My Love Affair with Freecycle

It all began when I moved to New Jersey.  The same home that cost $60,000 in Nebraska (where I had moved from) cost $300,000 in Jersey.  So I sat on my new living room floor.  A three year old jumping on my back, my 18 month old having an accident on our couch and nursing our new baby.  Oh-did I say couch?  Yes.  That being-peed-upon couch was one of our few pieces of furniture.  There was a bassinet, a crib, a twin mattress and a queen bed.  My underpaid policeman husband and I had decided that our love would see us through.

But the knowledge of the errant potty trainer was on my mind.

There was no way at all we could afford a new couch.  Or a kitchen table.  Or the whole wardrobe of clothes that all three kids seemed to grow out of every three months.  So my internet addicted self and the frugal Nebraskan got together.

They had a love affair with http://www.freecycle.org

Freecycle is an entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving (& getting) stuff for free in their own towns. It’s all about reuse and keeping good stuff out of landfills. Each local group is moderated by a local volunteer.   Membership is free.

Within the first three years of using it (I was in New Jersey, so keep in mind the group had about 15,000 members) I had a new (lovingly used) couch, a new (refinished) dining room table and chairs, bookcases, end tables, countless toys,craft items and lots of crap I decided I “needed” without spending more than the gas I used to go and pick it up.  And I gave back just as much.  I felt guilty about selling some things when I knew there were people out there like us who could just not afford to buy a bassinet.  So I freecycled it.  Hence the “cycle”.

1. When you want to find a new home for something — whether it’s a chair, a fax machine, piano, or an old door — you simply send an e-mail offering it to members of your Freecycling group.
2. Maybe you’re looking to acquire something yourself. Simply respond to a member’s offer, and you just might get it. After that, it’s up to the giver to decide who receives the gift and to set up a pickup time for passing on the treasure.
3. The main rule: Everything posted must be free, legal, and appropriate for all ages.
4. Non-profit organizations also benefit from Freecycling.
5. Usually you must give before you take.  Think of it as good karma.
6. Post the item or items you want to give away and where you are located.
7. Then request the things that you may be needing.
8. It’s a free cycle of giving.  Think globally, recycle locally. The Freecycle Network is open to all communities and to all individuals who want to participate. Freecycle groups are run by local volunteer moderators from across the globe who facilitate each local group – grassroots at its best!

But pay attention!!

• Some groups are really busy. Make sure the email selection you choose works for you. Options include Daily Digest (bundles of 25 messages at a time delivered all in one email), Individual Messages (receiving a message just as it is sent out), No Mail (reading the messages on the web so your inbox is free of the messages).
• Not all groups allow the No Mail option, so read carefully to see if your group allows it or not.
• These rules are the same for all Freecycle groups: everything must be free, legal, and appropriate for all ages. Local groups sometimes add other rules, like no pets, no coupons, no services. Be sure to read the guidelines for your local group so that you know what is or isn’t allowed.

Visit http://freecycle.org, http://freesharing.org or http://sharingisgiving.org to find a group in your area.

And think before you throw that spaghetti jar in the garbage!  I need that for my next kid’s art project!!

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