Charities like the Red Cross depend on donations to do their lifesaving work. When you can’t make a financial donation, you can look at loyalty programs with hotel chains, airlines and retailers to help. If you belong to programs where you’ve accrued points but don’t have enough to redeem for a free night or flight, donate them. Charities can pool the points and use them to raise cash or apply them toward travel costs for their work. Donating can be done online with just a few simple clicks of the mouse.

Is it chilly at your workplace? Instead of plugging in energy-wasting space heaters to stay warm, take a look around the office. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, furniture fixtures like filing cabinets and even storage boxes often block airflow from vents. Blocked vents mean warm air can’t heat the office, and can require as much as 25 percent more energy to get air into your office. Simply moving these fixtures away from vents can make a big difference.

When you get fresh flowers as a gift, you can compost them after the petals have faded. Organic or conventionally grown stems can be added right to the compost heap; throw the whole bouquet right in, and it will break down into beneficial mulch. But do not pour the water in the vase on top of the compost heap. Most florists use a powdery biocide in the water to help keep it fresh by killing bacteria. This same chemical agent can be harmful to a healthy heap and can kill microbes in your compost.