The Chronic Consumer

In celebration of Earth Day, I thought I’d write a post about how you can do your part to help save the environment while getting free stuff at the same time. Everybody loves free stuff, right? So listen up.

The best way to go about getting free items of all kinds is to join a so-called “freecycle” group and find people who are trying to unload what you need.

I know, I know: getting a 5-year-old pool table for free isn’t quite the same thing as getting a brand-new model, but the bottom line is that you’re not spending a dime on the product. In times like this when money is tight to begin with, who’s going to quibble about a product’s age? As long as it’s in decent shape and works properly, I wouldn’t care that it’s used.

I’ve checked out Freecycle.org, and while I haven’t actually gotten anything from there, I could see myself using it again in the future. A lot of the items are in perfectly good condition and are just being replaced because kids have outgrown it, people are moving into smaller accommodations, etc. There really are some great finds waiting to be discovered over there.

If you like free stuff, check out Freecycle.org today. Then you can put the money you save on all your free goods towards bills that can’t be paid for by barter, such as your rent or car insurance.

Oh, and be sure to do your part by offering your unwanted items up for grabs at freecycle sites as well. Obviously, these types of operations need takers and givers in order to succeed!