Freecycle

I am a member of our local Freecycle. For those of you who are not familiar with it, Freecycle is an online "community" where you can give and get things for free and help keep useful items out of landfills (find your local group here). I have been a member of the group for a few years now. I started in the Quad Cities group which was great. When I left Texas to move to Montana I had to get rid of alot of my things. I just could not afford to move them and I had no idea where I would be going next at that time. So when I arrived in the Quad Cities from Montana, I did not have much in the way of furniture. I was able to get several things, like a dinning room table and chairs, and a couch - for free! The dinning room set was in great shape and I recovered the chair seats. The couch worked and when I moved to a smaller place I just put it on Freecycle and found it a new home. That is the beauty of the site. When you need something, you ask, and if someone has it, they let you know, you go get it, and it is all free! When you need to get rid of something, you post it to the site, someone always ask for it (I have never had trouble getting rid of anything!), they come and get it, and its gone.

*rant*

But sometimes, I will admit, the people on Freecycle can be a bit trying, to say the least! I have found it to be more true in Colorado than in the Quad Cities. Below are some examples of things people actually have the gumption to ask for:

1. digital camera
2. leather sectional couch or loveseat couch
3. Claw footed Bath tub
4. select comfort bed
5. laptop
6. cell phone
7. blackberry
8. digital converter box (needed by Feb 17th)
9. 32" or bigger tv
10. complete king size bed w/frame. (Must be in good condition)

I think asking for things like this goes against the spirit of Freecycle. Asking for items like the ones above are rather materialistic I think. Sure, having a digital camera, laptop, cell phone, blackberry or huge tv is nice, but do you really need them - No. A claw foot bath tub - those are not cheep - and the odds that someone just has one lying around to give away......Same with the leather couch. Sure, they are nice, but not cheep and not really something you need. And to be so specific, I think it just comes across as greedy. Same thing with a select comfort bed - a twin bed, with just the basic things, is still $600! And a king size bed, sure, I would like one too, but do you really need it. And what are the odds someone has a king size bed, in good shape as they so specifically requested, just laying around unused. People know they could sell it and make money, why would they give it away! And the final thing that really gets me is the digital converter box. Its not even time to use them yet, but hey "I need one and I am to cheep to buy one" is what a request like that looks like to me. They are $50 (before a government coupon). You knew it was coming, they have been telling you for a year. You could save $50 for one in a year. Even I can do that. Grrrrrrrrrrr...........

*end of rant*

Sorry, I think Freecycle is a great thing. It really is. A few selfish people can make it look bad. I want to start keeping notes of these people so if they ask me for something I can just say no and give it to someone who really needs it!

Please join Freecycle if you think it is something that would benefit you. I have found it to be a great addition to our life!