Several years ago, I raved about how quick and satisfying it was to dispose of old and potentially dodgy electronics via the Freecycle Network, a loose affiliation of mailing-list based groups of people who exchange reusable goods for free (see “Freecycle: Disposing of Good Old Stuff,” 6 August 2007). Every so often since, I resubscribe to the Ithaca Freecycle list whenever I come across something that I’d far rather give away than throw away — a portable chair that didn’t fit either me or Tonya, an old tabletop that was taking up space in the garage, a houseplant that had outgrown our living room, and so on.

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9. Think secondhand.

Borrow, swap or hit garage sales and thrift stores. Make a habit of checking your local version of Freecycle, http://www.freecycle.org , a nonprofit network focused on “keeping good stuff out of landfills,” or check the listings for free and secondhand items on Craigslist.

This approach is at the core of the eco-friendly principles of reduce, reuse and recycle. It can make retirees feel good while protecting their pocketbook.

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Try Freecycle: If you’ve never Freecycled, well, you must. It’s basically like Craigslist, except everything is free (the only other difference is that donations are delivered, you generally have to pick up whatever you want). Over 5,000 cities have Freecycle groups, so chances are there’s one in your area, and parents are always unloading barely used toys, clothes, books, and more. Score!

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