.

 

[AndiK]

I personally think its a brill idea, and if everyone did it it would soon mount up. Never heard of it. Thanks

Thanks, SparklyBarbs. A lady I know who runs a local charity told me about it. It's so simple. I think you can even download an app to tell you when you are on a site that is part of the easyfundraising scheme, so you don't miss the opportunity to get a donation made. I'll put a new thread up later or tomorrow morning. If all you shopaholics sign up, it will be great.

 

[lawrenson]

Hi,

I am slowly trying to de-clutter the house.

Despite my OH wanting to Ebay everything, I decided that any item that usually sells for less than £10 was going to the charity shops instead.

Bagfuls and bagfuls of stuff now.

Cheers,
karen

 

[Capirossi]

Hi,

I am slowly trying to de-clutter the house.

Despite my OH wanting to Ebay everything, I decided that any item that usually sells for less than £10 was going to the charity shops instead.

Bagfuls and bagfuls of stuff now.

Cheers,
karen

I'm the same Karen. Although I have grown to hate selling on ebay so much that my local pdsa have a field day when they see me walk in almost every other week!! I think I saw some people collecting in Tesco on Saturday but was running in and out so didn't take much notice. Feel guilty now. Will pop up again this week to see if they are there. I usually buy a load of cat and dog food for their collection bins, but this year I think I'll contribute to the humans too!

My mum makes me laugh. She is as bad as me for constantly de-cluttering. She shares her booty out between the Cancer Research, Oxfam and the BHF - she feels guilty taking them all to just one shop!

Slightly off tangent, but I spent yesterday in a mental health care home. Things like that, and this thread, certainly make you realise how ****** lucky and fortunate we are. It also grates me even more to see the hundreds of pounds people waste at xmas without a second thought to those less fortunate. :banghead:

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Bauble]

We always take a couple of big bags of food and some treats to our citys dogs home at christmas (on behalf of our lucky pets) and I donate to The brooke, the charity for working horses and donkeys and their owners in developing countries. We dont spend a fortune at christmas on ourselves and I feel quite sad when I see the trolleys full of junk and people spending stupid amounts on probably ungrateful people.

 

[LE lover]

I volunteer for Crisis at Christmas. Its a very humbling experience meeting people with fascinating stories who never thought they would end up without anything. One man i met was an ex servicemen who came back from Iraq , got divorced , lost his home and he started drinking and ended living on the streets .
There for the grace of god go any us.

 

[Tinkerbelle]

Great ways to help. The other way though is to make a regular donation of a few pounds a month to your chosen charity by direct debit. It's this kind of guaranteed cash flow that makes it so much easier for charities to plan and survive. You can just give a couple of quid or perhaps a fiver if you can afford it.

I've done it for years and spread my money across three charities. When my son got a good job I asked him to think about doing the same and he has chosen to support one charity.

I still put a few coins in here and there and take unwanted items to the charity shop but just knowing I'm giving ... in a small way ... on a monthly basis makes me feel I'm really doing my bit.

 

[Bauble]

I volunteer for Crisis at Christmas. Its a very humbling experience meeting people with fascinating stories who never thought they would end up without anything. One man i met was an ex servicemen who came back from Iraq , got divorced , lost his home and he started drinking and ended living on the streets .
There for the grace of god go any us.

Micael did the same last christmas day LEL and wrote on his blog about it. He really enjoyed doing it.

 

[LE lover]

Micael did the same last christmas day LEL and wrote on his blog about it. He really enjoyed doing it.

It is an amazing experience. So good to see all the different ways people help those less fortunate than us.

The only people who i won't give to are chuggers . No one in the middle of the street is having my credit card details.

 

[donna255]

I give to two charities every month. They were ones I chose myself and contacted.

I tell the chuggers who stop you in the street, to F*uck off. They get paid around £10 for everyone they sign up, and are employed my an agency. So a charity one day and handing out flyers for clubs the next. Think how much money the charities must pay them!!!!
The directors of the charities all drive high end cars supplied by said charity. So most of the money you give goes on admin. I believe Oxfam its 10p for every £1 you give actually goes to helping anyone.

I only buy charity cards, hand delivery only one going to Canada is posted.