Freecycle

I get really excited about free stuff. In my purse right now you can find coupons for free Wendy's Frosties and free McDonald's lattes. (Hmm, I guess I also get really excited about sweet drinks.) But it's also fun to give stuff away for free.

Freecycle allows me to get and give free stuff. Freecycle groups are local organizations run through Yahoo! Groups.

Here's an example of how it works.

Yesterday an OFFER post popped up that included this item:

Wood shoe rack on rollers. It's low and holds about 20 pair of shoes depending on size.

I sent out a quick response.

My husband would love if I could...
1....put my shoes on a rack instead of leaving them strewn around the closet floor.
2....get rid of enough shoes that I only have 20 pairs left.
I guess #2 is up to me, but if the shoe rack is available, maybe you can help me with #1! I can pick up today. Either way, thanks for Freecycling!

Well, I got an e-mail letting me know the shoe rack was mine. Score! I have to say, this is one of the best things I've received on Freecycle--second only to all the boxes we were given when we moved.



And, true to my word, today I posted an OFFER for all of these:



The Engineer will be so proud.

To find a Freecycle group in your community, just visit the Freecycle website. If you live in a large metropolitan area, I suggest finding a group that serves only your part of town, if available. It keeps the number of posts manageable, and you don't have to drive far to pick up something.

I love Freecycle. Getting away from the commercial mindset all around me is so refreshing. Best of all, when Chickie and Zoodle get a little older, I have a great threat for them: "Stop fighting, or I'll stick you on the porch and Freecycle you!"