You don’t have to be cheap to “buy nothing”
“Want some apples, too?” Katie answered my call for grapes. Thanks to her, I now have 20 half-pints of grape jelly.
Then Bob chimed in, “How did you can those grapes? I have a ton.” I discussed grape canning with and he gifted me access to his grapes, which I’ll pick later today.
Right now, I’m about to fry up some of Katies apples for some cheater apple no-crust pie breakfast.
That’s the spirit of The Buy Nothing Project.
In the olden days people showed up for a good barn raising, brought over meatloaves to sick families, and helped with the harvest. This wasn’t just church group stuff, it was community-based insurance. You helped out because when life tossed disaster at you, someone would lend a hand.
It wasn’t selfish—it was community.
Many of us don’t have that same type of community today. We move more, church groups are on the decline, and, in general, we stay inside bingewatching Netflix.
“Buy Nothing” groups are trying to change that.
The Buy Nothing Project is a “hyperlocal” community builder where you can ask for things, gift things, share your skills, but never buy or exchange things. Currently, Buy Nothing groups are hosted on Facebook but they all follow the guidelines of the international Buy Nothing Project.
Here are some examples of how I’ve used my Buy Nothing group:
Katie gave me the grapes and apples. I noticed she likes plants, so I’ll propagate some of mine for her. But, we chatted and connected over some common interests, and since neither of us come from here, I connected with someone cool.
Four people have my SCOBYs (kombucha culture). I made “kombucha kits” for three of them with printed instructions.
Bob gave me a door for Project Greenhouse. Wendy’s helping me design it, and I got a ton of windows people were tossing out, substantially decreasing my buildout costs.
I split and gifted black-eyed Susans, daisies, and Egyptian walking onions to several people last year, one of whom is someone I maintained a friendship with.
I’ve given herbs, preserves, and food.
I’ve decluttered and given several home items I no longer needed.
I got a filing cabinet for my office but it turned out to be too big, so I regifted it to someone that same day. She loves it.
Denise gifted me some New Yorkers I haven’t yet had a chance to read, but I will!
I chickened out on offering website advice and home tutoring to people, because I was afraid I’d get bogged down.
Buy Nothing Groups are “hyperlocal.” You’re not supposed to ditch and run, you’re supposed to connect with neighbors. You’re allowed to discuss posts, comment on something’s beauty, thank people and show pictures of the items in use.
The idea is, when you start doing this, you’ll find that old-fashioned community feeling. Then, with the money you save, you can buy local. You can get in the spirit of giving. You can save things from the landfill.
You’ll be surprised at what you can find there. I actually found a table saw, but I was busy taking a social media break so never connected with the woman who eventually responded and bought my own. I thanked her when I saw the post, though. That was a generous offer.
It’s not all roses—there’s some hard-core moderation. “You should let things simmer for a few days so people can see it.” Nope. Once I’m motivated to let things go, I let them go.
And sometimes there are “request wars” when gifters ask for reasons or “What would you do with this if you got it?” This isn’t a game show for me, it’s keeping things out of the landfill and sharing the things I can. And sometimes people’s reasons for wanting something are private. I never ask. I say, “Who can use this?” and I gift away.
Rules:
You can gift or ask for pretty much anything unless it’s illegal.
It’s not only physical items. You can offer services or skills as long as it’s not a lead-in sales type thing. For example, I can say, “I have free time next week. I’ll help two small businesses fix their outdated websites.” I cannot say, “I’ll give you two free hours of WordPress time” then show up and have that be a sales call.
You can borrow stuff, too. You know that tool you are never going to use again? That bakeware? I’ve offered to lend out canning things, for example, because I’m not canning every day and those things are expensive.
You can only join one group and it must be the one where you live.
You should be nice, and understand this is an “own risk” thing—you have to watch out for any conditions, allergies, or situations where you can’t gift or receive. Most people will tell you things like “smoke free, pet friendly home.” Meaning, that coat won’t smell like Havana but if you’re allergic to dogs, watch out!
You can’t delete things when gifted. There’s supposed to be a record kept of community building. You just code it “Promised” or “Gifted.”
How to find your group
Here’s the United States link. You can go to your state, then town and if need be, neighborhood. Click, “join.”
Try it out! See if you can find a few like minded poser homesteaders, find a few things you were looking for, declutter, or share your gifts with the world.