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| My favourite grumpy angels |
The festive season is upon us. If, like moi, you don’t have a lot of cash, but want to take part in the spirit of the season and not feel too mean and scroogelike, then here are a couple of ideas. The first few are nicked from the Christmas edition of Better Homes and Gardens. Most of the others are from Random Acts of Kindness.org
- Take your old Mobile phone to one of the major suppliers – Optus, Telstra etc. and OXFAM will convert them into chickens for poor people in Laos, not to eat but to supply eggs for their families and to sell at the market. That sounds like a neat trick. Two phones equal one chook. If you aren’t near a phone shop, take them to your Post Office who will supply free pre -addressed postbags for your phonRing them on 1300 730 070 or check their website http//www.mobilmuster.com.au for more information.
- Take your old glasses to OPSM who will send them to help someone in the Third World. Outside Australia, one of the major chemist chains does it in the UK and you could ask optometrists or charity shops in other countries
- For $25 you can make a small loan to help someone start a business or improve their life through the KIVA FOUNDATION http://www.kiva.org/about/how Watch the video
I will be doing this this year instead of sending Christmas cards -less landfill, and the returns can't possibly be worse than on my shares.
- If you are more concerned about the planet than the people, you can make small changes to your usage and consumption patterns, save money and help make a big collective difference to our impact as a whole by checking out the website http://www.ourhome-ourplanet.com.au/. If you take their pledge and I didn’t tick every box, they will make a $1 donation to the Murray – Darling Basin buy back scheme, to improve the health of our largest river.
- And while you are clicking things, try http://nicethingstodo.net/freeclicksites.html
Each click helps the cause of your choice in some way - children, animals, the environment, women, provison of water, disease prevention and research etc. I'm not exactly sure how it works or benefits the relevant causes, but will let you know when I find out. It's a nice site anyway.
The following ideas are included because they are more original than most.
Using a reusable water bottle is an easy way to reduce waste in a landfill and help protect the environment. These would make nice not -too -expensive presents for people.
Many of the other ideas on Random Acts of Kindness are what I call plain good manners e.g. Give your seat up to someone on a bus, help someone with their shopping, let someone have your parking space or your place in line. It all adds up to a bit of good cheer and only costs a little time or thought. Those below are a bit more original.
Trying to find a job can be extremely challenging, especially for someone who has been out of the job market for a while. If you recently found a job yourself, you might have some great insight for a friend who is out of work.
We all get frustrated in traffic at one time or another. However, simply because traffic is moving slowly doesn't mean that we can't let another driver into our lane. One additional car in front of you isn't going to make you arrive any earlier or later than you already would have. So the next time someone is waiting and waiting and waiting to merge, but the kind person who let's them in.
And have one yourself while you are at it!
Please feel free to add more. Would love to hear from my sole reader.
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