Tis the season of giving! Not only are we bustling around trying to find presents for our loved ones, but we are often making donations to the Salvation Army, Santas Anonymous, the Food Bank and many other worthy charities.
This time of year becomes very costly and depending on your situation you may not be in a position to spend money to help out others. Perhaps you are like myself and collect all of the toiletries from a hotel. I will swoop up a fresh set for each night there and can sometimes come home with quite the collection. That stuff is included in the cost of the room, so why not take it? I figure that I might need it one day or will give them to someone staying over at my house.
I have done this so many times but have never actually used any of them! I had a basket full of pint-sized bottles that are not doing my any good.
There are people out there who would put these to good use: Shelters. Homeless, women, youth, or any other type of shelter need toiletries for people who are staying there. So many people in shelters left their home in crisis and were not able to collect these simple items that we so often take for granted. If you have them, like myself, why not donate them?
I was inspired by a basket that got put out at work for collecting these pocket-sized containers. Maybe that is something that you would like to do in your workplace too? Talk to your office manager about putting out a box.
Maybe your family or neighbours have items that they want to donate as well.
All that it will cost you is the fuel to get it to the shelter and it could really make a difference to someone you have never met.

Do you have any other cost-free donations ideas? I would love the hear them! Let me know in the responses below.