Hey...just wanted to let you guys know about Freecycle. If you're familiar with hit, you can hit the "Back" button now...

Freecycle is a community of people who are devoted to keeping good stuff out of the landfills. It was started by a guy in Phoenix, AZ who had a bunch of stuff he no longer wanted or needed, but knew it was too good to just throw it away. He emailed his friends telling them about the stuff and they responded with, "I would like XXXXX; I have ABC to give away also." And thus, Freecycle was born. It is now world-wide, with almost 3,000 online chapters.

The #1 rule on Freecycle is everything has to be FREE. No money may change hands.

The website is www.freecycle.org. When you go there, you have to find the area you're in and then sign up to join that chapter.

We've received lots of stuff - good stuff - from people on it. A (practically new) pedestal sink (the husband went away and the wife had the neighbor replace it with a different one - 2 years after it was first installed), a low-flush toilet (yes, that one WAS new; people moved into a brand new house, but the toilet sat too low for the woman - she was handicapped), neckties when Warren first started his "shirt and tie" job, clothes for the girls. You name it, it's out there being offered.

The best part about it (I think!) is you get to give away your stuff that's no longer used (think: junk). Remember, one person's junk is another person's treasure.

Try it out...I triple-dog-dare you!!

Yes, I am a member of the Melbourne group.

Freecycle rocks. I've given away many things I didn't need anymore, and received a scanner, various computer parts, an entertainment unit, a bookshelf, etc... my landlady gave away a stove and got a dishwasher! In our area people exchange garden plants, too. We've had several people come here to dig up extra plants that my landlady no longer wanted.

I am crazy for it, I have given away so many roosters past good freezer age... We are going to use it again and again as we clean out the house. Hubs got the crutches he needed when he fried his ankle so bad a while back. Bed went to the dump, but that was not really usable again...

Thanks for this idea. I just joined the one in Silver Spring, Maryland, US!

You're welcome, Nov!

You'll be so surprised how useful it is....not only to get things you need (or want), but to also GET RID of stuff you no longer want.

Happy Freecycling!