easy does it

Improving our own lives, each other' lives and the planet. Tricky stuff. But there are small, everyday things that if enough people do differently, really can make a huge difference. And other, more individual actions that can transform our own lives. The exciting bit is that most of these cost little or no time or money. Save the planet, save some dosh.

It's all about doing things slightly differently. If you're already going on holiday, buying chocolate, going to an evening class, having a lunch hour, you can make these opportunities more socially profitable.

Here's what you can do to make a difference:

In 0 seconds:

Delight the Bar Mitzvah boy or the bride and groom by getting them a memorable gift in their honour. Could be a bike for an Ethiopian midwife or a phone card for a child in care.

In 5 seconds:

Choose a fair-trade version of your chocolate, bananas, coffee - even roses and footballs now come with a clear conscience

In 5 minutes:

Get a charity credit card, with each purchase producing a donation to your chosen charity

Now have a look at all the other ideas by clicking on the links to the subjects.