One Mom's Trash is Another Mom's Treasure

Have you ever driven by someone's house and seen stuff sitting out on curb with a sign labeled "FREE."  Of course you have.  Everyone has.  Why do people put stuff out like this?  Because it works.  Because most of us realize that just because something is completely useless to us, doesn't mean it's completely useless.

Stores like Good Will and Deseret Industries rely on this very notion.  Millions of items are tossed out by people who have no use for them, and then are hurriedly snatched up by others who find these cast-offs so valuable they are willing to pay real money for them.  While second hand stores make this process more convenient for most of us, you can cut out the middle man (and keep your money in your pocket) by going straight to the source for an in-person trade.

Organize a swap.
When I lived in Utah, once a year our stake (14 different church congregations) would get together for an enormous clothing swap.  In the month leading up to it, we would all give our unwanted clothing to a designated person on the committee, who would then organize it all: one table for toddler boys' clothing, one table for 7-8 girls' clothing, etc.  Everyone would come and take what they wanted.  Some people took an item or two.  Some took nothing, and just enjoyed the chance to get rid of their excess, and some took multiple garbage bags home.  Whatever was left over at the end of the night was donated to the local thrift store.

But you don't have to wait for someone to organize an event like this.  And it doesn't have to be so big.  You can host one in your own home!  (Or park, or whatever.)  Just put the word out to other mothers that you know, and have everyone bring their clothes, organize them however you want to (or not), and have at it!  Donate whatever you have leftover to your local thrift store (and whoever gets that tax receipt WINS!).

Look for freebies everywhere.
(I'll admit right up front that this might not be a tip for everyone, but it has worked for me.)
When I drive around town, I keep an eye on the sidewalks.  Not just because there are always kids playing and it's a good idea to know where they are, but also because very often people will set perfectly good stuff out on the sidewalk, free to whoever wants it.  Now, not everything someone wants to get rid of is worth bringing into my home, but sometimes, I find a real treasure.

• Our best boogie board (read: not the cheapo kind I am willing to buy) came from someone else's trash pile at the end of summer.  It was still in perfect condition, but they were closing up their beach cottage for the winter and didn't want to store it.  Score!
• My neighbor was redecorating his master bedroom, and got rid of a nearly-new king-sized comforter.  It's our favorite comforter now.
• My best find: a huge leather recliner.  My kids and I were driving home at night on December 23rd, 2012, when we saw this big, beautiful chair on the sidewalk.  My kids immediately proclaimed it to be the "perfect Christmas present for Daddy", so we folded down the back seat, and wrangled it into my Suburban.  The next day we hauled (squeezed, wrenched, dragged - that thing is HEAVY!) it into the house and covered it with a blanket.  When my husband "unwrapped" it on Christmas morning, it turned out to be a little broken, so he and my kids spent an hour or so fixing it.  Double score: free gift AND family time!

***A word of warning: do thoroughly check anything that comes from an unknown source before you bring it into your house.  I have a friend who got a couch that turned out to have fleas.  Yuck.  And bedbugs are making a comeback these days, as well.  So maybe stick with things that you can wash in your washing machine, or that you keep in your garage, unless you know where it's coming from.

Ask for what you want.
Think about what it is that you need (or want).  Does it come in a form that someone else might consider to be trash?
Do you need poster board?  Ask the appliance store down the street for an empty box or two.
Do you need buckets for food storage?  Check with a bakery - frosting comes in 5 gallon buckets.
Do you need moving boxes?  Hospitals throw out dozens of new, clean, high-quality boxes every day.

The bottom line?  There are lots of ways to get things you need or want, without spending money on them.  Be creative and save yourself a little cash!

Kate