The Independent: How to live, eat, travel and have fun – for free
Household goods
If you need something specific for your home, but don’t have the cash to pay for it, you could turn to your local Freecycle group. The worldwide network is made up of groups of people willing to give and receive stuff for free in their area. Go to www.freecycle.org to join your local group. The online forums match people who have things they want to get rid of with people who can use them, to keep usable items out of landfills.
After joining your local group online, start by simply posting a “wanted” message specifying what you are looking for. If someone has the item you are looking for, they will contact you and you can arrange to pick it up at a convenient time, swapping contact details at this point.