30 Ways to Pay it Forward
Check out these 30 Ideas to Pay it Forward
We are so blessed. No, really we are. And when my child starts to whine about how the battery has run down in his iPad, or how they don’t want a home-cooked meal, they want fast food, or, they want a 2nd pair of UGG boots like everyone else in school…..I realize really quickly how I need to show my kids they are blessed indeed.
So I came up with a quick list of how we could “pay it forward’ here in Round Rock. And I took my kids out to do just that so they could feel how good it feels to help a stranger, or simply to make their day!
30 Ideas to Pay It Forward:
- Pay it Backward: buy coffee for the person behind you in line.
- Compliment the first three people you talk to today.
- Send a positive text message to five different people right now.
- Post inspirational sticky notes around your neighborhood, office, school, etc.
- Tell someone they dropped a dollar (even though they didn’t). Then give them a dollar.
- Donate old towels or blankets to an animal shelter.
- Say hi to the person next to you on the elevator.
- Surprise a neighbor with freshly baked cookies or treats!
- Let someone go in front of you in line who only has a few items.
- Leave a gas gift card at a gas pump.
- Leave quarters at the laundromat.
- Encounter someone in customer service who is especially kind? Take an extra five minutes to tell their manager.
- Leave a note on someone’s car telling them how awesome they parked.
- Write a kind message on your mirror with a dry erase marker for yourself, your significant other or a family member.
- Place a positive body image notes in jean pockets at a department store.
- Set an alarm on your phone to go off at three different times during the day. In those moments, do something kind for someone else.
- Send a gratitude email to a coworker who deserves more recognition.
- Give away stuff for free on Craig’s List.
- Know parents who could use a night out? Offer to babysit for free.
- Return shopping carts for people at the grocery store.
- While you’re out, compliment a parent on how well-behaved their child is.
- Leave a kind server the biggest tip you can afford.
- When you’re throwing something away on the street, pick up any litter around you and put that in the trash too.
- Purchase extra dog or cat food and bring it to an animal shelter.
- Take flowers or treats to the nurses’ station at your nearest hospital.
- Send a ‘Thank you’ card or note to the officers at your local police or fire station.
- Take muffins or cookies to your local librarians.
- Leave a box of goodies in your mailbox for your mail carrier.
- Tape coins around a playground for kids to find.
- Email or write to a former teacher who made a difference in your life.
What are some ideas you and your family have done to “pay it forward” before? Let us know in the comments below.