Buy Nothing

Stuff. I haven’t yet gone over to Essentialism. But stuff tends to accumulate and the responsible thing to do is find a proper home for the stuff you no longer want. Donations to charity shops are fine, but often go to waste or languish on shelves. Why not find a home for your cast-off goods directly?

I’ve been using the Buy Nothing group, which connects people via a Facebook group. It restricts membership in a particular group to residents of that city and you have to have a Facebook profile. Today, I gave away a coffee table – it was picked up by someone who lives about half mile away within two hours of my posting. I also lent out a garment steamer, the recipient promised to have it back to me by the end of the day.

Buy Nothing is not perfect. You get a few no-shows, though in my experience not nearly as many as when you try to give something away on Craigslist or Freecycle. There is a better sense of responsibility and community on Buy Nothing, given everyone’s proximity and the intimacy of connecting with your personal Facebook profile.