These are hard times and so many people are in need because of lost jobs or lost hours. If you’re someone like me who really wants to help but don’t have much to spare yourself, this guide is for you! In this post I will share small businesses that have products available for $10 or less, a link to people in need who could benefit from even a donation of $10 or less, and ways you can continue to help others for free.
Money may be tight for most of us, but that doesn’t mean we can’t still help others during these difficult times. Don’t let the thought of “but I only have $5 to spare; I can’t help anyone with that” keep you from taking action. Every little bit makes a positive difference. And if you’re someone reading this who can afford to give even more, then you can still use this guide to find businesses and people in need.
Note: Make sure to pay attention to any new notices about delays for shippable items. Some locations may be starting lockdown soon.
Small Businesses That Have Products for $10 or Less
Online Courses
Christian Rivera of DOPEamine
Having extra time at home is the perfect time to learn more about yourself! Christian offers great classes that focus on “using personality psychology to help you calibrate to your own mind’s tendencies, capabilities, and possibilities.”
He’s made everything 75% off until the end of April using the code CNOTE75, which makes his Finding and Maintaining Relationships for INTPs program only $8!
Art Products
Meg Rae Art (on Etsy)
Meg’s art is mostly inspired by the dark, uncanny, and surreal. She works in inks, markers, and digital. Here are some of my favorites from her shop:
doodlesquish13 (on Redbubble)
Look at how cute these Animal Crossing stickers are!
Ali Rice (on Redbubble)
Ali has gorgeous sticker designs! If you have more than $10 to spare, she also has shirts, phone cases, and more! Here are some of the stickers she currently has available:
emptymasks (on Redbubble)
They sell stickers and postcards on Redbubble, all under $5. Here’s one of my favorite postcards from their shop!
They also have an Etsy store that sells more stickers, plus some super awesome pins, but due to the UK lockdown, the Etsy shop will be closed until April 15th (or possibly longer, depending on the duration of the UK lockdown). Make sure to follow their Etsy shop so you can come back later!
Hanna Filippa (on Darkroom)
Hanna is a film photographer and has a print shop with prints as low as $10. She currently has a 10% coupon code you can use at checkout: Twitter10. Here’s my favorite from her print shop:
My Shop
I am not in desperate need, so please consider giving to someone else first. However, if you’re interested in an item from my shop, I will be donating all of the profits to those in need at least until the end of the month (likely for longer). I have bookmarks & digital/printable cards all for $5 or less.
Books & eBooks
Need something to read while you’re stuck at home? You can help a writer out by purchasing their book!
Insane Success: From Losing the American Dream to Finding God’s Abundant Life by Steven Lomelino (kindle edition & paperback on Amazon)
This book is an inspirational, true story of finding hope in a dark time with applications after each chapter.
Emma’s Fury by Linda Rainier (kindle edition on Amazon)
Dark mythological fantasy. Women are reborn as Furies, defending the balance between humanity and the paranormal world. Their lives are strictly controlled as they battle monsters and try to escape death yet again.
Roseship: A Very Curious Fairy by Persephone Vandegrift (Kindle edition & paperback on Amazon)
This is the first book in Persephone’s series. It is a children’s book that can be enjoyed by fairy fans of all ages and includes coloring pages.
Others in Need of Donations
If you’re not interested in making purchases and would like to help someone in need more directly, click this link and scroll through the replies of the tweet. Many have shared their situations and included links where you can donate to help out.
FREE Things You Can Do to Help
If you don’t have the money to give, that’s ok! There are still ways you can help!
Share/Retweet for Small Businesses
Share/retweet posts from small businesses about what they have for sale so that more people can see it who might be interested and can afford it. You don’t even have to wait for them to post to help get the word out there. Check out their shops then share some of your favorite items on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram stories, or text friends when you come across an item that you think they might like.
Share This Blog Post
Share this blog post so more people can find these small business owners!
Add to the List!
If you know about another artist, writer, course creator, or other type of small business owner who is struggling financially during this time and has any products for $10 or less, reply to this tweet and I’ll add them to this post!
Great post! Anyone can help with a little effort. This is an inspiring piece! x
What a great list of ideas! I am also on a super tight budget right now since I am currently not working due to the coronavirus as well. But it is super important to try to support small businesses right now if you can!
I hope you’re ok, safe, and able to get everything you need! 💜
This is such a great post! It is so helpful at a time like this. Thnak you so much for sharing!
Thank you! I’m glad it was helpful!
This was such a lovely post! It’s a crazy time right now, but it’s important to support others, even if it is a small amount!
This is such a kind and helpful post. I agree, it is so important to do our bit to support small businesses even more so during this challenging time. Will head over to Etsy and take a look at those shops, will have to bookmark Empty Masks and I love pins! Thanks for sharing these awesome shops, fab post! <3 xx
Bexa | http://www.hellobexa.com
I’m glad it was helpful! I hope enough people find this post and are able to support these great creators! 💜
Thank you for reading 🙂
Lovely post, I agree supporting small businesses is so important right now. I’ve been trying to only get takeout from local restaurants/cafes instead of big chains too.
xo J