Freecycle is a Prepper's Friend
My husband scored a stash of flower pots from Freecycle this weekend. These will definitely come in handy with the deck planting I wrote about in my last post.
If you haven't heard of the Freecycle Network, it started in Arizona by a man who wanted to see as many recycled items as possible rather than having perfectly good stuff go to waste. It has now grown to have members around the world.
Freecycle's mission statement reads:
"Our mission is to build a worldwide gifting movement that reduces waste, saves precious resources & eases the burden on our landfills while enabling our members to benefit from the strength of a larger community."
The home page will allow you to search for a group near you which is usually hosted on a Yahoo group. The rules are pretty simple. Everything posted must be free and appropriate for all ages and laws of the area. It's not a trading organization, so no bartering. In the Yahoo groups, you'll see subjects such as Offer, Taken and Wanted. If you're interested in an offer, you email the person in question and arrange to pick up the item.
We've been lucky with other items such as four gallons of deck stain (quality stuff that would have cost us $30 a gallon) and my husband has gotten some electronics equipment. We've also been not so lucky because people aren't always honest about the condition of the item or they have a different definition of usable than we do.
When arranging to pick up an item, use the same common sense you would use when going to a place you haven't been or meeting strangers. We've never met any creepy types, but again, use your head. If you wouldn't go to a certain neighborhood by yourself generally, then don't do it to get free stuff. When you join the list for your area, you'll be sent group rules, suggestions and etiquette. Freecycle is great for any frugal person, but preppers can come across some great finds like canning jars, lumber and more. You can also get rid of that stuff you have no more use for and possibly donate it to a good home. So have fun recycling, frugally prepping and be safe.
If you haven't heard of the Freecycle Network, it started in Arizona by a man who wanted to see as many recycled items as possible rather than having perfectly good stuff go to waste. It has now grown to have members around the world.
Freecycle's mission statement reads:
"Our mission is to build a worldwide gifting movement that reduces waste, saves precious resources & eases the burden on our landfills while enabling our members to benefit from the strength of a larger community."
The home page will allow you to search for a group near you which is usually hosted on a Yahoo group. The rules are pretty simple. Everything posted must be free and appropriate for all ages and laws of the area. It's not a trading organization, so no bartering. In the Yahoo groups, you'll see subjects such as Offer, Taken and Wanted. If you're interested in an offer, you email the person in question and arrange to pick up the item.
We've been lucky with other items such as four gallons of deck stain (quality stuff that would have cost us $30 a gallon) and my husband has gotten some electronics equipment. We've also been not so lucky because people aren't always honest about the condition of the item or they have a different definition of usable than we do.
When arranging to pick up an item, use the same common sense you would use when going to a place you haven't been or meeting strangers. We've never met any creepy types, but again, use your head. If you wouldn't go to a certain neighborhood by yourself generally, then don't do it to get free stuff. When you join the list for your area, you'll be sent group rules, suggestions and etiquette. Freecycle is great for any frugal person, but preppers can come across some great finds like canning jars, lumber and more. You can also get rid of that stuff you have no more use for and possibly donate it to a good home. So have fun recycling, frugally prepping and be safe.
© P.J. Deneen
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