Freecycle & Freegle Bag freebies on giveaway sites

You're not getting something for nothing

Freecycle and Freegle are not just sources of freebies. The spirit is that it's a recycling community, so you should give, as well as get.

Advertising discarded items on Freecycle is also an excellent way to offload objects unsuitable for donating to charity shops (as many no longer take electrical goods or collect large items).

Sign up to both Freecycle & Freegle

The original giveaway site Freecycle was set up in the USA. A few years ago rival UK site Freegle was set up up after a transatlantic difference of views. Many local UK Freecycle groups moved to this new site.

The two groups work in a very similar way. Happily, nothing stops you doing both.

It's not all crapola

While occasionally there can be grotty, moth-bitten junk, there's also top-quality unused stuff people just don't want anymore. It's astonishing what people chuck out. Everything from pianos, to windsurfs, to professional knife sets pop up at some point.

Office clear-outs or emigrating families are rich sources, while others are just from generous givers passing on hand-me-downs. After all, one man's junk is another's treasure.

Most commonly available are big 'n' bulky items that are tough to take to charity shops or the tip - like sofas, futons, computer desks, fridges and freezers - as well as baby buggies and DVDs.

Some inspiration ...

There can be some incredible finds, MoneySavers reports include bagging a pristine designer settee and even a taxed car (see below). Report your giveaway site successes.

“ We received a car for my daughter (needed MOT and service and tax but cost us around £350 and she was thrilled). We got a breadmaker and a kenwood chef (retro) and various other bits and pieces down to drawer runners for my husband to fix a chest of drawers. I think it's fab!" lofty_cherrytree

“ We are a single parent family, and have had lots of goodies from Freecycle, including a chest freezer, a sofa bed, various plants, two chooks and a Warhammer. And we've donated a table, telly, bits of bikes, football boots and a couple other random things. It's great at teaching that whole ethos of stuff being 'worth' something to someone." Pippilongstocking

“ I had a fab Freecycle experience this week. Someone offered Guitar Hero I and II for PS2 and I didn't think I'd have a chance of being offered them … but I was! We collected later that day and the lovely person asked if I could make use of Singstar for PS2 also, complete with about 5 discs." notlongnow

How to sign up

Find your village, town or city borough on Freecycle and Freegle and sign up to those.

It's worth joining both Freecycle and Freegle. Both communities work via group emails in exactly the same way, so you won't notice the difference.

Get the daily highlights email

When you sign up, you choose whether you want a daily highlights freebie offers email (browsing the rest online) or for a better chance but more effort, to receive every offer to your inbox.

To get your hands on the best finds, you still need to check your site's listing page throughout the day, as freebies are offered and taken at breakneck speed.

Set up a dedicated email address

Alternatively, you can opt to get every single new freebie emailed to you. There are advantages to this: you can send emails from more than one local group to one inbox, so you only have to check one page.

You can also set your email filter to filter out emails with the word 'wanted' in the title (giveaway sites let people post wanted ads).

Never, ever, use your normal email address. It'll be immediately flooded. As an example, after joining one group, within a week we had 1,500 emails (this also gives an idea of the scores of freebies on offer).

Instead, set up a dedicated email account. As a powerful free option, Gmail is among the best.

Sign up to more than one area

To ramp up your chances, also join one or two bordering areas, especially if they're swanky. Though be aware that strictly you’re only meant to join your nearest area – if you try to sign up to several, you may get rejected.

You must give to receive

Never forget this is all about a resource sharing community. So to get in the spirit, the etiquette is before requesting goods, newbies should first e-mail the group an offer.

It's a good way to get shot of stuff no longer taken by many charity shops like electrical items or jumbo-sized goods.

Don't worry if you've nothing special. You'll be amazed at what's willingly taken, including old magazine collections, spare carpets or EMPTY paint pots. Just ensure they're free, legal, suitable for all ages and accurately described.

Post a freebie

Offering a freebie couldn't be easier. Just post a message directly on your group's page. Alternatively, start an email, with the title OFFERED in capital letters. Then put the item name of the item and the area or first part of your postcode in brackets, eg, "OFFERED: Grand piano Giggleswick".

In the body of the email list as many details about the item as possible, including a link to the item if you can find one. Include details of when and where you would like it picked up and any other salient points, ie, if it's so big a van's needed.

Then just send the email to your local group's email address, eg, LittleSnoring_Freecycle@yahoogroups.com (the local address should be on the local homepage).

Post photos

If there are no photos already online and you're feeling kind, consider uploading your own pic, by including a link to a free photo hosting site. One of the best is Photobucket. Simply sign up, upload a photo, and you'll be given a special web address for that picture.

Avoid freecycling old computers

Avoid giving away old computers though, as even if you think you've deleted personal data, it can still be buried inside.

So try non-profit groups instead, such as Computeraid International or Computers for African Schools. They give them to the developing world.

Wait 24 hours

Many folks offer freebies on a first come, first served basis. Yet this excludes many nice folks who don't sit at a PC all day. So try to wait at least 24 hours to give everyone a fair shot.

Decide who to pick

If you get 100 eager offers, it can be difficult to pick one. It's worth searching for usernames to see if they have donated in the past. Then just give it to the nicest, most genuine email or a charity if one's responded. If you're not sure, just put the names into a hat.

Once it's been collected, send another email to the group with TAKEN in the subject line, such as "TAKEN Grand piano".

Check for new posts as often as possible

When you first join, it's easy to get hooked as you see the staggering amount of freebies put up for grabs. Items are snapped up at speed, so to bag the best haul, check for new posts as often as possible.

Be ready to act fast and answer emails at speed. If something comes up and you can't collect it anymore, let the giver know so they can give it to someone else.

Be polite

Impersonal responses like "I'll take it" are loathed by many givers, so explain why you want the item, though avoid weepy Oscar-acceptance type histrionics.

Then propose a collection time, give your phone number but suggest you call them to save their costs. If something comes up and you can't collect it anymore, let the giver know so they can give it to someone else.

Ask if it's worth it

The stonking amount of freebies offered can be headspinning. If you like something, factor in collection time and possible petrol costs.

Follow via Facebook & Twitter

Many Freegle groups now let you browse for goodies on Facebook and Twitter.

Just check to see if your local group has a Facebook or Twitter sign next to it on its page. You'll also be able to browse freebies on the go by visting the Facebook group on your mobile.

Be sparing with wanted ads

One of the more controversial features of Freecycle is that you can post 'wanted' ads. Just start the email with WANTED in capitals, and say what you want and why.

Yet be careful what you ask for. People won't take kindly if you start slapping in requests for cars and iPods. But if it's an old fish tank for a school project, someone might just remember they have one in the garage.

Safety first!

Incidents are rare, but be careful. When collecting, if someone's listing or email sounds dodgy, trust your gut and walk away.

Go with a friend, or failing that, tell someone exactly where you are going and arrange to contact them afterwards. Take a mobile phone. If collecting smaller goods, etiquette suggests waiting on the doorstep.

When giving, don't be pressurised into letting someone into your home. Do make sure someone else is in the house when the taker comes to collect.

It's also a good idea to have a mobile phone in your pocket, keep valuables out of sight, and to limit the collector's movements to as few rooms as possible.

Don't give out personal details

If you decide to give out your phone number, only give it to one person at once, to avoid getting swamped with calls.

Some Freecycle groups let members include phone numbers in group emails, but it's not a good idea to give out personal details to all and sundry.

you can always say no

If you arrive to pick something up and it turns out to be not as expected, you don’t have to take it. Just politely say, "no thank you, please give it to someone else.”

Sadly, in rare cases givers will describe rotting items as ‘in great condition’, just to get rid.

use a special mobile Number

If you’re a giveaway site regular and don’t want to give out your mobile number, consider getting a cheap pay-as-you-go Sim just for freebie communications.

A Sim is the small (roughly 2cm by 1cm) microchip card that you insert into a phone when it's first set up. It provides the identity of a phone for the mobile network, so it can recognise, bill and send calls to individual customers.

When you temporarily change the Sim card in your phone, you’ll have a different number. The Sim card is usually located behind the battery on the back of the phone.

Find super-cheap local eBay bargains

Whether they're designer sofas, dishwashers, Wiis or children's books, sellers on eBay often specify items must be collected in person. While not free, as these items often get fewer bids, there are bargains to be had.

Our free tool locates them for you. Tell the Local eBay Deals Mapper your postcode, how far you're prepared to schlep, and it maps the gems nearby.

Try Gumtree

Many people offload old gear on the 'Freebies' section of the free classified site Gumtree. People give away anything from beds to bikes. Gumtree doesn't charge either the buyer or the seller to post listings.

more stuff-for-free sites

Freecycle and Freegle are not the only options. Other giveaway websites include ...

• Ecobees. An eBay style site for freebies, Ecobees featured more than 3,000 listings when we checked. It lets you you sort freebies by distance and even plot them on a Google map.
  

• Preloved. Popular classified site Preloved features a Freeloved section, letting you can pick up things for free. While it's free to advertise your wares, users pay £5/year to buy or take freebies.

• Snaffleup. While still relatively small, its modern design means it's easy to browse for freebies.

Freebies, Freebies, Freebies!

Giveaway sites aren't the only place to grab quality freebies. Whether it's song downloads, free tea, Harry Potter bookmarks, or gym passes, if you know where to look, it's all available on the web.

We've catalogued 100s in our Freebies, Freebies, Freebies guide. If you don't want to scroll through hundreds, you can spin the Freebie Roulette machine to see what it stops on.

Lots of the best freebies are short-lived promos. We put the best in our free weekly MoneySaving email.

Donate to charity shops

Many charities would also love to take cast-offs off your hands.

At most charity shops, you simply take your donation to the shop, but call the shop first before taking in any bulky items. Also ensure that they take electrical appliances (shops need a qualified technician to test the goods).

Donate to developing countries

Donate old bikes to riders in developing countries through the Re-Cycle programme. The scheme isn't able to collect bikes, but has drop-off points across the country. Large Oxfam shops may accept bicycles.

For eye glasses try Vision Aid and shoes, Nike's Reuse-A-Shoe campaign. If you've old tools to donate, consider Tools for Self-Reliance.

Try Facebook marketplace

Facebook's Marketplace now gives eBay and Gumtree a run for their money. It works like a classified site - it's free to post ads and you can choose to browse goods posted by friends or the public.

You might be able to pick up cheap or sometimes free items locally, and sellers are usually open to haggling.