It started with a pair of wooden bookcases I dreamed up for my kids. The bookcases would replace two melamine cases that are falling apart. I joined Pleasanton Freecycle in search of somebody else’s castoffs. Then I joined Dublin Freecycle (accidentally signing up for the Republic of Ireland group the first time around), followed by San Ramon, Danville, Livermore, Dublin, Stockton and Tracy.

Soon I received up to 98 Freecycle messages in my inbox per day and had to modify my membership settings for “digest only” e-mails sent by moderators.

The Freecycle Network is made up of 4,346 groups with more than 5 million members across the globe. The grass-roots, nonprofit movement of people giving and getting items for free in their hometowns is motivated by a philosophy of reuse and keeping quality items out of landfills. Each local group is moderated by a volunteer.

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Discover the Joys of Scanning
I used to think that, every time I had to send someone an official document, it required a stamp. The truth is, that’s just not so. I now invariably ask “is it OK for me to scan and email this?” Ninety percent of the time, the answer is yes. I actually have a signed and scanned W-9 that I’ve sent to dozens of clients. All I need to change is the date.

Scanners are cheap, and easy to come by. I actually recently gave one away of Freecycle because I couldn’t find a buyer for it on Craigslist. It might take an hour or so to figure out how to use it, but once you’ve got the procedure, you’ll save yourself time, money and paper.

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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.

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Imagine going to a rummage sale where everything is free.

Imagine folks coming to your home at your invitation to haul away all the stuff you don’t want any more.

This is the concept behind FreeCycle.org, an Internet site that has been used by over 1,000 people in Searcy and White County to exchange free merchandise that can still be used.

Freecycle, which has over 4,000 groups and over five million members, is a grassroots nonprofit movement composed of people who are giving and getting free items. Membership is free and everything posted must be free, legal and appropriate for all ages. No trading, bartering or selling is allowed.

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8. Giving it away now:

At the end of a sale, if you still have items you don’t want but also don’t want to haul off, post a notice on Columbia Yahoo Group of The Freecycle Network, a not-for-profit organization that aims to keep good stuff out of landfills.

Krehbiel said she puts the leftover items from a garage sale on the curb on Saturday, puts up a sign that says “Free,” posts an ad to Freecycle and by her trash day — Wednesday — everything is usually taken or goes with the trash.

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Household items, furniture, and miscellaneous (sporting gear, etc.): Big Brother Big Sister, Epilepsy Foundation and Salvation Army will all pick up by appointment. Consider donating your item to someone else who may really appreciate it via Freecycle.org, Craigslist.org, Throwplace.com or Freepeats.org (baby, kid and maternity items).

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You could join a local Freecycle group online. “It’s all about reuse and keeping good stuff out of landfills,” according to www.freecycle.org. There are about 5 million members around the world and active New Hampshire groups. There are rules and etiquette to abide by, but basically once you are approved to join the group, you can send out e-mails about items you have to offer. The concept is kind of like putting things on the side of the road with a sign that says “free,” but it’s more organized and the stuff won’t get rained on.

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In the name of Gok Wan how did I find myself starkers on the South Downs posing for a naked sculpture? The event was advertised on my local Freecycle Cafe group and posed an opportunity to meet my naked tree-hugging friends and put a face - and the rest - to a name. It was quickly out in the open that they were naturists so for them this was a fun day out, whereas I wasn’t feeling too great about letting my hang-ups hang down. Sensing this, one woman lifted me three feet clear in the air telling me “you can do it!” while bemused cyclists and dog walkers, happening to pass through, tried to figure out what we doing, which was posing with around 300 others for a TV show on body image. I’d happily meet these freecyclers again, one of which gave the term a new meaning, describing how he cycles naked - painted as a zebra.

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● Good for mom, good for Mother Nature: You have no job and you’re broke, so give to mom and Mother Nature for free. Check out freecycle.org — a Web site that hosts various community groups who are trading, giving and getting stuff instead of filling landfills with it — all for free. (Utica has 2,207 active members.)

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Buy second-hand Reusing products in their manufactured form rather than reconstituting them by recycling conserves material and energy, as well as the labour and cultural value that went into making them. From stores like Goodwill and Value Village to the freecycle.org network, which has over 3000 members in Edmonton, to that dumpster behind the store for the truly committed, turning one person’s trash into another’s treasure is easy