I recently found a fun group on FaceBook that has become my favorite group and my favorite way to get free stuff: a Buy Nothing group. There are several of them, as they are organized by neighborhood. The idea behind the project is to have a gift economy. I have found that it helps people declutter, helps needy people, and most importantly helps bring my neighborhood’s community together. It is also good for the environment, as things get used again instead of tossed in a landfill.
I have personally been inspired to declutter my house and get rid of things I don’t use. Sometimes I hold onto things because they’re perfectly good and so I feel bad throwing them away. I have found that this group helps me get rid of these things, because they can go to someone who wants them and can use them.
It’s also a fun group for me to be in because it feels a lot like shopping and when I receive something, it is a new thing for me to have, but it is all free.
It is also beautiful to see how a community can come together and helps restore my faith in humanity. People are so generous, with no expectation of compensation or returned generosity. There are traveling boxes of clothes that circle through the group, and regifting toys are common too. Once you are done going through the box of clothes or your children are finished with a toy, you repost it in the group and someone else can enjoy them.
I highly suggest finding if your area has one, and if not, to even consider starting one. You can click here to find your group.