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Renee CK

writer, editor, tweetable http://twitter.com/chicskirt

I'm a fun girl who's on a quest to figure it all out. I'm cynical but living the dream- I'm not sure how that happened exactly. Follow along in my blog for fun, mayhem, and merriment. There's never a dull day! (Or, go download my book!)...

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Oh Christmas Free, um, I Mean Tree

no, i mean free

I do not work in retail.  My calendar is not flipped to December. I have no loved ones going off over Christmas. So why is there a 9 foot pre-lit Christmas tree in my breakfast nook?  I have a good answer.  It was free!  Yes, you read it right f to the r to the e to the e. Almost like that annoying guy on the credit report dot com bay-bee commercials, but better.

How, pray tell, did I get a 9 foot pre-lit Christmas tree for free?  From Freecycle!  Freecycle?  Yes, Freecycle.  If you haven’t heard about it, you’re in for an education.   

Freecycle is a pay it forward type group of people who have things they want in and out of their homes.  The aim is to keep things that someone else can use out of the landfills or empty lots and otherwise make them available to people who can use them.  For example.  My husband blew out the “tweeters” in 4 speakers he has had for years.  Not wanting to take the time or energy to fix them, he listed them on Freecycle.  We put them on our front porch and someone who wants to take the time and energy to fix them came to get them.  They are out of our way and out of a landfill.  (Maybe I should be putting this in things I love)  On the other hand, my husband put in a natural gas line on our patio when we expanded the patio picturing the natural gas grill he’d have one day to entertain our family and friends with.  Somewhere not too far from us, a man bought a house that came with a natural gas grill. Really nice one. 8 burners, stainless steel exterior, side burner.  But, he already had a grill he loved so he posted the one that came with the house on Freecycle.  In the few minutes it took for my husband to reply, the man decided that since the grill needed new grates, he’d pull it back off and just trash it.  Thankfully my husband got the message before it was retracted; for a fraction of the cost of a similar grill, we replaced the grates, knobs, and the always faulty electric starter and had ourselves a beautiful grill! 

Getting started is easy.  Just go to www.freecycle.org and find your area.  You will be taken to a Yahoo group where you can put in your information and get on the email list. Then you’ll start getting emails- I suggest you create a folder for them because depending on your area, you will get many.  They will have a subject of OFFER: deluxe garbage can, TAKEN: broken microwave oven, PPU: envelope of coupons. (PPU is pending pick up- it basically means someone is interested, stop emailing about them!  However, if it’s something you really want, I say email anyway until you get the TAKEN message.)  The email will shortly describe what it is that is being offered.  Light blue 1991 Ford Ranger not running since it was parked behind grandpa’s house on Willow Lane 

Now, I really shouldn’t tell you the downside of Freecycle, especially since you’re so jazzed to go right now to find the group in your area, but I will.  You can also post WANTED.  The rules vary by area, some offer it all the time as they’re supposed to by Freecycle rules, but larger groups restrict Wanteds to Wednesday and Sunday or other prescribed days.  I tend to like that myself. The idea is that if you need, say, an original Playstation because your neighbor offered your son all her boys’ old PS games but doesn’t have the actual player, (true story that happened just this week in my house!) you can ask for one.  Now, there is a fine line between an original Playstation from 1999 which has had several updates in the last 8 years and asking for a Wii.  Same goes for vehicles, concert tickets, and, yes I’ve seen it, housing.  People with some common sense will pounce on an offer for something good like that but people with less “sense” than it would take to make change for a nickel will ask. And they’re funny too.  “The later model, less run down, the better.”  Sure, I’ll turn over my keys and just keep makin’ the payments.  Why not?  Be aware of that and you’ll be okay. 

Funny Freecycle story.  You’re not allowed to offer anything that would in any way constitute a date.  (Offer yourself, free dinner with me, etc.)  Well, Jewel was coming to town and my friend loves Jewel.  So, when the OFFER: Jewel concert ticket subject came up, I perked up.  Then I read… 

I have an extra concert ticket to Jewel, and will offer it to any woman 25-45 that would like to go with me, if you are interested you may write me at dumbass@aol.com and tell me about yourself, or call me at 555-620-0466 and we can talk.
Scott

Obviously I changed the phone number and email addy but you get the idea.  This was in the group where I had seen people be so bold as to ask for an RV to take their grandchild camping in and someone else ask for a house.  I couldn’t stand it.  My friend is a single mother of, at the time, one child and has some extra baggage. I was pretty sure that if there was any other competition, she wouldn’t get the ticket.  Your Freecycle group may or may not suggest screening the people who reply to your WANTED posts which is a good idea.  Pretty much anything of value can be snapped up with a generic “I am interested. When can I pick it up?” reply. They may or may not actually pick up the item depending on what they find the actual value to be.  So, in general, people will pick recipients based on the reason they give for wanting the item.  That being said, a ticket to see a renowned artist at an intimate venue was a likely snag for someone.  “Tell me about yourself” was telling of him looking for more than a Freecycler to share a concert ticket with. 

The list of Freecycled stuff at my house is endless.  My daughter’s iron daybed, (received) her Barbie jeep, (given), the trampoline, (received) computer equipment, (given and received) endless toys, (given) and now, a 9 foot pre-lit Christmas tree.

Happy Freecycling to all and to all a good night!

Enjoy!
Renée