What Fell Off Santa's Sleigh?

Shortly before the holidays I realized that not having an answer to the "what do you want for Christmas" questions was inconsiderate.  Nobody wants to get someone something they don't want.  It's a waste of money (and I don't approve of that at all).

This year I thought through, for real this time, what it was I wanted for Christmas and I shared my findings.  Also, I volunteered to do my own stocking stuffer from my husband.  He got to do his as well.  On Christmas day I still found fantastic surprises, but I also came away with things I truly needed and wanted.

That, of course, doesn't mean everything on my list appeared under the tree.  There are a few things that simply fell off the sleigh on the way.  So, I begin my quest to complete the mission.

I wonder, what fell off the sleigh on the way to your chimney this year?  Would you like help finding it on sale?  Let me know.  We can shop together.

xoxo
Sale Girl

Support Your Cause While You Shop

One of my favorite reasons to shop online is that I support my favorite charity with almost every purchase. It doesn’t take any additional time. It doesn’t cost me a dime extra. In fact, it often saves me money. And I'm being trendy by doing it.

This trendy new shopping thingy I’m doing is called “passive fundraising.” Essentially, the idea is that you sign up to participate and everything after that is done for you. By simply acknowledging you are a participant, someone else (i.e. a grocery store) contributes to your designated cause (or causes).

There are many ways to participate passively. You can register the loyalty card at your grocery store, sign up your credit cards, and even download a search engine or tool bar on your computer. Each will donate money just for using them.

The list of causes you can support varies depending upon the program. For instance, my grocery store almost exclusively supports local charities. The search engines, on the other hand, cover everything from starving children across the world to your child’s elementary school.

I have done all three; but, by far, my favorite is the search engine option. I surf the web fanatically and, well, you already know I like to shop. With each search, a couple of cents are donated to my favorite charity. And almost every time I make a purchase online, a percentage is donated as well.

I have come by two great sites that allow you to pick just about any cause you like to support: OneCause.com and Freelanthropy.com. I'm sure there are more out there, but I have tried each of these and they actually work.

As an added bonus, you get discount offers for joining! Sign up (for free) and support your favorite charity while you shop.