Freecycle

This first way I learned to save us some money was with Freecycle! If you search in yahoo groups you can find one for your area. It is a group meant to keep things out of landfills and give them to people who can use them. Probably more than 50% of the clothes my kids wear have come from freecycle. We have gotten furniture, food, dishes etc from freecyle. Anything you could think of has probably been offered on there. If you have a specific need or want you ask for it and if anyone has it they will let you know. I have even made friends from meeting people on there!

Every time we move to a new city one of the first things I do is look up the local freecycle. You just go on the yahoo groups page and put in the city you live in with freecyle. Sometimes it is under the city you live in, the actual post you are at or the county you live in. So be sure to check all of those if you can't find it.

For those of you new to freecycle here is how it works. If you are signed up for individual emails you get an email everytime someone posts, if this is to much for you then you can sign up for daily digest. However I recommend not doing that since you could miss out on some great stuff. When you see someone offering something you want you just e-mail them back telling them why you would like it or could use it or whatever. If they pick you they will e-mail you back to decide pick up. Usually you pick up at their house but sometimes you can meet somewhere. Some groups have people send out and email with subject saying PPU:then whatever item they offered. That means it is pending pick up so don't email them about wanting it. Some groups skip that and go straight to TAKEN:whatever item offered. That means it is gone and again don't e-mail them asking for it. If you have an item you want to offer you just go to the group page and make a message saying OFFER:whatever the item is. You will then pick from the e-mails who you want to have it. Some people pick the 1st person to respond, some wait and choose who they want to pick up after getting a few emails. You will figure out what works for you. If you want an item you do the same thing but put WANTED: instead of OFFER:. If anyone has has what you want they will e-mail you.

There are some common courtesies you should practice on freecycle. Do not say you are going to pick something up and not show up. You do not want to be known as a no show. If something comes up e-mail the person, most people are willing to work with you. Do not reply to everything that is offered. Just because it is free doesn't mean you should get it. Only reply to the things you actually need or could use. Don't post 500 wanted posts a day or keep reposting the same want every day. Most groups have a rule on how often you can post the same wanted post, usually it is like one a week.

Ok I think that is it! Now get on over to yahoo groups and find your local freecycle!