Freecycle & Freegle

Freecycle and Freegle are not just sources of freebies. The spirit is that it's a recycling community, so consider giving, as well as getting.

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.

Advertising discarded items on giveaway sites is also an excellent way to offload objects unsuitable for donating to charity shops. Many no longer take electrical goods or collect large items.

Just find your village, town, city or borough on Freecycle and Freegle and sign up to those. It's worth joining both Freecycle and Freegle.

Freegle also has an app, available for iOS and Android devices. For ease, you may prefer the Trash Nothing app instead, as it lets you browse all local recycling groups in one go.

Joining several groups can yield the best freebies (especially if you've well-to-do neighbouring areas), but checking them all can be a faff. Ultra-handy app Trash Nothing lets you instantly see everything up for grabs in your local recycling groups in one go – there's no need to browse them all separately.

It covers hundreds of Freecycle, Freegle and standalone local recycling groups across the UK.

How to use it

Simply download the app – it's available for iOS and Android devices. Alternatively, try the Trash Nothing site, though we found the app more user-friendly.

Sign up and tell it your town or postcode. It then shows all unwanted goodies nearby. Whenever you see something you want, hit 'send message' to request it and arrange a pick-up.

Got a sofa or scooter going spare? To give an item away, simply go to 'Give', snap a pic, add a brief description and provide pick-up details. The best bit is you can post to multiple groups at once – just select which ones.

Trash Nothing works independently from the recycling groups and while the vast majority of groups and posts are covered, it's not guaranteed. So you may wish to double-check groups and posts yourself every so often.

You may wish to think twice about 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 WeeeCharity, which responsibly reuses, recycles and resells electronic equipment. (Please note the organisation's currently experiencing issues with its website, so we're linking to its Facebook page for now instead.)

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, put the names into a hat.

Deal with one person at a time. If they don't reply, move on to someone else, though remember some people are unable to get online as often as others.

Once it's been collected, update your listing so people know it's taken.

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 pleas.

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.

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

Many people offload old gear on the 'freebies' section of the free classified site Gumtree. People give away anything from beds to bikes. 

For most items, Gumtree doesn't charge either the buyer or the seller to post listings. There are some situations where charges are applied – for example, job listings – but this is unlikely to affect you.

Alternatively, put items on eBay with a buy-it-now price of 1p. People with fixing skills often buy broken washing machines and TVs. See eBay Selling Tricks for more.

Freecycle and Freegle aren't the only options. Other giveaway websites include:

• Preloved. The popular classified site features a Freeloved section, letting you pick up things for free. While it's free to advertise your wares, users pay £5/year to get first dibs on the latest freebies.
   

• Olio. Whether it's burgers, beer or strawberries, free food and drink-sharing app Olio offers you quality grub for free, if you're game enough. While it originally started as a food-sharing app, people increasingly use it to give away household items too.

Many charities would love to take your cast-offs. At most charity shops, you simply take your donation to the shop, but call the shop first before taking in any bulky items. Also check before offering electrical appliances (shops need a qualified technician to test the goods).

If you have trouble finding a shop willing to take a large item, try the British Heart Foundation's free furniture and electrical collection service.