"No buying or selling, no trades or bartering, we’re strictly a gift economy" ... looks interesting. I'll look for one around here maybe later this afternoon....

Another FB group. GAH!

There is also Freecycle. When we moved I got rid of a lot of things, from more than 100 16" slate floor tiles (went to an artist) to bookcases, and lots more. I once read a post from someone who needed a video camera, and I had one that wasn't being used. Good match.

I do think that giving away things one no longer needs is wonderful. There is far too much stuff that is perfectly good in landfills.

However, I would not support a total buy nothing attempt, buying helps create jobs, jobs provide money, and there are some purchased, needed things/services that a total gift economy would find it difficult to provide.

Interesting movement. I'm close with my neighbors that are within a few blocks of me but not much further. I like it but unfortunately my city does not have a group. I'll check Freecycle. Thanks Salonva.

Lucille- I agree and i think that the chances of not having to buy stuff ever is not going to really happen. But it is nice rather than toss to landfill or even I suspect a lot of charity donations just arent handled properly so what might be usable and even desirable kind of loses its appeal. I used to use freecycle way back in the day and it was so nice to have people using the items. (sports equipment, art supplies totally usable ) I am happy this is so well received in general and I think it plants a seed of sorts so it's all good.

Wow!!! What a great way to raise the unemployment rates and food stamp needs. What?????? Reusing, donating...sure....but "BUY NOTHING?" Right

on, Lucille, I'm with you. I wonder what some of these people do with the other half of their brains. Sorry...but this really, obviously, hasn't been thought through by these people.

I was curious to see what people were offering. I don't have one close enough to me to join.

I don't think it's a big enough movement to really make a difference in the economy. This isn't much different than driving around on trash day looking for what people threw out. We have people who do that here. Some of them probably make good hauls. My understanding is that some of them resale the stuff at flea markets. Not bad if you get all of your goods for free and don't have to pay more than a monthly stall fee and gas.

Interesting that there are those who don't like the idea....When I read the post, I considered it more in the vein of popping next door to borrow a couple of eggs.......

Nice.

You don't need FB to do that. Just knock on my door and ask.

I think if you are trading stuff that is one thing but trading services just no. Although many people use friends and family to do things I want to be able to complain to a company/person if it is not done correctly. My father drilled into me that if a person who worked for a company asked to do a project without going through that company to pass. His feeling was that the person was helping close that company. My own thoughts on it is that the person could be using products/methods that are just the way they do them and not perhaps a legal or safe method.

I tried to join Freecycle when we first moved to this area and I was paring down as I was unpacking. They denied my request, so...pfft to them.

OMG! Socialism!

(Satire, people. Satire.)

Fun2BHere wth!!!!????!!!

A pox on them, I say...

OK I have to back track on my initial reaction. After reading their site and how it is supposed to work I think the name Buy Nothing is a misnomer. It should be called Buy Less. Trading or borrowing single use items and sharing overabundance does make sense to me. I don't think it will damage the economy at all. However it can reduce waste. This is how neighborhoods used to be when I was growing up. The guy with the table saw cut the wood, the guy with the skills helped the neighbor build the fence.

To say we should always use paid for products and services or we are hurting the economy is unreasonable. By that reasoning any DIYer is hurting the economy as is anyone who plants a backyard garden, changes their own oil or cooks at home.

To say we should always use paid for products and services or we are hurting the economy is unreasonable.

That is unreasonable, however, no one said that.

From what I've heard, I think that a program with a similar name/aim was to suggest to people that on a certain day, they all buy nothing, and contemplate how important it is to buy carefully and not waste.

Also to make do with less.

The fridges built 50 - 60 years ago, not long after they began making them, often lasted or upwards of 40 years ... but now most of them last about 10 years ... and when I've told that story to many, about then quite a few join the conversation, many of them saying, "If you're lucky".

Do you think it fitting that we accuse the engineers of being way stupider than the engineers were 50 and 60 years ago?

Not quite - make 'em so they die after about ten years - then we can sell another!

Great way to keep the economy humming.

ole joyful ... who likes to hum, on occasion

Bad name... but some of the concept is useful. I'm moving and downsizing, and hoping that a lot of what I no longer want nor need can help out others. But, here and there, I still have to buy. My own garden won't go in until late spring; then I hope at least for foods I'll be buying less.

well yes maybe the name is not perfect but the spirit is fine with me.

Since there is no active group near me, thanks for reminding me of freecycle

where I just this morning (after posting here) posted a picture of some random equipment to offer and someone wants it! I said I would leave it on my porch in a plastic bag (it's rainy) and they are coming! Why I waited over 5 years I don't know but what a wonderful feeling that someone wants it and will use it and is happy to get it. I see no problem with that. I just know the buynothing site in some areas is truly very busy and productive. the freecycle where I am at least exists and does have activity but there's lots less on it.

Off to figure out more stuff to get rid of without feeling guilty about tossing it.

Don't forget the Craigslist free section....if you can leave stuff out (I've waited for TOO MANY people who promise to be there and then don't show up...)

I'm not on facebook so can't join in on that...

I used to leave stuff out on the sidewalk the evening before trash day and there were always people who would stop and pick it up. It was nice stuff, whether people got it for themselves or for resale, either way they were happy. I was decluttering at the time and it made me happy that someone could use those things.

My city has a group with 60 members. I asked to join. I have a few items to get rid of, and this new group will (hopefully) augment the neighborhood group I'm already part of.

Freecycle never caught on here for some reason, and Craigslist is a bit bigger than I want to deal with, for my current excess stuff.

Unfortunately my neighborhood is at the very edge of the map shown for my area and none of my neighbors joined. It's a large area but only has only around 16 members. The boundaries drawn put us in an area that my neighborhood has absolutely nothing in common with regarding schools, median age, income,housing etc. I am one street away from the boundary from the neighborhood that is a real extension of mine. Same builder, same demographics, same schools, same Nextdoor concerns. I am going to request I join that one.

I tried Freecycle and gave away a few good items. Once people started asking if I'm wiling to deliver, I deleted my membership.

It's an interesting concept, but I'm not one who lives in a community where that type of thing thrives-- too many takers and not enough givers.

About 10 years ago I tried out the buy nothing for a year thing. It wasn't a movement, but a number of people were doing it as a way of breaking a habit of just shopping and not paying attention to what they already had. The concept as I applied it was to not buy any unnecessary or non-consumable items for as long as possible. It made me feel a little like a kid again, trying to find something to substitute around the house rather than just running to Target to get it. I lasted about 10 months, and bought nothing unless it was NEEDED. Got a little old after a while... I know, different concept.

My local FB group has a site for yard sales, but very little free. I decided to try posting on freecycle to offer something and same day got a taker. I really like the idea of not tossing and that the person who replies is going to use it. I like the idea of the buy nothing as a community group reaching out and I do know of some where they are really active more in the sense of borrowing a cup of sugar from the next door neighbor (or as mentioned above needing something for a day for company or such). I think it's great and wish it was active in my area. so for now Freecycle it is. gets the job done.

I'm a member of one of the most active Buy Nothing FB groups in the US. In fact, it's just now splitting into three groups because it's gotten so big and active.

I misunderstood the name at first too - it's not "Buy Nothing" in the sense of freeganism or dumpster diving or whatever, it's "Buy Nothing" meaning that there is no buying or selling inside the group - just giving. (Evidence suggests that most of the people on the group are buying plenty!) Bartering is also not allowed.

90% of it or more is decluttering - stuff that people might otherwise give to Goodwill or similar. Quite a lot of the items offered and asked for are baby and kid stuff, as we have a lot of young parents in our neighborhood. Offers and asks for services are much less common but they do happen, usually something very quick and informal.

I like getting to meet some of my neighbors, especially since I'm a semi-shut-in with my health issues and don't do a lot of activities that might otherwise allow me to meet people. It's also nice to hand something directly to the person who wants it - for me it's always a mood-lift to see some random unwanted thing that's been cluttering up my space magically transformed into something that someone else is really happy to get. I've also given away a lot of spare plants, which to me are something I just naturally shed in the course of daily life, but people are SO THRILLED to get them!

In my experience it can be a lot more efficient than Craigslist, Freecycle or putting stuff on the curb, all of which have their own drawbacks. In our group, it's a dense urban neighborhood a d most people walk to pick up their items (not everyone even has a car - I don't) and sometimes you put up an item and someone's over within half an hour to claim it. Putting things on the curb almost always works for bigger items, but there have been problems with stuff getting trashed, and if the stuff you put out isn't picked up right away or gets trashed instead you may get a fine from the city. Again, it's nicer to hand something to a neighbor whose name and face you now know.

This article from last year is about my local group, mentioning that it had 1,600 members, -and now at the point of splitting into three groups, I think a recent post said it had 2,500 members.

http://www.phillyvoice.com/the-buy-nothing-project--folks-are-falling-for-it-for-a-reason-/

Here we have a similar site. When my son moved from one town to here, he had stuff he was not going to use in his new house and it was costing more to rent storage than it was worth. I posted the items and where it was located and within 15 minutes everything was taken. We were happy and so were the recipients...two people wrote messages about how happy they were to get the items.

Freecycle is very active here. I've given away and received lots and lots of stuff. I always have people wanting what I'm giving away, and I usually leave it down just inside the front door so people don't have to walk up 3 flights of stairs. I know a number of members, and there's no worries with people coming here and picking it up. Even buying something, I've picked up items on the front porch and left the money under a flower pot.

There's another site, trashnothing. com which a lot of people are members as well.

Well, it's been 48 hours since I requested to join my local Buy Nothing group, no response. Doesn't bode well for future activity!