Looking for easy ways to be a blessing to others? These 12 fun ideas will help you bless others without spending a lot of money or taking a lot of time.
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When money is tight and life is busy, it can often feel like we have nothing extra to give to anyone else.
But I’ve kind of come to the conclusion that there is hardly ever a valid excuse to not be doing something for someone else at least somewhat regularly.
Because let’s be honest, there are so many benefits that come from blessing others!
- It helps spread joy, both to the recipient and to yourself. And joy, of course, is always a good thing!
- It helps build strong relationships.
- It keeps us from becoming selfish and totally focused on ourselves.
- It helps us remember what is truly important in life: relationships, not things.
- Our children benefit by seeing our example of serving others.
The thing is, we often think that we have to do BIG things to really make a difference and bless someone. But I know for myself, it’s often the “little” things that people have done for us that have blessed us the most.
And honestly, I find that to be very encouraging. Because at this stage of life where I’m busy taking care of young children and where money seems to be somewhat scarce, it’s blessing people in the “little” ways that feels manageable.
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12 Frugal Ways to Be a Blessing to Others
1. Share some homemade goodies (or cheat and buy some!)
Maybe it’s because I’m a bit of a foodie, but there’s something about sharing food with others that to me just speaks love.
So, if I’m making up a batch of cookies or other baked goods, I often will share some with our neighbors or a friend. In fact, because I love to bake and be in the kitchen, this is probably one of my favorite ways to bless others.
Homemade Bread, Chewy Blonde Brownies and Cinnamon Sugar Donut Muffins are just a few of the recipes that I have fun making to share with others.
Let me be clear though, even if you don’t enjoy baking don’t let that stop you from sharing food with others! There is absolutely nothing wrong with stopping by a bakery and grabbing something instead.
Actually, just a couple of weeks ago we were blessed immensely by a friend who stopped by a local bakery and grabbed some extra donuts to share with us. We definitely didn’t care that they weren’t homemade- they were delicious! But what blessed us the most was that he thought of us and cared enough to take the time to bless us.
2. Write a note of appreciation or encouragement
Who doesn’t enjoy receiving a note that lets you know that someone appreciates you and is thinking of you? Take a couple of minutes, sit down and write a note to someone who has blessed you or someone who you know could use a little cheer!
Need some inexpensive note cards? Here are some cute ones that cost just $0.33 a piece!
3. Babysit for a young family
Have a little extra time? Offer to babysit for free so that your friends can have some alone time or go on a date. When you are in the thick of parenting young children, this is a huge blessing!
4. Give fresh flowers
Flowers are such a fun way to deliver cheer to someone else! And who doesn’t love them?
Tip: If you have an Aldi grocery store nearby, they often have nice bouquets for around $5.
5. Share a smile
Smiles are contagious and are such an easy way to brighten someone’s day! And you can’t beat a free way to bless others, right? 🙂
Sometimes I have fun being intentional about doing this when I’m out running errands and it’s always fun to watch other people’s expressions as they see someone smiling at them!
6. Send an encouraging text message
I love getting text messages out of the blue letting me know that someone is thinking about me or praying for me. It’s one of those things that only takes a minute to do, but can mean so much!
7. Ask someone about their day and really listen
Our world is so busy and listening ears are pretty rare! The thing is, we all love to have someone care about us and truly listen to what we are saying. And all that it takes is a little energy, time and a caring heart!
8. Take someone a meal
Know someone who is going through a hard time? Is there a family who just lost a loved one or recently had a baby? Or maybe there’s a weary young mom who would just enjoy a break from needing to think about making dinner. Sharing a meal is a great way to bless others!
Tip: To make this easier for me to do, I like to just make double one of the meals that I prepare for my own family and then share half of it.
9. Share a word of encouragement
How often have you thought, “She looks so beautiful!” or “She does such a good job of teaching her kids manners.” or “He is such a thoughtful person.”?
If you are like me, most of the time you don’t bother to actually tell the other person those thoughts. But why not? Next time, put those thoughts into words and you’ll bless the other person immensely!
10. Give a hug
I realize some people don’t enjoy hugs, and if that is the case, then please respect that. But if you know that your friend feels loved through a hug, give them a good tight one the next time you see them!
11. Buy an extra coffee drink and share it with someone
Next time you stop and get a coffee drink, buy an extra one and share it with a friend- or even a stranger- and spread a little happiness!
In fact, you could even be more frugal and make your own Caramel Frappe or Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino to share. 😉
12. Invite someone over
If you are like me, this is something that is easy not to do simply because it can feel like a big job. It’s been helpful for me to remember that it’s okay if the house isn’t perfectly in order or if the meal or snack that I serve is very simple.
The thing that people are going to remember is the atmosphere and the way you made them feel. Focus on that and I can pretty much guarantee that you’ll be a blessing!
RESOURCE: I loved Jen Schmidt’s book, Just Open the Door. It covers this whole topic of hospitality and is full of so many great tips and ideas! I highly recommend it!
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Rose Haszler
Amazing tips all together ! I always like to spend my time with my family and friends. Most of them are crazy for coffee and fast food so I am always in hunt of deals for their preferences.
ThriftyFrugalMom
Good to know, Rose!
Tara
I get a blessing passing down my daughters gently worn clothes and toys to someone with a daughter younger than mine.
ThriftyFrugalMom
What a great idea, Tara! I know I’ve been blessed when friends have done this for us.
Tina
Great tips! It is in the little things that make such a big impact. Just a simple smile or holding a door can be such a blessing.
ThriftyFrugalMom
You are so right, Tina! Just yesterday I was at the post office and the postmaster was so kind and cheerful. He took the time to give my girls stickers and when I left, I felt myself feeling lighter simply because of his friendly, cheerful demeanor.
Jess
A lovely post and some things I’d never thought about doing! I think everyone deserves something nice and it doesn’t have to be a gift. Great ideas!
ThriftyFrugalMom
I actually love giving gifts too, Jess, but sometimes it’s hard for me to know what to give someone else that they would really love and use, plus it can get kind of expensive too, depending on what you buy and if you are a tight budget, that can be hard. That’s when I started thinking about the fact that there are lots of other ways to bless people that don’t cost much and may be even more meaningful too.
Rosina
These are some great tips! I finally concluded that I’ll never automatically have time to do things for others, I have to make time!
On #12: Hosting isn’t easy for me–I have a small house and 4 small kids and even though I love being with people, they wear me out. I’ve found that having the guests bring some food (a salad or dessert) really makes it easier, and they’re usually pleased to be asked. I also try to do this for others when we are the guests.
ThriftyFrugalMom
Yes! Somehow it seems like we always find plenty of things to fill our time and it definitely takes being intentional to actually do things for others.
What you said about #12 being hard for you has been my case too (the small house with no good place for children to play without being right on top of the adults, having small kids and getting worn out with people). I love your idea of asking guests to bring some food to help out. It took me a bit to swallow my pride and do it, 😉 but I’ve done it a couple of times recently and it does make a big difference! Thanks for mentioning that.
Monica
What a great post! I like how the ideas are all practical, economical, and not at all too much for people who are also raising families, working, etc.
I admit that #12 is a hard one for me also, and it feels like a lot to get my house “company clean” so it’s a lot easier not to have anyone over. When I do it though, it always feels well worth the effort. Hospitality is something I’ve been working on. Thanks for the inspiration. 🙂
ThriftyFrugalMom
Ah, #12 is by far the hardest for me too! Before I had a place of my own, I always thought I’d love having people over. But the reality has been much different for me. I’ve been trying hard to just keep things simple and that has helped a lot, but still, I have to be pretty intentional about it. But like you said, every time I do it, it is so rewarding!
Monica
My favorite hospitality has been inviting someone over for afternoon coffee and cookies. Very simple, doesn’t require a shopping trip, and I can clean in the morning. Want to hear something really funny? I once thought I would regularly host meals with extended family! Lofty, goal, I know. Then I would ride off on my unicorn…