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You are here: Home / Deals / Freecycling – The Frugal and Eco-Friendly Way to “Shop”

Freecycling – The Frugal and Eco-Friendly Way to “Shop”

July 25, 2013 by Alea Milham 3 Comments

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How to freecycle the green and frugal way to furnish your home and clothe your family

As we all know, one of the keys to living frugally is to simply shop less often. When it comes to furnishing your home or clothing your family, however, we all have definite needs! These expenses can really add up, particularly as your family grows. Fortunately, it’s all doable – one way to “shop” for the things you need without spending any money at all is to freecycle!

What is Freecycling?

Freecycling is simply giving things away that are no longer wanted as opposed to selling them or throwing them away. There are two sides to freecycling: giving things away and receiving goods from others.

Freecycling is definitely not a new tradition or anything, but it is gaining popularity in recent years – likely due to the state of the economy and the ever-rising importance of “going green.”

How is Freecycling Good For The Environment?

Freecycling is a much more eco-friendly way to acquire (or get rid of) household items for a few reasons. Fewer resources are ultimately used in the manufacturing of new items. Also, much less waste ends up in the landfills. Freecycling is also associated with a strengthened local economy – it seems conscious consumption is contagious!

What Kinds of Things Can I Freecycle?

There’s really no limit to what types of items can be freecycled. What you’ll find most often likely depends on your area, but a few categories to keep in mind are:

  • Furniture
  • Household goods – dishes, furniture, etc.
  • Kids’ items
  • Gardening equipment
  • Books
  • Clothing
  • Cell phones
  • Food – yes! Many people list produce when their garden does really well.

There isn’t much that can’t be freecycled!

How to Get Started Freecycling

If you’d like to get started freecycling – either to purge your home of clutter or to meet a need that your family has – it’s not difficult to do so! Here are a few steps to get started:

  1. Find a freecycling group near you. TrashNothing.com allows you to find and stay updated with local groups and even offers a smartphone app to search for and offer items.

  2. Get familiar with your group – each will have its own set of rules to follow and etiquette.

  3. Get in the habit of touching base with the group each time you need to buy something or get rid of something. Check to see if anyone is offering what you need and post your own items that you no longer need.

 

Freecycling is a great way to meet the needs of your household and to help others in their own efforts to do so. You may try freecycling once or twice as you think of it, but many find that it becomes a way of life!

About the Author: 

Kylie Worthington is a green living and natural health advocate who blogs at Everblossom.net. She has freecycled furniture, kids’ clothes, toys, and more!

image credit: http://www.morguefile.com/archive/display/793952

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About Alea Milham

Alea Milham is the owner of Premeditated Leftovers and the author of Prep-Ahead Meals from Scatch. She shares her tips for saving money and time while reducing waste in her home. Her favorite hobby, gardening, is a frugal source of organic produce for her recipes. She believes it is possible to live fully and eat well while spending less.

Comments

  1. [email protected] says

    July 26, 2013 at 5:54 am

    Thanks so much for writing about this. I am a huge fan of re-using and buying used, because it’s both thrifty AND green, which is hard t find! Thank you for the link also!

    Reply
  2. Laura Broach says

    July 25, 2013 at 8:45 pm

    I love Freecycle!

    Reply
  3. Jaime says

    July 25, 2013 at 7:15 pm

    I had no idea FOOD could be freecycled! That is AWESOME! I need to go check out whether we have one or not!

    Reply

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Welcome. I'm Alea!

On Premeditated Leftovers I share simple recipes made with whole foods, practical shopping tips, time saving techniques, and meal planning strategies. I also share tips for minimizing food waste, so more of the food that is purchased ends up on the table.

While volunteering as a budget counselor, I realized that food is the element of most people’s budgets where they have the greatest control. I set out to develop low-cost recipes from scratch to prove it’s possible to create delicious meals on a limited budget. Eating well while spending less is about more than just creating recipes using inexpensive ingredients; it’s about creatively combining ingredients so you don’t feel deprived and are inspired to stick to your budget.

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