Written by
WZZM 13 ONLINE
(WZZM) - For many of us, the holidays are the time for giving.
Many who can't afford to give throughout the year still find it in their heart to donate to others as Christmas approaches. Whether it be to Toys for Tots or simply dropping a few coins in the Salvation Army's Red Kettle, it happens this time of year more than any other.
A couple of websites allow you to give to others without spending any extra money, and best of all, it's year-round. The sites are gooddining.com and goodsearch.com.
Michelle Gordon of East Grand Rapids has been using goodsearch for a long time. "I've been doing this for eight years. I shop online a lot," says Gordon.
Before logging on to her favorite store's website, Michelle goes to goodsearch. She gets to all of her shopping sites through goodsearch. Then when she makes a purchase, that participating store donates a portion of her price to the local charity of her choice. The donations usually average around 3% of the sale price.
Michelle also recently started using the other site, gooddining.com. "As empty nesters, my husband and I eat out a lot. It's hard to cook for just two of us."
Donating on gooddining is just as easy. Michelle registered her credit card on the site once and then dines at her favorite participating restaurant. "If you use that charge card, then a certain percentage will go back also to the charity of your choice," said Gordon. It's that easy. Michelle's local charity of choice is KW Outreach which helps many local facilities.
Using these sites also saves you, the shopper. The sites, specifically goodsearch offer daily online deals from free shipping, all the way up to 60% off.
"Why not give back to your community or the charity of your choice while you're shopping? You're not going to spend any more money. It just seems like the right thing to do, if for no other reason, it feels good," said Gordon.
'Tis the season for saving and giving!