Though TreeHugger prefers Buy Nothing Day to the sheer madness of Black Friday, that doesn’t mean you have to live with less or even that you can’t acquire stuff; a great way to do this is with something like The Freecycle Network (it really works!). The big day has passed, but the Network rolls on, and remains a good way to both find and get rid of stuff without having to involve any money.Click here to read this and other fantastic green & recycling related articles at Treehugger.com

Tip 1: Make the Store Your Last Choice
Most people’s default response is to go to a store anytime they need something, but that’s not the only way to obtain a needed item. Ask yourself these questions:

Can I get it for free?
If you don’t need something right away, and you usually don’t, it’s worth searching on community ad sites like Craigslist or Kijiji, signing up with some local Freecycle groups, and asking around to see if anyone you know is getting rid of whatever you want.Click here to read the article in full

It’s that time of year when just about everyone is shopping for that perfect present.

For Fayetteville shoppers, there’s now another way to find those holiday gifts: the freecycle swap meet.

Click Here to Read On

On Saturday people with the Fayetteville/Fort Bragg Freecycle chapter, who usually only interact online, had a chance to talk directly to the people their swapping items with.

“They’re not giving away trash to people, it’s very beneficial” said group member Chrystal Tendell.

Tendell, a single mom of four, picked up clothes and shoes for her own kids and for another single parent.

“It’s great, especially when you don’t have. Anything’s better then nothing, you know, it’s wonderful and most of the things you get are in great condition” she said.

Click Here to Read the Rest of the Article

About 25 computers will be given away Saturday at the first Freecycle Swap Day.

Michael Elliott, co-founder of the Fayetteville/Fort Bragg area (Freecycle) group, says he collects computer parts throughout the year. He and his wife, Rene, refurbish and paint them, and ready them in time for parents to have something under the tree for their children at Christmas.

Click Here to Read the Rest of the Article

Instead of spending $15, $20 or more on your child’s (or your own) Halloween costume, you can save both money and resources by creating your own. Dig through your closets or browse local resale shops and flea markets for vintage clothes that could make fun costumes. Or put out a request through your local Freecycle or craigslist for used costumes. You’re probably not the only person in your neighborhood to have a few costumes from Halloweens past buried in the back of your closet.
Click here to read the article in full

Sharon McNatt can’t recall how much money she has saved by using Freecycle.org. She never buys clothing items for her four children, who range in age from 13 months to 11. She’s also gotten food, furniture and other home items from the Web site, at no cost to her.
Click here to read the article in full

Freecycle members from Moberly help family in need…

Tramontine sprang to action. She posted the family’s story along with a list of needed supplies on a local Yahoo! message board, Freecycle Moberly. Within days she had received 130 e-mails and about 26 phone calls. People were offering everything from chopped firewood to bug spray and propane.

Click Here to Read the Rest of the Story!

“Global warming, cavernous landfills, toxic chemicals, recurring drought, escalating energy costs: What can one person possibly do in the face of such problems? Believe it or not, small changes can make a big difference. So don’t throw up your hands. Instead, pick a few items from this list of 30 ideas and do your part.”

Number 16…Everything’s recyclable: Post it on freecycle.org!

Click Here to Learn How You Can Help Save the Planet!

Reusing products is a major part of her and her husband Kelly’s efforts to cut back on household waste. On the McCauley’s kitchen table is an old Internet router.

“I’m not sure if it still works completely,” she said. “But there’s a man who tinkers on stuff like this and he wants it.”

She found him through Freecycle, an organization that allows members to contact each other with things they want to get rid of — from baby food jars to lawnmowers.

“People give and receive amazing things,” McCauley says. “Someone was giving away railroad ties for landscaping timbers. A lot of people give plants away. Things you wouldn’t sell, but other people would use.”

Click Here to Read the Rest of the Article