How Do You Feel?

I have 'helped' ppl quite a few times when I KNEW they were 'down & out'. It makes for good Karma to help others.

My friend @ Christmastime was in the Walmart where she lives with her two kidz, after shopping an elderly man came up to her car, at first she thought he might be lost or confused as to where his car was, he told her he had been watching she & her kidz & thought she was a wonderful mother & her kidz were great in the store, he then handed her five crisp new $100 dollar bills & told her to have a wonderful Christmas!

'Paying it Forward' is a good thing!

the day after my Dad passed away, I ran into his hair stylist. She said that she would always remember my Dad's chivalry. He always held the door for her, always assisted her, & always was respectful. She said that she had talked with other people in their small town, & they all had noticed that he always took the time to talk with everybody. & it was true.... as his family, we often teased him about talking to strangers.

Her words had a profound effect on me, & I vowed to "be more like him". I now initiate conversations when out & about. I take the time to share stories with strangers. I take the time to compliment others. My sons now tease me about talking to strangers.

For me, I love that my words can make a difference. I love that I can pop a smile out of a total stranger. I love that I am carrying on my Dad's legacy. Kudos to you & everyone else who takes the time to brighten someone's day!

one time while at wal-mart there was a man there with his mother who was blind ( had the glasses, white cane and hanging onto her son) he was helping her pay for her things. They went through 3 different cards and none of them were working. You could tell he was embarrassed and getting frustrated. He kept asking her are you sure the money is on these? She was obviously upset and kept saying... they said the money would be on there on the first.

Then he looked in his wallet and told the cashier just to put the stuff back that he didn't have enough to cover it.
I handed the cashier our debit card and told her to use that. The man looked shocked as did the cashier. He kept saying you don't have to do this... I told him I know I don't have to, but I want to. His mom asked what happened and the son told her. She started crying.

We paid for our things then went to leave. When we got to the doors the son and mom was standing there. He asked if he could get our name and address and he would send us the money. I told him it wasn't necessary... the mom told us you don't know how much this means, they both have been struggling since he lost his job and they had barely anything to eat the past few weeks until her state money was to be there. They didn't know what they would have done had we didn't help them.

I think that was the best $150 I have ever spent!

Aww good for you, I love doing that :) I always pay for the person behind me at the toll booth if I have to break a $5... why not? What's the worse that's going to happen, I make someone's day? Come at me karma!

My favorite is when you see the chain of paying it forward that you started. My kids almost see it as a game, they call it 'sweet and sour'... say we're at the grocery store. They'll hold the door open for someone... if they see that same someone do something nice for someone else while we're there, they're 'sweet'. If they don't, they're 'sour'. They usually do something nice for 10 people then wait to see how it plays out, it's so super cute!

And I ALWAYS throw a few extra quarters in parking meters. Those parking nazi's downtown won't let you get away with anyyyything, so I figure, why not cut someone who doesn't know any better a break ;)

I have bought fast food gift cards and handed them out to homeless people.. That way I know they "have" to buy food with it :)

When our son got home from boot camp he was in his uniform at dinner and someone paid for our meal. All of us! Chase said this had happened to him before. Several people came over to the table and thanked him for his service. He told us he was a little uncomfortable about it but appreciative. My husband and I now do this as well.

I often help people with non money related things simply because I can not affoard it. I will help our neighbor to her car or bring in groceries, I will help someone using the handicap cart at the store reach an item or empty their basket. I donate time to sing at nursing homes etc. What is your Starbucks of choice (pssst we are neighbors!;)

I find kindness everywhere, you just have to look for it.

Whenever I have a really bad day, doing something nice for someone else is how I make myself feel better.

I used to work with a girl that shared my liking for carmel rolls. She would always know when I had a rough night or morning because I would pick her up a carmel roll whenever I got one for myself.

It was a joke between us. I would hand her a roll and she would say, "Rough night?" LOL

Me and my dd were getting on the bus last week and there were a couple of girls in front of us in the queue. Just as we were all getting on one of the girls accidentally dropped her money in the street. She picked it up and was paying the driver when she realized she didn't have enough. The driver was telling her to get off the bus. She looked terrified! I gave the driver money to cover what she needed. She was so grateful and kept thanking me. They only looked about 11-12yrs old. I just thought if that was my dd and that happened to her, I hope that someone could help her like that and not leave her stranded.

My mom was blessed in the grocery store a couple of weeks ago by a stranger who paid her bill.

I think it's nice to both give and receive. I've had people pay my toll on a holiday trip before. So I paid for the next car and let it snowball. Or when I took the train, I'd give away my card to incoming passengers at the end of the week if it still had money or was a weekly pass and I didn't need the train til after it expired. At that time, I was also on a very tight budget but it was a simple thing I could do for someone else. It's just a warm fuzzy.

I've covered a few dollars here and there when someone doesn't have enough money at the grocery store. When I see them HAVING to make choices over milk or bread (and they have kids) there's no WAY I could go about my day thinking I COULD have helped.

It changes my day completely--for the better.

I had a produce manager give me a package of mushrooms for free once and another time he gave me a small package of strawberries. I was amazed. I have given the person one or more customers in front of me the needed change at a grocery store several times. I don't do it if they are buying cigarettes or alcholic beverages.

One time I was stuck at an unmanned toll booth and the toll was $1.25. They take photos of you if you don't pay the toll and then send you a ticket. I had 4 quarters and a $5 bill and larger. The toll booth didn't take any paper money. The driver behind me gave me a quarter. (I'd never been on this road before and didn't know it wasn't manned.)

I love to surprise the clerk or cashier (bank) that gives me change for a $20 when I give them a $10 or less. I always give them the extra money back. AND they are ALWAYS surprised. I've used this as a tool with my kids to teach honesty and integrity.

There is an interesting movie titled, "Pay it Forward". If it didn't have a sad ending it would be a wonderful movie.

Good luck to you and yours.

I have done that for other people, and I have had my order paid for a few times. It always brightens my day. :)

I enjoy doing that. When I was younger and single and had no money and would treat myself to an occasional nice lunch or dinner, I would often be surprised with having my wine or even the whole meal already covered. I realized then that I have been so blessed financially, even when I have no money. I still am not rolling in the dough, but I have learned that everything around me is better when I let it flow. Somehow, the resources show up when I put out there what I need.

that happened to me and my friend at Starbucks a couple summers ago - we were so excited! It really made our day - so we returned the favor and paid for the person behind us!

Two weeks ago someone paid for my brothers groceries - a few items he said around $15.00 - he said when the cashier was ringing him up a lady stepped over to the credit card swiper and swiped her card just as the cashier was telling him his total. The lady said she recently came in to some money and wanted to share. My brother felt awkward about it at first but later decided to count his blessings and has been to church the past two Sundays! -

That is so SWEET of you, I am sure you are making someones day! Now - what Starbucks do you go to???? - just kidding!

I love being nice to people, it just keeps me in a good mood all day long! here's my favorite story though - a few years ago, I was visited by an acquaintance who happened to give me some $ for some things we had done for him in the past. He gave me several $100 bills, and we went to a bar shortly after that. I noticed that the bathroom attendant had a tip tray so I slipped one of the $100 bills underneath her other tips. She was so shocked and happily surprised, she really needed the money and it came at a good time. :)

back in the day, when we used to put coins in the toll booth......
I would drive up to the booth that had a person, manually taking the money.
I would pay for the person behind me, and it was so much fun....
they would try to catch up with me and see if they knew me.
They'd toot their horn, wave..... such fun!!
I also love when someone is scrablling for money at the bottom of their purse a the grocery counter. If I can access it first, I pay the 6 cents or whatever they are looking for. I believe it is called "random acts of kindness".

Updated

Actually, I saw a You tube video that totally touched me.....
I man with no site, sat on the edge of a cement wall with a sign that said...

It is a beautiful day, and I can't see. The hat had very littel money.

One smart girl comes up and adds a 2 letter work "it" and people open their hearts and wallets.

The sign now read. "it is a beautiful day, and I can't see "it".
All she did was go out of her way to do some simple marketing for him!!