Freecycle

I was talking to a long time friend of mine the other day ... he is expecting his first child.  I asked him if the baby's room was ready and he said he was working on getting a crib from a friend.  We recently freecycled our crib (prior to knowing he and his wife were pregnant) and I asked him if he knew of some great ways to get some bargains for baby items.  He said, "Yup...consignment stores...I am so grateful you dragged me to all of those consignment stores when you were pregnant because I remember the prices"...and I REMEMBER The Looks From  HIM!! What?  You are getting your baby used clothing?  Yes, the tags are still on these clothes and I am purchasing them for a fraction of the price...Oh how times have changed now that he is adding up all of the expenses a new baby will bring.

I jumped in and said, "I have one better for you...FREECYCLE!".  He had never heard of Freecycle. So, I explained how I gave our crib away on Freecycle and how anyone can give anything away - the only rule is that it has to be {FREE}.  He wasn't surprised that I knew about this but he was surprised to learn you can request items on Freecycle....it does not mean you are going to get them but..but you never know.

Just this week I have personally given away a printer, a rocking horse, a child's drawing table (my daughter had 2 ), shower curtain hangers, a little Tykes art easel I had purchased at a yardsale but no longer have room for as well as some outfits my daughter has outgrown (this was in response to a "Wanted" request).  I have put in a "Wanted" request for a weed whacker...I have my fingers crossed. 

Freecycle is a great way to get rid of items you don't need so others may use them and a great way to get items from others that may otherwise end up in a landfill.  The one thing I regret is not having a truck for if I had the ability to pick up furniture my entire house would be decorated for FREE!  You will be amazed on how often people put furniture on Freecycle because they are moving and need it picked up quickly!

You should check and see if your area has a Freecycle chapter and if not consider starting one yourself.