Freecycle

**savvy_sniper** · 05-08-2009, 06:51 PM

I couldn't decide WHERE to post this! Freecycle helps to reduce, reuse, recycle things you no longer need to someone who can put it to good use. It is frugal too!

After my mom died, I offered all sorts of things that were perfectly usable, not worth having a garage sale for, etc. - sweatsuits, washable and disposable bed pads, books, her old king sized waterbed, etc. Everybody was glad to get the stuff.

Today I gave away a queen sized water bed that the previous owners left in the guest room. It worked fine for us until we got something better. The guy is thrilled to get it. I stopped coloring my hair about 6 months ago and found a box of hair color under the sink yesterday. I gave it away today - the girl was glad to get it.

Hubby bought me a generator for my birthday (we live on the Texas Gulf Coast). I asked for gas cans today. SO far I have been offered THREE 2-1/2 gallon cans. I will pick them up tomorrow.

So check out freecycle. Go to yahoo.com, click on groups, enter freecycle in the search field and add the name of your town or neighborhood.

**Missy** · 05-08-2009, 07:01 PM

We love freecycle in our area. Have been able to rehome all the baby stuff we had and find some things we need too.

**dean** · 05-09-2009, 09:54 AM

I love freecycle. I was even able to get rid of 2 grocery bags full of baby food jars that I didn't have the heart to toss.

**savvy_sniper** · 05-09-2009, 10:04 AM

It is really true! One man's trash is another man's treasure.

I had a huge double walled cardboard/corrugated box (fit on a pallet) that I gave away on Freecycle. She was going to use it for a Boy Scout project.

My mom was a hoarder. I found several dozen gallon pickle jars in the kitchen cabinets. Someone used them to make cookie mix, decorated, and gave as gifts.

I got a pickup load of oak for firewood this coming winter yesterday. It was already but up.

**HouseofTreasure** · 05-09-2009, 08:14 PM

I can beat this. I got a hot tub through freecycle. Yep, an actual hot tub, with gazebo, too.

Freecycle rocks!!

--Love

**freemommy** · 05-09-2009, 11:17 PM

Still can't believe the stuff being given away. Cool! What makes it work is the giving (it's better then receiving). Use ToolzDo to post to your group and freecycle becomes faster and more fun. It's Facebook for freecycle.

**HandyMom** · 05-10-2009, 02:30 AM

I guess some are better than others. I did see someone request a PLaystation2 on our freecycle and then thanking someone for it, so they must have got it or are just foolin everyone.. I see a lot more "I WANTs" than I do offers on ours. Some folks got so mad at the same people wanting to take everything that they went and made another forum to go to that they locked others (greedy ones) out of.

**RaineyDaye** · 05-10-2009, 09:55 AM

I use Freecycle a lot to give away things. Last week I gave away a nice area rug. I got so many requests for it, I was suprised. I had tried to sell it for $10 at a yard sale a few years ago and no one bought it. I haven't had much success in getting anything on Freecycle, though.

**geckoace** · 05-12-2009, 10:36 AM

i get tons of stuff from freecycle and give away even more. where i live it's great and i think well moderated as far as "wanted" requests they are quick to put you back on moderated status if you don't obey the rules.

i have gotten so much great stuff and i once gave away some baby stuff to some soon-to-be parents and they left me a beautiful thank you note. i often keep a cardboard box and jsut fill it with good condition stuff as i fling around the house then give the box away, i have gotten some nice follow up emails about those too.

**Missy** · 05-12-2009, 12:20 PM

Originally Posted by HouseofTreasure

I can beat this. I got a hot tub through freecycle. Yep, an actual hot tub, with gazebo, too.

Freecycle rocks!!

--Love

ROFL, me too. you can search it here to see what it looks like. And two table saws (DH uses them for flooring work). I gave tons of stuff. I was looking at my baby furniture and other stuff...wondering who I knew that was pregnant, then a post came on freecycle, new mother needed some misc baby things...all of which I had!!! So I was super excited that i was able to give it to her.

**baxjul** · 05-12-2009, 12:27 PM

I love freecycle!

**AmyBoz** · 05-12-2009, 03:52 PM

I'm a freecycle fan!!!

**RetiredVeryEarly** · 05-13-2009, 06:06 PM

I love Freecycle, too. I give away odd things things the Goodwill wouldn't even want, like the weird stuff tenants leave behind, rocks for landscaping, extra plants, etc. I get a lot of craft supplies for my Girl Scout troop there also, which was great especially before we had any $$ (sold a lot of cookies this year and made some). I have made some nice friends through freecycle, too. I hardly buy anything these days!

One piece of advice, don't give your stuff just to whomever asks first. There are some people who sit online all day and ask for all sorts of stuff. Then if they decide it isn't convenient they don't show up. Better to give some time for replies to come in from the "ordinary" freecyclers and not the jump on everything greedy ones.

**savvy_sniper** · 05-13-2009, 06:42 PM

Originally Posted by RetiredVeryEarly

One piece of advice, don't give your stuff just to whomever asks first. There are some people who sit online all day and ask for all sorts of stuff. Then if they decide it isn't convenient they don't show up. Better to give some time for replies to come in from the "ordinary" freecyclers and not the jump on everything greedy ones.

That is so true! There is one group I started posting a bunch of mom's stuff and the same TWO people would respond immediately and say they wanted it. I learned real quick to wait at least a day to see if there were others that might be interested.

**monkeywrangler71** · 05-13-2009, 07:02 PM

It's funny that everyone gets turned off by all the 'wanted' ads. Lately that's all I read. I don't have time to go around packing and sorting, then posting and dealing with the thousand replies and hundred no-shows. I'm having a much easier time responding to people who are actually looking for something that I don't need, less effort on my part and so far they have all shown up.

My goal is to get rid of five items a week, just to people who post asking for something.