Get Things for Free at Freecycle
Picture this. You just moved house and are looking out for a little furniture to tide you over till you can afford to buy something new. Or, you have an old rocking chair you want to get rid of but no one seems to want it. The answer to both these problems is Freecycle.
Freecycle is the website for the Freecycle Network, which is made up of 4,342 groups with 4,921,000 members across the globe. The purpose of this network is that if you have something to give, there’s someone out there who wants it. The catch is that it has to be given for free.
How do you join? You start by finding a Freecycle group that’s close to your home. Then, you can join and post about whatever it is you want to give away. If you find an item you like and would want, you simply mail the owner and tell him you’re interested. It’s first come first serve so be quick.
So, is Freecycle worth it? I’d say yes. There’s plenty of things to be found in these groups and the idea itself is quite philanthropic. It’s not perfect though. There are no guarantees about the merchandise you get. Plus, you usually have to make your own arrangements to pick up the item.
I’m a member at my local Freecycle group and I’ve scored a good deal or two. In one case, I met up with the owner close to my house to collect my item. Overall, I’d say give this network a try. After all, you never know what you might find.
What is your opinion on Freecycle? Are you a member of this group? Do you think this idea is worth exploring? What other similar sites have you come across? Do let me know.
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Hi, my name is Donald and I am a disable Veteran that lives in a transition house for now. I have been awarded a housing voucher, but dont have the money to purchase furniture yet. So I would be grateful if someone can help, please. Thank You Donald.
We here in Kyiv had LiveJournal communities for that – for selling, and for giving away for free. I used both.
Although the “Get things for free” headline is tempting, it’s not all about that… I’ve been a Freecycle member for a couple of years now and the main ethos is to keep things out of landfills if they’re still useful. Yes, I’ve had a lot of great free stuff, but I’ve given it away too and that’s the important part – if nobody gives, nobody gets! It’s great for decluttering your life, or if you’re a compulsive hoarder of computer bits like me it’s nice to be able to help people out and give them what they need to fix up their own systems… It’s definitely worth trying, but don’t abuse it by only taking :)
Haha, sorry Martin, didn’t notice that… Actually, I was kinda wondering since when you changed your writing style by adding some interacting questions at the end.. :)
Nice typo Cheryl :D
And a nice article as well. Thx
Tobey out
Oops! Sorry about that. It’s fixed now.
not my article Tobey ;)
ROFL, Martin, “..first come fist serve..” ? That would hurt, I’d better not join, lol. Nice typo :)
To the topic, I like the very idea of giving away stuff one doesn’t need and as you nicely noted that “if you have something to give, there’s someone out there who wants it”. That’s definitely true and this system seems to be helping ppl to find the other side, either giving or receiving, quite efficiently.
One person’s trash is another person’s treasure :)
Keen on joining this virtuous community.