Freecycle: What Do You Want? What Have You Got?

Basically, "joining" means that you are given private access to the website which lists items that are either "wanted" (being sought by others) or "offered" (being given away by others).

You can post your "wanted items" or your "offered items" for FREE at any time.

Remember, it's all about the "FREE"... not a penny can be charged or earned.

Instead of keeping your eyes glue to the website, you can also choose to receive individual e-mails (as items are posted) or daily e-mails (summarizing all of the new postings for that day). This way, you remain on top of what's available at all times -- because FREE stuff often goes quickly!

After hearing about this on the news, I signed up. There are nearly 1,200 "members" in my little town alone!

RELATED:

• It's Like A Random Act Of Kindness...
  
• A Fun Way To Pass On Your Old Books
  
• Kids' Toys Kicked To The Curb
  
• Tag, You're It... Passalong Some Fun Stuff
  

UPDATE 2/27/05:
If you're interested in the Craigslist site that Phil mentioned in the Comments below, it's here:
http://nashville.craigslist.org/zip/
There is some good "free stuff" there as well. And I've found Craigslist to be a great way to find things (like house cleaners) in the local area as well.

UPDATE 10/6/05:
Found something in Oprah Magazine ("Take It, It's Free" by Justine Van Der Leun, Feb. 2005) about how Deron Beal started Freecycle in July 2003:

As an employer of a non-profit recycling center in Tucson, Beal would cart bulky stuff that businesses no longer wanted -- disks, fax machines -- from charity to charity until he found a taker. He realized this was not the most efficient system, so in July 2003, he started freecycle.org, a grassroots website open to individuals, charities, and companies in his hometown. The concept was simple: You list your dumpster-destined toaster, and a toaster-needy neighbor arranges to pick it up. In less than two years, freecycle.org has spread through 1,800 cities and more than 40 countries. Now, every day, more than half a million "freecyclers" keep 33 tons of good stuff out of landfills.

UPDATE 7/20/08:
Don't overlook the fact that some of the things you might want to give to Freecycle (or to places like Goodwill or the Salvation Army) might not be in the best condition. If that's the case, some of those items might be put to good use at your local animal shelter instead.

Check out this Animal Shelter Wish List for more ideas.