Strapped for cash this holiday season?
The cast of MTV's The Buried Life — Ben Nemtin, Jonnie Penn, Duncan Penn and Dave Lingwood — are sharing their five favorite ways to give back for not a lot of bucks.
"Every year for the last four years we've toured the continent shooting for our show and it means that once the holidays roll around, we finally get a chance to take a well-deserved break," Jonnie tells Us.
Traveling around the globe to cross items off their life lists and the lists of others, the cast works with a multitude of charities in an effort to give back. Duncan co-founded OA Projects, which uses soccer to increase community building in war torn areas. Nemtin has high praise for To Write Love on Her Arms, a non-profit organization dedicated to finding help for people with depression and addiction.
"The holidays can be a hard time for people who don't have family and loved ones to surround themselves with, TWLOHA is there for those people," says Nemtin. "TWLOHA sells really cool t-shirts that make a fantastic gift, and all proceeds going towards their noble cause."
Get inspired to do good with the cast's other favorite budget-friendly ideas:
BEN NEMTIN: My mom always did this growing up and now I realize it's an easy way to give back to ol' Mother Earth during the holidays. Keep your gift boxes and your used wrapping paper that's still good to go. Pack it away with your Christmas decorations and you'll probably forget about them until next year when you congratulate yourself for being so resourceful and good looking. It's also fun to wrap your friends' birthday presents in old Christmas paper.
DUNCAN PENN: Rent a projector and turn your living room into a movie theatre with friends, family or someone you want to snuggle with.
DAVE LINGWOOD: Bring egg nog to people at work. Egg nog is delicious!
JONNIE PENN: Go on a date downtown and hand out hot chocolate with marshmallows to folks living on the street. Ask a coffee shop to donate cups. Remember, it's always good to do something for yourself around the holidays, too. If you feel better, often those around you will feel better too.
BONUS TIP FROM TBL: "We just helped a girl who's No. 1 dream was to fight hunger; she just wanted to feed people so they wouldn't have to go to bed hungry. It reminded us how many people in this country not only won't get any presents this holiday season, they won't get to eat," Nemtin says. "A simple way help out in your community is gathering a group of friends for a hamper drive. Rally 10 or 15 friends (everyone bringing a different item), wear old Christmas sweaters, drink lots of eggnog and rum, sing carols and pack some food bags for families in need. No one should have to spend the holidays hungry."
Watch as the guys attempt to cross off No. 2 on their list — "crash a parade" — Nov. 15 at 10:30 p.m. (EST) before the season finale of The Buried Life airs Nov. 29 on MTV.
