10 Ways to Be More Charitable Without More Spending

Get in touch with your local cell phone store or contact your wireless provider to discuss the best options for donating your old phone.

And with new versions of cell phones and smartphones being rolled out every year, chances are you've accumulated a phone or two in the past that you don't need anymore.

4. Search and give

Have you ever counted how many times per day you use a search engine? What if money could be donated to your favorite charity every time you made a search online, including all those searches for product reviews and the lowest price on an item?

The website GoodSearch.com does just that. "GoodSearch donates a penny a search to the charities and schools designated by its users. You use GoodSearch exactly as you would any other search engine. The money GoodSearch donates to one's cause comes from its advertisers -- the users and the organizations do not spend a dime," says Scott Garell, the site's CEO.

5. Dine and give

Find yourself eating out at restaurants frequently? We don't normally associate restaurants with charities, but GoodDining.com is on track to change that thinking.

"GoodSearch expanded further to include GoodDining.com in 2011. With GoodDining, our users can eat in or take out at 10,000 restaurants nationwide and earn up to 6% in donations for their favorite charity or school," Garell says.

6. Donate rewards points

If you have a credit card, chances are it has a rewards program. And those rewards points can be donated.

"Many credit card companies offer ways for you to donate the points or miles you've earned in their reward programs to charities such as the Red Cross. Log in to your online credit card portal to see if you're eligible," says lifestyle consultant Joshua Duvauchelle.

For specifics, visit the American Red Cross webpage on donating rewards points.

7. It's easy being green, and big-hearted

Are you passionate about environmental causes and charities? The website Recyclebank.com might be up your alley.

"As an environmentally aware shopper who wants to be green while saving green, I personally love Recyclebank.com," Duvauchelle says.

This site provides coupons, discounts and points for those who pledge to do certain acts of good, such as recycling cereal boxes. Users can also earn points when shopping through the site at certain retailers and use those points to support a good cause like planting a tree through American Forests.