3/50 Project

I read about this project over at Thinking Out Loud.

The 3/50 Project is about saving your local economy. It's frequently tempting to shop online because it's easy to check for the absolute best prices and see a greater variety than a local store might have. But only shopping online has a significant impact on your local economy, the number of jobs available in your community and spreads out like ripples in the water.

The project is very simple... it proposes that you pick your three favorite stores that you want to support and be sure you spend a small amount of money each month in those stores. The site shows some statistics on how just a small amount spent with consistent effort can have an impact.

If you love your city and your neighborhood, check out the 3/50 Project and pass the word!

Give Away Free Money

Have you seen The Changepot? It's a fun blog about a family who is constantly on the lookout for money that other people have dropped.

In the first three years of their blog, the Humphreys collected $1032.46. They have collected almost $50 since the beginning of the year.

How about this for a philanthropy project? Start your own "free money" changepot. Get a big jar and put a sign on it that tells the name of your particular cause. Then just watch for the change. Train yourself to have an eagle eye. Looking at The Changepot's blog it's easy to see how it all adds up.

At the end of the year, donate all the money to the cause you've been saving up for. All it cost you was a little time and attention.

Photo credit: Darren Hester