It’s possible to furnish your house, kit out a new baby or get gear to start a small biz … all for free! This is a step-by-step guide on give-away websites, including Freecycle, Freegle and others, showing how to use them best, avoid spam, bag the best items and the most common freebies.
What you can get for free
It’s possible to grab anything from a brand new coffee machine to a mountain bike for nothing via Freecycle & Freegle. The idea's that folks ‘recycle' goods they'd otherwise have thrown out, by giving them away to other local freecyclers online.
This is brilliant for both kitting out a home for nowt, as well as saving the hassle of heaving unwanted possessions to a tip.
Every hour, people give away hundreds of wacky and wonderful freebies. All you have to do is email a request, then pop round to pick it up. Some of it is junk, some are top notch goods from generous people. 
You should give as well as receive
It’s crucial to remember it’s not about take, take, take. So remember...
“Freecycle is not just a source 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).
To be pedantic, Freecycle isn't a website in its own right; it's run via group emails, which are highly localised. This means you become a part of your area's own club.
Each community is free to join, and run by locally-based volunteers. It’s up to you to monitor for new freebies on offer, and request goodies. When you want to offer something, you just send an email to the group.
What's the difference between Freecycle & Freegle?
Freecycle was set up in the USA, and many local UK groups have become unhappy with the US founders’ policies. In September ’09, a rival UK-based site, Freegle, was set up by some of the folks who moderate local groups on this side of the pond. Several local UK Freecycle groups have moved to this new site.
Yet nothing has changed except the name. The two groups work via group emails in exactly the same way. To find your local group, search on both Freecycle & Freegle.
So what can you get?
Some types of items crop up with regularity, from a variety of sources. Common donations are from office clear-outs or emigrating families, while others are just from givers happy to see people benefitting from their old hand-me-downs.
It’s astonishing what people chuck out. Everything from pianos, to windsurfs, to professional knife sets pop up at some point!
We monitored five Freecycle groups over a week, to discover the most commonly cast off items. If you're coveting any of the following, and are patient, you really should be able to find ‘em for free …
Furniture. The most popular is big ‘n’ bulky household furniture that would otherwise be flung in a skip, such as sofas, futons, beds, book shelves, computer desks, lamps, lighting, curtains and rugs.
Electricals. Big white goods that are hard to shift are common. There are scores of old CRT tellys, fridges, freezers, kettles, ovens, blenders, coffee machines and elderly computers.
Baby stuff. Baby cast-offs are incredibly popular; if you’re expecting, Freecycle is a treasure trove of buggies, clothes, cots and baby monitors.
Office equipment. Also common are office clear-outs, where you can grab desks, PCs, monitors and computer chairs (people are especially generous as it’s their boss’s stuff!).
Entertainment. Books including text books, DVDs, games consoles, videos and often big piles of old magazines.
Broken stuff. If you’ve a knack for fixing things, Freecycle is a dream. People post broken cameras, washing machines, computers, GHD hair straighteners and more.
Sports equipment. There are many bicycles, a few treadmills… we even saw a ski machine!
Garden gear. Lawnmovers, strimmers and tools.
The proof of the pudding
Some MoneySavers have nabbed some great finds…
MoneySaver ‘Joly_Roger’ - Furnished his house and started a gardening business
I use Freecycle loads, I must have given away well over 100 to 150 lots over the last year, and probably received about 40 as well. The best things I've received are: a leather sofa and armchair, a giant Yucca plant, a solid oak six-seater table with six upholstered chairs, a Little Tykes climbing frame, a swing.
I’m planning to set myself up as gardener and got a Black and Decker strimmer, a lawnmower, a mini lawnmower, a garden shredder in perfect condition.
So, all in all, I can say that I've helped hundreds of people, but have received many items back and have kept items out of landfill, so I think it's been a massive success.
Read more Freecycler stories: MoneySaver ‘fayjmck’ got a freezer, sofa bed, two chickens & MoneySaver ‘notlongnow’ got free computer games.
I personally think freecycle rocks! We are a single parent family, and have had lots of goodies from Freecycle. Thus far, we’ve got 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.
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.
Report your freecycle successes
Step-by-step guide to Freecycling
Each local group has its own rules, which are worth reading up on, as the finer points do vary slightly. 
Step 1. Sign up
The first step is to sign up to your local Freecycle group. Just plug in your town’s name. If you’re on the borders of two or more groups, join all of them to boost your chances of bagging a gem – especially if one’s in a posher neighbourhood!
Some local UK groups have moved away from the Freecycle Network and set up a competing site called Freegle. To find out if your group's moved, look for your town on Freegle. It's worth joining both Freecycle & Freegle. Both communities work via group emails in exactly the same way; you won't notice the difference.
How to check new freebies
When you sign up, it will ask you how you would like to be notified about new freebies. You have two options: receiving a daily highlights email and browsing the rest online, or receiving every single email to your inbox. Read how best to monitor freebies
- The daily highlights email
By ticking to receive this you’ll receive notification for the top 25 freebies each day.
Yet to get your hands of 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 (online listings is a new system; it used to be email only).
- Get every freebie sent straight to you.
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 (Freecycle lets people post ‘wanted’ ads, which can get annoying).
Yet never, ever, use your normal email address; it’ll be immediately flooded. As an example, after joining one group, within a week I 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.
Step 2. Give away a freebie
When you first join, it's Freecycle etiquette to email an offer to the group. Nothing is too small; just look in those cupboards and find something you would otherwise bin. People will take old magazines, empty paint pots, stuffing for cushions. The only rules are it must be free, legal and suitable for all ages.
Though do be wary when donating computers, as the hard disk drive can retain personal security details and private information even if it looks like they're deleted - see donating PCs to charity below for more info.
Freebies are posted by emailing the group. See the full note on how to write your freebie email.
How to post a freebie
Offering a freebie couldn’t be easier. Just start an email with the title OFFERED in capitals letters. Then put the item name of the item and the first part of the postcode in brackets, eg, “OFFERED: Grand piano (SW16)”.
In the body of the email include as many details about the item as possible, including a link to the item if you can find one.
If there are no photos already online, 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.
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 Freecycle group’s email address, eg, Enfield_Freecycle@yahoogroups.com (the local address should be on the local homepage).
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 at work (like nurses and teachers). So unless you’re moving to Oz that afternoon, try to wait at least 24 hours to give everyone a fair shot.
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, ie, “TAKEN Grand piano SW16”.
Step 3. Get a freebie
When you first join Freecycle, 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.
Email the giver
Once you spot a top find, simply email the giver and offer to take it off their hands. Though do think about whether you really need the item, or whether someone else could benefit more. Plus, factor in petrol costs; small items mightn’t be worth it. Read full info on freebie requesting
When composing an email, the key is to be polite. Many Freecycler’s pet hate is people who just send a curt “I’ll take it”. Include a suggested collection time and your phone number, but offer to call them to save the cost.
It’s worth putting a line on why you need the item, to show you’re genuine. That said, avoid emotional blackmail along the lines of “Tiny Tim absolutely desperately, urgently needs a Playstation 3”; that doesn't go down well either.
Be ready to act fast and answer emails at speed. If somthing comes up and you can’t collect it anymore, let the giver know so they can give it to someone else.
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.
Rules vary from group to group, but most only let you post one or two wanted ads per month.
Step 4. Stay safe!
While incidents are rare, there are simple precautions you can take to make sure the transaction is a safe one. The main rule is not to be pressurised into letting someone into a particular area of your home, or going into someone else’s. Read a full list of Freecycle safety tips.
Don’t let safety concerns put you off, but bear in mind some common sense rules. The main rule is not to be pressurised into letting someone into a particular area of your house or going into someone else’s. Thanks to Cheshire Police for its top tips.
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When someone’s coming round yours…
First, if someone’s emails sound dodgy, trust your gut and pick someone else. If it’s a small item, do the exchange on the doorstep or arrange to meet in a busy area.
Do make sure someone else is in the house when the taker comes to collect. It’s also good idea to keep a mobile phone in your pocket. Keep valuables out of sight, and to limit the collector’s movements to as few rooms as possible.
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Going to theirs…
If you’re collecting an item from someone else’s place, go with a friend, or failing that, tell someone exactly where you are going and arrange to contact them afterwards. Take a mobile phone, and stay on the doorstep if possible.
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Giving out phone numbers...
If you decide to give out your phone number, try to 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.
Freecycle is not the only way
As well as Freecycle, there several other freebie sources. Most are tiny in comparison, but worth a look.
Gumtree. Classified site with a decent amount of freebies
Many people offload old gear on the ‘Freebies’ section of the free classified site Gumtree* which divides the UK into different towns. People giveaway anything from beds to bikes. Gumtree doesn't charge either the buyer or the seller to post listings.
Interestingly, Gumtree is owned by eBay. It was bought in May 2005, probably as eBay started to identify it as competition. Thankfully it hasn't impacted its free community-based operations.
SnaffleUp. Good for browsing freebies online
One site that works in a similar way to Freecycle is SnaffleUp.co.uk. While still relatively small, its modern design means it’s easier to browse for freebies. The site lets you search for goodies by postcode (recent MoneySavers acquisitions inc. a perfect-condition Laura Ashley sofa bed and a wedding dress).
It’s free to list and to collect items; simply type in the item your looking for, or just plug in a postcode to see what’s nearby. Though, as the site's still growing, it's worth checking back regularly to see if anything new's popped up. When you see something you want, you need to sign up to message the owner.
MySkip. Smaller site that's worth a look
Also worth a gander is freebie website Myskip.com. The site allows users to list and reserve items for free via the site. There’s also the option to reserve items by texting from your mobile, but this costs £1, plus network charges. Texters get priority over people who reserve by email; once someone texts to reserve an item the system blocks anyone else from requesting it.
The giver can still decide not to part with the item, but chances are you’ll get it. It’s up to you whether you want the freebie enough to pay a quid for the text.
Or donate to chariddee instead
Many charities would also love to take cast-offs off your hands. There are different options depending on the item:
Charity shops. Save for top quality goods
When looking for homes for hand-me-downs, don’t forget your local charity shop. They are always looking for good stock. Go to the Association of Charity Shops to find one near you.
At most charity shops, you simply have to bring your donation to the shop, but call the shop first to take before bringing in any bulky items to check they have space. Also ensure that they take electrical appliances (shops need a qualified technician to test the goods).
Cycles. Donate old bikes to developing countries
It’s possible to 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.
Computers. Be sure to give to a well established charity
Donating computers can be a security risk if it retails personal data (even if you delete information, it may lurk on the hard disk). Thus it’s a good idea to donate discarded PCs to a well-established recycling charities, such as Computeraid International, Computers for African Schools or Donate a PC.
Glasses. Send specs to developing countries
Many opticians run charity programmes where they donate second-hand glasses to developing countries, including Dolland & Aitchison, Vision Express and Eyesite.
Tools. Help self-reliance in Africa
If you’ve old tools to donate, consider Tools for Self-Reliance, an organisation that reconditions carpentry tools for use in Africa. Tools for bicycle repairs, blacksmiths, carpenters, engineers, mechanics, and shoe repairs are all welcome.
Ask a Question / Forum Discussion
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No * Link Available: Association of Charity Shops, Computeraid International, Donate a PC, Freecycle, Gmail, Myskip.com, Photobucket, Re-Cycle, SnaffleUp, Tools for Self-Reliance
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