10 Ways to Be More Charitable Without More Spending

8. Shopping and giving

By shopping through GiftsThatGive.com, $1 out of every $5 you spend will be donated to a charity of your choice. Use the site to shop from hundreds of brands and product categories -- from desk accessories to candles to wine accessories. And if you can't decide on a specific charity, the site has a "featured charity," which will receive the donations.

9. Care2.com

Another way to link your online activity to donations is via the website Care2.com. "Sites such as Care2.com let you earn points for doing acts of good online, such as watching a video about forests or sharing a petition about illegal whaling. You can then use these points to buy online discounts and coupons, but you can also use the points to 'buy' donations to charities," Duvauchelle says.

10. Follow charity using social media

Charities have strengthened their social media presence. Be sure to follow your favorite charities on Facebook and Twitter. This way, when they're running an event in your neighborhood or are in need of a specific type of donation, you can be instantly notified about the opportunity to give back.

Remember, these methods don't affect your bottom line. It's simply a matter of making your existing consumer activity more charitable.

More on charity:

4 Tips to find the right charity

5 ways to avoid holiday charity scams

--By Scott Gamm

Gamm is the founder of the personal finance website HelpSaveMyDollars.com. He has appeared on NBC's TODAY, MSNBC and CNN. Follow Scott on Facebook and Twitter.

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