Freecycle: A green way to get free stuff!

Freecycle.org's mission is to keep usable items out of landfills. Did you just upgrade your TV and don't need your small one anymore? Go through your summer clothes and find out half of them don't fit you anymore? Instead of just putting these things to the curb, join Freecycle and give them to people that can actually use them!

It is completely free to join. Simply enter your zip code on the main page, and find the group nearest to you. Freecycle boasts 4,934 groups with 8,336,283 members around the world. My group alone, the Camden NJ group, has 5869 members. Members are accepted based on zip code, meaning all members are local so you don't have to travel 40 miles for that microwave.

You do need an account with Yahoo Groups, as this is the main way to find out about products up for grabs. You can get a daily digest of all offers, but it is recommended that you get instant notification. A lot of people give their items away based on a first come first served basis. If you're interested in the item, simply reply to that email and hopefully you will get a response saying, "It's yours!" with their address. You would then just go an pick it up! Most people leave items on their porch or doorstep, but sometimes, maybe they live in an apartment complex, you will have to meet them to receive the item. If you have an item to give away, simply go to the Yahoo Group's home page, and write a post. It will get sent to all members' emails. There is also a "Wanted" feature. If you're looking for a particular item, you can send a wanted post. You never know, someone just might have a fishing pole laying around that they don't use anymore!

My Personal Opinion

I have been a member of Freecycle for many years now. I absolutely love it! It truly has be an invaluable resource for me, having two growing children. It is rare to go a day or two without seeing a post for people giving away their children's outgrown clothing. I have a baby, and I have a full wardrobe for him until his first birthday! 

A few weeks ago, I wanted to get my son a Bumbo seat, but I just don't have the $40-$50 to get him a new one. I did go on Craigslist, and found two in my price range, but they both fell through. So I went to Freecycles's site and wrote up a "wanted" post. I simply said I was looking for a Bumbo for my son because I didn't have the money to buy one. A few hours later, I had an email from a woman saying she had one that her son didn't use anymore. To make it even better, she lived about 5 blocks away from me! So I got her address, drove over, and it was sitting right on her front step. I picked it up and sent her a thank you email.

Other things I have received are a TV for my daughter's room, several Nintendo DS games for her, an MP3 player, and a very nice dish set. I even got a working computer with a monitor, keyboard, everything! People offer a variety of things, from scrap metal and wood, to unwanted gift cards and coupons. I've even seen a few cars over the years!

So head on over to Freecycle.org, make an account, and keep stuff out of landfills! You never know what you'll find :)