Step 6 of 12 to Financial Wellness: Pay it Forward

-

In our fast-paced lives, it’s essential to take a moment to reflect on how fortunate we are to have jobs that enable us to pay our bills, build up our savings, and plan for the future. Often, we overlook the importance of gratitude and the opportunity to pay our blessings forward. Step 6 in our journey to financial wellness encourages us to recognize our good fortune and extend a helping hand to those in need. Here are some impactful ways you can pay it forward this year:

Make a Donation

One of the most direct ways to give back is by making a donation to a charity that resonates with you. This could be a small local charity struggling to make ends meet or a larger organization aligned with your values. Always ensure that you’re donating to a reputable organization to avoid falling victim to charity scams. Your contributions can make a significant difference in your community and beyond!

Random Act of Kindness

Paying it forward doesn’t always require a grand gesture; sometimes, it’s the small acts that matter most. Consider helping someone reach an item on the top shelf at the grocery store, or cover the cost of a meal for the person behind you in line. Offer assistance to a neighbor with yard work or help a stranger whose car broken down. These simple, heartfelt actions can brighten someone’s day and foster a sense of community.

Donate Your Time

Donating your time is just as valuable as giving money. Look for local organizations that could use a helping hand—whether it’s distributing food at a local shelter or walking dogs at an animal rescue. Your presence can bring joy to those you assist, whether it's seniors in a care home or individuals in need at a soup kitchen. Volunteering not only supports your community but can also be a rewarding experience for you.

Share What You Have

If you're planning a closet cleanout, consider donating your gently used clothes to local shelters or organizations like Goodwill or your local men and women's shelter. Alternatively, you could host a yard sale, donating the proceeds to a charity of your choice. This not only helps declutter your space but also provides valuable resources to those in need.

All comments within the New Horizons Credit Union blog are the responsibility of the commenter, not the blog owner, administrator, contributor, editor, or author. By submitting a comment on our blog, you agree that the comment content is your own and to hold New Horizons CU and all subsidiaries and representatives harmless from any and all repercussions, damages, or liability.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

6 Steps to Take Before Retiring

-
Image
Everyone counts down the years, days, and minutes until they can retire. But before you retire, there are six important steps you need to take to retire worry free. 1. Define Your Retirement When you define your retirement, you think about what it is you want to accomplish. Do you want to travel the world, the states, or stay at home and relax? Do you want to make improvement to your home, or sell your home and purchase an RV? When you know exactly what it is you want to do when you retire, you will have an easier time transitioning from work to retirement life. 2. Take Stock of Your "Assets" This is an important step because you're taking a look at all the money you have. Look at how much you have in your savings accounts, retirement accounts, stocks and bonds, and any other savings accounts you may have. This will give you a better idea on how much money you can allocate to everything you want to do. 3. Create a Retirement Budget Creating a budget...
Read more

7 Steps to Start Saving

-
Image
Saving can be a little intimidating when you don't know where to start. But remember, the biggest mistake you can make is not saving. Below are a few tips to help you get started with saving. 1. Track Your Expenses The first step to start saving is to track your expenses. Figure out where your money is going, how much you are earning and spending, and how much you have left over. If you use a credit card, you can get a chart with your expenses broken down where you can see what you're spending your money on. Once you figure out where all your money is going, categorize it so it's easier to see where you're spending most of your money. Use this to create a budget in step two. 2. Create a Budget Now that you have your categories, create a budget so you can minimize spending. Categories should include things like: rent / mortgage car payment / car maintenance bills doctors appointments clothes food Remember, your ex...
Read more

Get Your End-of-Year Financial Health Checkup

-
Image
As the eagerly awaited holiday season gets underway, the end of the year is a great time to get a financial health checkup to make sure your finances are on track. With regular checkups, you can fix small problems before they become big issues. This year-end, keeping financially healthy is specially important due to many economic uncertainties related to inflation, inventory shortages,as well as the expiration of COVID relief programs put in place more than a year ago to help people manage through the pandemic. Your Financial Health Check Up Like a physical health checkup, a financial checkup examines your vital signs to be sure all is well when it comes to your financial health and wellness. Do you have an emergency savings account? How do your credit card balances look? Are you tracking monthly income and expenses? What does your credit score and history look like? These are a few of the vitals reviewed during an end-of-year financial checkup. From an overall budget revie...
Read more