make do and mend for tougher times

Margaret54

hi smileyt I also feel bad when I can't afford to help some of the charity post comes. My dh and I support a charity and give a wee bit extra at Christmas and another time in the year . I do feel upset looking at the letters and photos, I really do. My dh said "Look love you can't help everyone, just those we can" When we go to a charity shop we spend a little so we are helping there too, and by donating clothes/books etc. Margaretx

grandma247

After seeing an elderly lady I worked for become very distressed at having gone into the red because of charities I am very hard. I bin them all and just donate as and when I can afford to in cash.

D&DD

fuddle wrote: »

Does anyone else get a load of gobbledegook when someone quotes D&DD? I get

D&#8517 wrote: »

It's bizarre.

Now go on confess you lot how many had to bite their tongues thinking well she (me I mean) talks it anyway :D

I dunno why it comes up like that I'm on the lappy now so maybe its when I go on the monsterpad that it does it??

regards to the charity thing smiley its very hard we get stuff most weeks too

As I've said on here I support cancer charities when asked,I'm also a member of NAS (autism) and Backbone (scoliosis) and I'm a pushover for HTH or anything to do with the armed forces

I try to whittle it down and give to those who have helped our family..I gave to Shelter for years too as they helped us when homeless there are so many deserving causes out there sadly you have to pick,we can't help everyone much as we'd like to XX

fuddle

Smiley, how about thinking of it this way:

If you could email the charities like suggested, they would stop writing to you. You are therefore saving the charity money by ceasing postage/envelope/paper/ink/person's time possibly pay by processing it. For now, that's your donation.

We are hounded by the two charities I support as much as I can, dogstrust and cancer research. I get so cross because I do what I can to support. I can't do any more at the minute. They push and they push and they push. I try to forget about the people he charity supports and get cross at the pushers. It's a completely warped way of looking at it but it helps me. :cool:

Well, there's enough lasagne base for spag bol tomorrow so that is a result Going to try figure out how to use left overs/double portions in meal times the next day.

I'm destined for a candlelit bath, bubbles and a hot choc this evening... now that's a treat We don't want for much do we.

Edit: D&DD I think it must just be my end. It's always done it, I just never said anything.

Sunshine4

Grandma
An elderly aunt had the same think happen to her, my cousin had to cancel all direct debits and ring each charity and explained what had happened and asked for her to be taken off there list.
Poor dear was a mess she couldnt understand where all her money went.:(

[Deleted User]

SMILEY - The way I support my chosen charities is by always visiting the Charity Shop when I'm in town and trying to find something useful to buy, also if they are having a collection day I give what I can afford. I understand that charities are having as difficult a time as the rest of us but you must think of your own well being and that of Bruno and Tess. The stress of guilt should not be brought to bear on good and kind people like you, the worry and distress it causes outweigh the good that the charities do. For me I support the two that I identify with most and most christmases my DDs give a gift to someone somewhere else in the world for me, rather than getting me something I can well do without. The best we can all do is give when we can, but not feel bad if circumstances dictate that we cannot. Hope that helps, Cheers Lyn x.

jackel

Smiley - I agree with others who say just give as you can afford. I know that things are bad for charities at the moment. Our local animal rescue is in danger of being closed. It is very dear to us as we have had four lovely dogs from them so we shall try to give them support. I am afraid that is where it will have to end so far as giving is concerned as we recognise we cannot afford to give to any others.
It is not easy to choose but you can't donate income you cannot spare. jacxx

prepareathome

[QUOTE=Mrs Chip;56203789
PAH, hope you are ok, I know you were considering your future before, I guess things have got bad again, so sorry . Don't feel you will be burdening us, we all need to offload at times, and where better than here!
`[/QUOTE]


I know I am being a drama queen am so sorry, its not things have got bad its they never got better and although in past I have moaned then let myself be talked out of anything as promises are made but never kept, this time no I cannot stand it any longer no matter how hard it would be, scared yes totally especially with all the changes afoot but I cannot continue as I have.

I know I sound very selfish am sorry will shut up now.

Hugs and Love to allxxx

katep23

I did a race for life once and after that I started to get mail from lots of charities so I wonder if they sell details on to other charities?

I get lots of letter and used to feel so guilty for not supporting them all but now I just return to sender and support the charities I feel an affinity with, not the ones who send letters which are designed to guilt you into donating.

katieowl_2

Smiley, Re charities, I look at it like this...if they can afford big mailing campaigns they are not spending your money on stuff that really matters to you (well they may be, but only a fraction of what is given KWIM?) Especially the BIG organisations like Oxfam and those who deploy chuggers!

Support a small local charity that does the same sort of work, and I think your pennies will be better spent. Even if that just means taking your stuff into their charity shop as donation, and looking and spending there first.

When the envelopes come, tell yourself charity begins at home. I know it's hard, but times are hard, and it's especially hard when you love animals as much as I know you do, to see the heartbreaking stuff some of the overseas charities are dealing with. I'd ask for the envelopes to stop, but TBH I don't think they will, so I think you have to bin them unopened.

I cry over animal stuff I get sent on the internet daily, and occasionally I've seen something I would have stuck my hand in my pocket for, on one occasion about 5,000 people had beaten me to it, and she'd asked for the donations to stop!

You can do plenty of other stuff to 'be the change' without donating money. I was reading something on Facebook last week about how the social media is changing the lives of rescue dogs, especially the no hope cases, because such stories get shared and passed on, they are reaching the one person who is in a position to step in and help. If you want to see the link PM me, but I have to warn you that the story that came with the article has the saddest dog picture I've ever seen in my life as the article header, but it did have a happy ending and a good outcome. Even if you vowed to pass on one story a week to all your FB friends...you would be making waves in the world.

Also everyone I meet who I talk to about dogs, gets told to that the rescue centres are full of staffies...I do my bit to dispel the bad press, and I hope that a few people have gone on to rescue staffs.

Sorry to write a book, but I really know where you are coming from on this, there's just not enough money in my purse to go around

Kate