How to get the most out of Freecycle

Have you discovered Freecycle.org yet? Most moms say they don’t know how moms got by without it. In case you aren’t familiar with it, this site allows you to join an email group for your local area, where you can post OFFERED ads for items you would like to get rid of, post WANTED ads for items you are seeking, and respond to offers posted by other members.

What makes Freecycle different from other classified lists is that everything offered, picked up, or requested must change hands 100% free of charge. The objective is to help keep it goin’ around… and out of the landfill. A less obvious benefit is that every new item purchased comes with packaging that must be disposed of, which is an added burden on our waste disposal systems.

As a parent, it’s hard not to see the benefit of this system. Those giant plastic toys your kid outgrows every five minutes? Get the old one out of your living room today and send it to someone who will love it, and pick up a new one later this week. This alone will save you hundreds of dollars. Done having kids? Some underdressed mom will be delighted to come pick up every piece of maternity clothing you’ve got.

The only downside is that the popularity of freecycle means a lot of lists are very busy, and items go quickly, making it difficult to keep up with the email traffic and to respond to items which interest you before they are claimed by someone else. A little Freecycle Savvy, however, will carry you far.

Use the WANTED feature. Although a WANTED will not always bear fruit, it has the advantage that you won’t be competing with 500 people who are hunched over their iPhones waiting for someone to post an offer for the same item you’re interested in. And because Freecycle is full of good people who want their items to go to good use, you will find that you get a response often enough to make posting a WANTED worth your while. Effective “wanteds” don’t just put WANTED: Kid’s tricycle in the subject and the size in the body. Make it funny. Or tell a story. Making people feel a connection to you and your need or desire will make them more likely to respond to your request.
Be the Early Bird. Folks who get up early to go to work often will post their offers when they check their morning email. If you are up early and at your email, you will get the chance to respond before the list gets busy later in the day.
Use Email Alerts. Your mail client refreshes or checks your email on a schedule. Yahoo and Gmail both have features that will run in the background on your computer and pop up an alert with the message subject when a new one comes in. Waiting for your mail client to run may mean you have already missed out on items on a busy list.
Be alert to seasonal trends. When everyone starts opening their garages in the spring is a good time to watch for or request items that they may decide to upgrade during the spring sale season- patio furniture, outdoor grills, yard equipment, etc. The day after Christmas can be a great day to look for kids’ toys. Holiday decorations will be offered right after someone opens last year’s boxes and decides what they won’t be using. Expect people to have children’s clothes to offer at the same time you’ll be checking to see what fits your kid since last year.
Offer often and offer well! Last but not least, use Freecycle to offer items yourself. What goes around really does come around, and there are folks who will diligently check the archives to make sure you are an active giver before they will respond to your request for their item.

Plus, what could be more rewarding than giving away your old “skinny” clothes to someone who just lost 40 lbs and can’t afford a whole new wardrobe for work? When your skinny butt comes back, you can celebrate by getting some things that haven’t been in your basement for four years, and you’ve put a good energy out into the world that no money can buy.

Happy Freecycling!

Are you a Master Freecycler? Share your favorite Freecycle tips with us in the comments section!