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Originally published in 2019
I love hearing about and seeing random acts of kindness, especially nowadays when so much of the media is filled with terrible things. What’s even better than just hearing about random acts of kindness is being a part of it.
So often we think, “when I’m in a better position financially or when life slows down and I have more time, I want to give back to my community and help others out,” but the truth is, wherever you’re at right now, THAT is the best place to start. Cultivating a giving attitude and mentality where you’re at right now will ensure that you will continue to give as your situation improves.
Want to see some ideas for some random acts of kindness that you can do no matter your budget? Some that don’t cost a thing!? Want to hear about some of the random acts of kindness that our family has been the recipient of?
Well you’re in for a treat today! For Day 2 of our Frugal Festivities 25 days of Christmas Cheer on a Budget I’m collaborating with a bunch of great YouTubers and Bloggers to bring you a bunch of ideas for Random Acts of Kindness you can do with your family this season. At the end of this post I’ll share the list of others who are participating so you can check them out. I know you’ll be inspired!
Okay, now let’s talk about Random Acts of Kindness.
I really wanted to get our whole family involved in the planning and execution of blessing some people with our random acts of kindness. They had lots of great ideas. I love that kids don’t worry about logistics or limitations, they just think big. So while some of their ideas were out of our budget (like “buy a car for a homeless person”), they were thoughtful and sincere.
I also wanted to give some ideas of things you can do to make a difference no matter what you financial situation is.
Thoughtful notes for nursing home patients
We thought about the forgotten elderly people at the care home where great grandpa lived before he passed away and thought we could write thoughtful cards to them and have the nursing home staff pass them out to the patients who are lonely and don’t get any visitors, especially at the holidays. The patients loved seeing the kids when we’d go visit great grandpa each week.
Mike also had the idea to include a picture, not because we want them to recognize us or anything like that, just because it’s tangible evidence that someone cares. They love looking at pictures and having things to decorate their rooms.
Other random acts of kindness that don’t cost anything
We rarely get snow where we live, but a big storm was on the forecast for yesterday. The kids thought it would be great to shovel driveways for people anonymously. Sadly we didn’t get any snow, so we didn’t have that opportunity.
Those are both opportunities that don’t cost anything. There are so many others.
- You could offer to babysit for a busy mom.
- You could write thank you notes for those who serve your family but are often overlooked like the school crossing guard or custodian.
- You could make a point of giving sincere compliments to strangers.
- You could donate blood.
With some time and thought there is so much good you can do even when your budget is tight.
Care packages for the homeless
The next project we took on required some funds but we account for giving in our Christmas sinking fund.
We thought about the homeless people we regularly see as we drive out of the store parking lots in town. We often share a box of crackers, an apple, or an ice cream sandwich or something from the groceries we just bought, but thought it would be nice to have something more to give them. We wanted to make bags with some necessities that would be useful for them.
The kids decorated ziploc bags with pictures and positive messages. In each gallon bag we put:
- Wool socks
- Toothbrush
- Toothpaste
- Nail clippers
- Wet wipes
- Bandages
- Beef jerky & cheese
- Applesauce pouch
- Peanut butter crackers
- Salmon packet
- Bottled water
We will keep a couple of these bags in our car so that we have them easily accessible when we meet someone who could use one.
On the receiving end of random acts of kindness
I also wanted to share with you some of the sweet acts of kindness that our family has been the recipient of.
A couple of years ago, we took our kids to Chipotle for the first time. They had earned free dinner coupons from the summer reading program at the library and were eager to redeem them. We were taking a while to order because we had to tell our kids all of the options and they each had to make their decisions. It was pretty obvious we weren’t regulars to eating out.
As we got to the cash register, the man in front of us handed my husband a small envelope and said “God told me to give this to you.” Thinking it was a religious tract or something, he simply put it in his pocket. The cashier, who was a little dumbfounded asked my husband if he knew that man. He shook his head. Then the cashier said he just gave you a $50 gift card. Confused, Mike opened the emall envelope and found that sure enough it contained the gift card that the man had just purchased. Of course he was long gone at this point, so we couldn’t even thank him. As we prayed before eating, we gave heartfelt thanks to that generous stranger and asked God to bless him for his kindness to our family.
Another time I was at the grocery store with my kids. At the time I had four or five. A stranger asked if they were all mine which is a common question. And then she complimented me on how well behaved they were. She could have stopped there and my day would have been made, but she didn’t. She handed me some cash and asked if she could treat them to ice cream. And that made the kids’ day!
More inspiration for random acts of kindness
No matter what your budget, there are plenty of great ways that you can give. Check out the other posts and videos in this collab for even more ideas.
I would love to hear what acts of kindness and service you have done or been the recipient of. Please share down in the comments so we can get more great ideas!
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