What to do with the extras

Ever find yourself walking around Kohl's with $10 Kohl's cash and having no clue what to spend it on? Or having a bunch of gift cards in your wallet that you constantly forget to spend when you are at the store?

Okay if you have little ones you probably haven't, but if you are like me and your only children are furry and have whiskers you may have had this problem, (I never have this problem at PetSmart).  I am reminded of one instance when I spent an hour walking around Kohl's with $10 Kohl's cash and since they weren't having any really great sales and I didn't need anything I left with an ornament. A friend of mine recently pointed out a better way to spend this little bit of extra, buy something for someone in need.  I felt so silly that I never thought of this, but at Christmas time you see the angel trees and it inspires to shop for others. I am definitely guilty of forgetting this at other times of the year. I donate to charities and my Church but I forget that there are people all around me in need. Me walking around Kohl's with $10 Kohl's cash burning a hole in my pocket is an ultimate first world problem.

Here are a few great and easy ways to help out people in your local community.

1) Kohl's isn't the only place that gives you extras. Target, CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid and others give you gift cards/store credit when you spend a certain amount or buy a combination of things. Let's say you are at CVS and you see that if you spend $10 on a combination of Shampoos you get a $5.00 gift card, buy the extra shampoo. If you don't like to have extras on hand then donate it, I am positive that someone would really appreciate an extra shampoo.  You can use the $5.00 on another purchase of something that you need or someone else needs.

2) Bulk Shopping: We have a Sam's Club membership and I am always amazed by how cheap it is to buy somethings in bulk. Canned Vegetables are so much cheaper to buy in bulk and only having two of us in the home it is sometimes very hard to get through a 12 pack of Diced Tomatoes. What usually happens is I run out of cabinet space and my bulk finds end up at the back of the pantry only for me to find 5 years later. I am going to make a concious effort to start donating a few cans when I first make the bulk purchase.  When you buy something that big it usually ends up that you are getting a few cans free when you compare it to grocery store prices, take those extra cans and donate them. It costs you nothing and it helps someone in need.

3) Go through your closets. In the spring each year I am inspired to de-clutter. I have no idea how two humans accumulate so much stuff, okay maybe I kind of know. De-cluttering is a great way to help others. Donate it to your local St. Vincent, Salvation Army, a local Church or Goodwill.

4) Angel Trees: save a little money throughout the year and buy for a child in need during the Christmas season. It isn't hard to save change, sometimes change becomes almost a nuisance. Put it in a bin or piggy bank and by Christmas time there will be enough in there to give a child/children in need a really Merry Christmas. It is amazing at how quickly change adds up.

I am sure that there are so many great ideas, these are a few that have come to mind lately that I really wanted to share.  I hope you are all having a wonderful Christmas season.