How to shop smarter



This is a post by a guest Author, Anjelica.

Hello! If you stumbled across this blog it's probably because you like getting FREE stuff. Well luckily for you, I am kinda obsessed with this topic. For awhile, I considered myself a "freegan"(a person who rejects consumerism and seeks to help the environment by reducing waste.) But, you probably aren't quite ready for that lifestyle so we'll just start with the basics. You ready?

There are many ways of finding free used items using apps, Facebook groups and forums. Using the right search parameters, you can find an endless stream of items including furniture, clothes, shoes, food and so much more. The sky's the limit. With hard work and diligence you can do just about anything. With that being said, let's dive into some of the resources!

LetGo app is free to download and use. Once it's downloaded, tap the app's menu in the top right hand corner and select "free stuff" to browse through the free items in your area. You can expand the area depending on how far you are willing to drive.

Offerup app works similarly. You can navigate the app to search for only free items in your area.

Nextdoor app is a great way to meet your neighbors and help them get rid of things they don't want or need. This app is my favorite because you don't have to travel far!

If you aren't too keen on apps, or if you just want more options, you can go to freecycle.org. Freecycle is "a grassroots and nonprofit movement of people who give and get stuff for free in their own towns and neighborhoods. It's all about reusing and keeping good stuff out of landfills." According to their website they have over 9 million users!!!

If you still haven't found what you're looking for, Facebook has a marketplace with tons of freebies AND literally 1000s of groups dedicated to freebies. And if you prefer new items, there are lottery style groups where you could win all sorts of freebies just in time for Christmas. It really just depends on how much time you have to search for what you want.

I hope that this article helped you or at least inspired you to embark on a journey of frugality.
One more thing before I wrap this thing up, did you know that there are possibly people in your neighborhood that go to bed hungry? Sometimes in even upper middle class neighborhoods, there are people who have just enough to keep the roof over their family's heads and the lights on. Some parents move to expensive neighborhoods to make sure they children have a chance at a good education, some do it to escape violence. No matter the reason, when you receive freely you should give freely. Consider looking into starting a food library in your neighborhood. People can add canned food items and other slow or non-perishables. Consider adding things like cake mixes, oils and pastas. It is all of our responsibilities to help each other.

Thanks for reading!

Comments

  1. Great tip to add about sharing with others and leaving donated food at libraries and other places that take donations.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks for the comment, that is a great tip!

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