[Sherylcatmom]

What do you do to waste less and get bargains when you do need stuff?

When I need stuff, I shop at consignment/secondhand stores & yard sales before ever going to a retail store. When I have extra stuff, I donate it to the women's shelter & the homeless shelter, or to animal organizations for their fundraising yard sales & auctions.

Freecycle was started to keep stuff out of landfills. Users can request items or offer items. All items on Freecycle must be FREE, not sold at any price. For example, I gave away two perfectly good pedometers, because while I love to walk, it turned out that I couldn't care less about counting steps. I gave away a broken (nondigital) Olympus camera that someone wanted for parts. I got a very large metal coffee-can type container for scooping wood pellets into the stove. I've seen people give/get clothing, furniture, appliances, car parts, vehicles, books, music, and more.

The best Freecycle groups forbid animals from being posted because animals are NOT stuff, but living beings who, when at risk of homelessness, find their interests better served in a forum other than one intended to keep inanimate stuff out of landfills.

Vermont has several regional Freecycle groups (there may even be more than the ones listed here):

Addison and Rutland County
Springfield
Essex County
Franklin County
Central Vermont
Washington County
Bethel
Brattleboro
Bennington County
Orleans County
Orange County

[oktaren]

Great topic. I'm really interested to see what others come up with.

Freecycle is great, along with craigslist. There is a "free" listing on there, and you can get alot of cheap things there too. We also buy used things off of ebay as much as possible, and sell the things we don't need anymore. But really, the biggest thing for us is minimizing what we need. We really don't use a whole lot and have tried to stay away from buying just to buy.

[Sherylcatmom]

Originally Posted by oktaren

But really, the biggest thing for us is minimizing what we need. We really don't use a whole lot and have tried to stay away from buying just to buy.

I am interested in specifics if any come to mind. When you consciously began to minimize what you "need" (in quotes because I think we in the US mostly get a lot more than what we need, and a lot of it is actually "want"), what kinds of things did you leave behind?

[GypsySoul22]

I'm a member of Freecycle. I think it's good to keep things out of landfills and in Vermont no one laughs at you for being green.

I am much more aware of recycling here. I try not to throw out things I can reuse. I used to teach preschool and we had a craft or project for a lot of household 'junk.'

We all know little kids would rather bang pots and pan lids or play with the big boxes from appliances than 'high tech' toys.

We try to share hand-me downs with my sister's family (she has 3 boys older and one younger than my son.)

Donating to shelters is great for everyone, too.

I don't shop for recreation anymore (not that I really ever did but still...)

[Sherylcatmom]

Originally Posted by GypsySoul22

IWe all know little kids would rather bang pots and pan lids or play with the big boxes from appliances than 'high tech' toys.

LOL! This from the same book of wisdom where I learned that our cats prefer pine cones, toilet paper rolls, and drinking straws to any cat toys. :-)

[vermont08]

We consciously began to minimize shortly after my oldest 1st birthday party. It was shocking how much "stuff" had already started piling up in our small apartment we rented at that time. I started to read more about toxins in plastics toys, food, and child labor use in department store clothing. It all just sort of hit me after a few weeks of really reading up on things. So I started going thru everything we owned and donating and giving away "stuff". Since then we have made sure that everyone in the family knows what we do and do not want. Though it did in the first few years cause some "friction" and "getting used to" for people like my grandmother. In short I think most of what we have left behind is clothing, plastic toys, and some packaged foods.

[GypsySoul22]

Vermont08, you bring up a very good point about packaged foods. It takes real effort to avoid frozen and overly processed foods. I mean, it's all well in good for people (not you, of course, but others) who proclaim 'let's be green and eat local foods' or 'no processed foods,' but this requires more money.

It's known that fresh fruits and veggies cost more than packaged stuff. You need a 'good deal of money' to eat 'well.'

[oktaren]

Originally Posted by Sherylcatmom

I am interested in specifics if any come to mind. When you consciously began to minimize what you "need" (in quotes because I think we in the US mostly get a lot more than what we need, and a lot of it is actually "want"), what kinds of things did you leave behind?

Well, we kinda went about it a totally different way. We stopped buying anything, and then when we really NEEDED something, we knew We don't even pay for television anymore. If we can't get it with an antenna, we don't watch it. We really don't buy any electronics or anything anymore, except for the occasional gadget, and of course we have a computer and the internet.

It's been a few years now, and we don't miss the stuff so much that its hard to even tell you what we were buying, a bunch of crap really

[Sherylcatmom]

Originally Posted by GypsySoul22

It's known that fresh fruits and veggies cost more than packaged stuff. You need a 'good deal of money' to eat 'well.'

Can you give me some examples? In my experience, the opposite is true. The foods I buy fresh I also seek in bulk and seconds as well as local. I find that for me it costs less to buy the fresh ingredients, even when choosing mainly local and entirely organic, for dishes such as corn bread, brownies, cakes, cookies, soup, sauces, and stir-fries. Even pizza and chips are cheaper to make from scratch.

When I look at the prices for those items when they're already prepared and packaged, they seem far more expensive to me. Admittedly, I'm looking only at organic and naturally-oriented packaged foods. I wouldn't eat the other kind, packaged or unpackaged, except in a pinch, such as when traveling. And I'm completely vegan when I'm traveling or at restaurants, or anywhere but home.

Even though I'm not rich (hardly!) and it costs me more to eat this way, it's the way I want to eat. I'm healthy and I feel good about the food systems I support by spending my dollars on local and healthy food. I may also save money in the long run on medical care and diminished quality of life. When I think of the "cheap" mega-corporate food supply, I think of these kinds of reports, which have been around for years: Nasty Symptoms of Food Poisoning Aren’t Even the Worst Part - thedailygreen.com

[Sherylcatmom]

Originally Posted by oktaren

We don't even pay for television anymore. If we can't get it with an antenna, we don't watch it. We really don't buy any electronics or anything anymore, except for the occasional gadget, and of course we have a computer and the internet.

We haven't paid for TV in many years either and we've never missed it! We have DVD player. When I finished grad school, we subscribed to Netflix, which we love. We also have a computer and the internet, of course, or I wouldn't be here. :-)

I have mixed feelings about being hooked online. On one hand, it helped me discover the causes that mean everything to me and learn how to get involved. I'm even a virtual regional team leader on an international web community (Best Friends), helping others help animals and people in their communities. But I also recall that I used to read a whole lot more books before I got the internet.