One of the best things you can do for yourself and for others is to lend a helping hand wherever and whenever you see a need arise. Whether it’s within your family, within your community, or a need that’s plaguing the entire world, giving to a worthy cause not only helps the people you’re serving, but helps you as well. But if you’re low on funds at the moment, you might feel that there’s nothing you have to give. Luckily, you couldn’t be more wrong. So to help those in this type of situation, here are three tips for helping others when money’s tight.
Volunteer Your Time
You don’t have to have a lot of money in order to make a difference in a charity or for a group of people who are in need. All you need is to have the desire to be of assistance. One of the best ways you can do this without having to give any of your own money is to volunteer your time. According to Eric Ravenscraft, a contributor to LifeHacker.com, most people who choose to volunteer their time for a worthy cause will contact that establishment directly, be it a soup kitchen, hospital, church, or hospice center. If, for some reason, the charity you contact doesn’t need your physical help right now, they should be able to direct you to someone or something that could greatly benefit from some of your time.
Become A Mentor
For some people, volunteering their time for an organization isn’t something they’re able to do. So if you have more constraints on your time or if you have a unique and valuable set of skills that could help someone less fortunate than you, Andrew Thomas, a contributor to Inc.com, recommends becoming a mentor. This can be done either individually or to larger groups of people. By sharing your experiences and some of the things you’ve learned along your own journey, you could help those struggling in the trenches of their lives to feel like there’s light at the end of the tunnel or provide them with some knowledge or inspiration to see them through.
Donate Your Belongings
While similar to donating money to a worthy cause, Brianna Bell, a contributor to The Penny Hoarder, shares that you can also choose to donate your belongings. Because this isn’t taking any money out of your pocket, donating something you no longer need or no longer use can be a great way for you to help others in a real and physical way. You can either do this by giving your things to someone personally or by bringing them to a donation station which can then distribute them how they see fit.
If you want to be of service to your fellow humans but don’t have any cash to spare, consider using the tips mentioned above to find other ways that you can contribute.