Websites such as the hugely popular Freecycle allow people to give away/collect unwanted goods – anything from a sofa to some unwanted cans of paint – for free and there are a number of skillswap sites, such as Freeconomy, on which people offer to do things for other people in the group, from plumbing to proofreading.
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Unwanted Christmas gifts can be passed on to local charity shops or offered on the web free of charge at freecycle.org.uk.
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Behind our garage were some vegetable beds which had been well-nourished over the years, so further satisfaction came from reading on Freecycle that a young couple needed some top soil to fill in their own garden where a path used to be. They were pleased to fill the boot of their estate car several times over and I stopped grieving about building over my beloved vegetable garden
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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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Householders are being asked to pass on unwanted paint through Freecycle, www.freecycle.org, or let unwanted paint solidify before putting it in their household general waste, green-lidded bin or general waste skips at recycling centres.
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The cheat
Not everyone has time to devote to constructing decorations but instead of coming home with a sparkly box of Tesco’s finest, search out quirky second hand or vintage baubles on Freecycle, Ebay or Gumtree. Not only are they cheaper, they’re often prettier and will add real interest to your Christmas tree.
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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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We haven’t gone as far as one friend though who is painting newspaper seasonal red and green for her wrapping, using Freecycle and offering her services as presents. Not quite as saucy as it sounds – more of: “I’ll clean your car, mow your lawn or drive you home from the pub on New Year’s Eve.”
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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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Pawn off unwanted gifts online. Craigslist and Freecycle.org are two great places to unload junk. As Freecycle’s site says, “it’s all about reuse and keeping good stuff out of landfills.” If it’s a heap of stupid gift cards you’re looking to ditch, learn how to turn them into cash so you can buy things people actually want.
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