There are numerous health benefits associated with charitable giving, including lower blood pressure, higher self-esteem and an increased production of “happy” hormones in the brain.

For people on a budget, however, it might require extra effort to give to charity without breaking the bank.

Incorporate Charitable Donations into Your Budget

The general rule of thumb for budgeting is 50/30/20. That translates to 50 percent of your income going towards “needs,” 30 percent going towards “wants” and 20 percent going towards savings. In this scenario, charitable giving would fit into your “wants” category, so perhaps you’d allocate 5/30 percent for charity and leave the other 25 percent for everything else.

Make Small Donations

The next time that you have leftover change from the grocery store, send it to someone on GoFundMe rather than letting it languish at the bottom of your bag. Small, everyday giving is just as important as large and flashy donations. In fact, you might wind up donating more over the course of an entire year than you would if you’d just donated a big chunk during the holidays.

Declare Your Donations on Your Taxes

Many of the things that you donate to charity are tax-deductible, including money, books, appliances and old clothes. Do some research into tax laws to see how giving things away might actually come back around and put more money into your bank account.

Support Specific Causes

Psychologically speaking, you might be less willing to part with your money when it’s going to a vague cause like “save the animals” or “educate low-income kids.” Instead, think about supporting a specific program where you can actually see the impact of your donations. For example, you might sponsor a child in a program where you receive letters and updates about how much of a difference that your money has made in their lives.

Offer Your Time Instead of Your Money

Charities are always in need of volunteers. Even if you can’t cook a meal or build a house, you can answer phones, file papers, make deliveries and do other non-glamorous but essential tasks that keep a charity running.

These are just a few ways that people can give back to their community without emptying their entire wallet. Charity doesn’t have to involve going broke.