freecycling

I have spent much of this weekend packing up my bedroom and getting rid of things I just don't need anymore. It's fitting, then, that today's tip on my green-tip-a-day calendar is about freecycling.

Freecycling is simply taking the items you don't need trading with others to get items you do want or need. And this reminds me of one way I've been acting green since childhood.

My mother and I used to go garage-saling all the time. We would get the classifieds on Thursday, pick the sales that sounded the best, then map our Saturday morning route. Somehow this involved a child willing to get up at 5:30 on a Saturday morning. Anyway, we found so many things over the years - furniture, clothing, toys, books, etc. It's such a great way to recycle - clean out your junk and even make money off it.

My family is actually planning a garage sale in the next month or two so lots of the things I choose to get rid of now are going toward that. So, you know, if you want that Backstreet Boys VHS, call me and I'll save it for you.

Back to Freecycle, check out their network website and find the group nearest to you. I know my region has a Yahoo group that I actually have yet to join. Hey, I'm not perfect!

But in this economy, you look for any way you can save some money. Freecycling is perfect for that, especially if you are in need of something others are giving away.