1. Christmas sales

Even charity shops have Christmas sales. Oxfam has an online shop with clothing, books, household items and DVDs - some reduced to £1.99. That's cheaper than most on Amazon, and the money goes to a good cause.

2. The Dryathlon

Take on the daunting (impossible?) task of giving up booze for January get sponsored to raise money for Cancer Research UK  - and maybe lose that spare turkey tyre along the way. They'll even work out how many calories you'll be saving, and what exactly you could be doing with the money you'll save.

3. Volunteer

Volunteering can now be taken on in various different formats to work with your own schedule and strengths. You could be a mentor to a young person, help with fundraising or admin, or even make Football Manager become reality by becoming a football coach.

4. January clearout

Unwanted Christmas presents? Bought a dress in the sale that doesn't fit and you can't return? Send it along to your nearest charity shop, and you can take a look while you're there. Just remember, it's 'vintage', without the price tag.

Try to think twice before dumping in the skip - some charity shops collect from your home if you have bigger (sellable) items you want to get rid of but can't manage to transport them there.

5. Tick a box, donate once a month

If you sign up to donate monthly, it can be as little as you like going towards any chosen cause. If you find you can't afford it - simply cancel. If it's just a few pounds, you might not notice the amount come out of your account, but it all adds up.