My Secret Weapon: How to Save Money on Everything
Everybody wants to save more money.
You enjoy saving money, right? I mean, who doesn’t?
What if I told you that you could get the things you’re already shopping for for FREE instead?
Well, you can. And here’s how: the Buy Nothing Project.
I recently discovered the Buy Nothing Project on a scroll through Facebook. It’s an online community where people in your local area give away things for free to their neighbors.
“The Buy Nothing Project began when two friends, Rebecca Rockefeller and Liesl Clark, created an experimental hyper-local gift economy on Bainbridge Island, WA, in July, 2013. Since then, it has become a worldwide social movement, with groups in 30 nations. Local groups form gift economies that are complementary and parallel to local cash economies; whether people join because they’d like to quickly get rid of things that are cluttering their lives, or simply to save money by getting things for free, they quickly discover that our groups are not just another free recycling platform. A gift economy’s real wealth is the people involved and the web of connections that forms to support them. Time and again, members of our groups find themselves spending more and more time interacting in our groups, finding new ways to give back to the community that has brought humor, entertainment, and yes, free stuff into their lives. The Buy Nothing Project is about setting the scarcity model of our cash economy aside in favor of creatively and collaboratively sharing the abundance around us.”
How Does it Work?
There are Buy Nothing groups on Facebook all across the country. Log in to your Facebook account and just search “Buy Nothing” and you’ll see tons of them! Just click on whichever one is closest to your local area, and request to join. Often, they will ask you what neighborhood you live in to confirm your location.
Once you’re approved, you’ll see a bunch of posts!
People may post “ISO” which means “In search of.” These people are looking for something specific. If you have the item and are willing to gift it, you just comment and let them know!
Most often, you’ll see “Gift” posts. These are people who are offering 100% FREE items for anyone who wants them. The items may be furniture, food, drinks, toys, clothes, electronics, or even services - the sky is the limit here.
I ended up getting an Elfa closet system for free thanks to my Buy Nothing Group!
If you see something you like, comment on the post and tell them you’re interested!
Gifters choose recipients in a variety of ways. It’s not always the first person who comments that gets the item. This is to ensure fairness.
Sometimes gifters may say “Tell me your favorite movie to be considered” or they may choose a random name from the commenters.
If you are chosen, you’ll ask the gifter for their address and set up a time for pickup. Most gifters set out their items on their front porch in a bag labeled with your name on it so you can quickly grab it and go!
Posting a Gift
If you’d like to post a gift, note the following rules:
Post anything you’d like to give away, lend, or share amongst neighbors.
Ask for anything you’d like to receive for free or borrow.
Keep it legal.
No hate speech.
No buying or selling, no trades or bartering (we’re strictly a gift economy).
Post photos of the item or items you’re gifting along with a short description and that’s it! Easy peasy.
Why You Should Use Buy Nothing Groups
If you care deeply about sustainability, Buy Nothing groups are perfect for you!
Instead of hopping on Amazon for a new dry erase board, post in your local Buy Nothing Group to get one for free!
Instead of running to the store when you’re out of detergent, post and see if anyone has any extra Tide.
Need bins to organize your stuff with? Post in your Buy Nothing group for free organization products!
Instead of throwing away things you don’t want, give them to people who DO want them and will use them!
Especially after a natural disaster like Hurricane Harvey, Buy Nothing Groups are totally amazing. It’s all about neighbors helping neighbors and building a gift economy in your local community.
They’re a revolutionary way to get to know and help your neighbors, decrease waste, save money, and reuse things instead of throwing them away.
