It’s rough out there. That’s no joke.

Between the economic decline and our country’s credit rating taking a nosedive, understandably we’ve all been feeling a little down in the dumps. Many of us had to shift our spending from “Whoa, I really gotta have that robot dog” to “Name brand ketchup!? Have you lost it, man?”

So money’s tight and we all feel like crap. What do we do?

Well it’s commonly known that giving makes people feel better instantaneously. Studies have found that giving affects our brain chemistry, inducing a “helpers high” and contributing to reducing stress hormones.

You: But how can we give money to others when we’re struggling ourselves?

Me: Who’s talking about money?

There’s a great new service out there called Givmo that helps you give, for free. Founded by Dustin Byrne, MIT grad and former Zappos Engineering Manager, and Judy He, Brown grad, Givmo helps you give away your already owned but-not-needed-anymore-stuff for free. By using Givmo, you can essentially donate anything to anyone, anywhere in the United States. Since all items are shipped directly from the Giver to the Receiver, there’s no need to arrange drop off or pick up times and locations. And for an extra twist of good—with every item you give away, Givmo donates $1 to charity.

Here’s how it works: Simply gather up some of those gently loved items in your home that you don’t need anymore, snap a photo, post it on Givmo, and then sit back and relax and wait for someone to claim it. Givmo will send you a pre-paid shipping label and all you have to do is box it up, slap on the label and send it on its merry way.

So for the cost of absolutely nothing, you’ve just:

1. Cleaned out your closets, increased your space, and simplified your life
2. Given your unused stuff a new lease on life
3. Made someone else happy by giving them something they’ve wanted
4. Sent money to charity
5. Helped the environment by recycling
6. Gained some extra special feel-good points

Even in today’s tough economic times, this is a way for you to give to others, give to charity and give to the environment — without spending a penny.