Mooching Just Got Easier: Swap, Borrow, Trade ... And Be Eco-Friendly

Conservation is such a stuffy sounding word. What it means is to avoid piling up all that random excess junk that you don't need and will probably do nothing with it but throw it away. If you don't need a shelf full of books that you'll never read - or have, but won't be reading again - there's no need to keep the dust collectors ... or to throw it away.

Why buy something, supporting the evil corporate empires that be, when you don't have to? Seriously. With all the random stuff that you own, these three websites will help you get stuff you want for nothing more than the cost of a drive to the neighbor's house or the purchase of a postage stamp, and let you dump the trash someone else will call a treasure.

Freecycle

The whole idea behind conservation is to give our "things" as much use as possible, eliminating the need to manufacture more of them, and reducing the waste we pour into our landfills.

The whole idea behind Freecycle is that if you've got something ... or need something ... you can avoid the dump by checking with your neighbors.

Freecycle has become a very popular website that spawned into thousands of community groups. To get involved, you just need to find a local group at Freecycle.org and sign up as a member (which is free). Then, you can start "freecycling". The way it works is like this:

1. You have something you want to get rid of, or you need something. So you make a post about it.
2. Someone else wants what you have or has what you want. So they respond to your post.
3. The person "getting" is required to drive on over and pick up their goodies.

That's it. There's no money involved - ever. There's no trading or bartering. No one will offer to pay to ship something to you, but they'll also not demand that you pay them to do so. It's all about community and keeping the goods out of land fills.

So far, this has been a rewarding experience for me. I've only been on the giving-away side, but it's wonderful to see my stuff going to someone who really wants or needs it, rather than into the black abyss of some trash truck. And because the people looking for what I have are required to come pick it up, I can continue being my hermit-type self and never venture further than the apartment stairs. Nice.

Swaptree

Talk about a website that's poised to become huge. Swaptree is a national website that has - with good reason - been described as "Match.com Meets Flea Market".

The idea behind Swaptree is that we all make mistakes. Or we're given them. Something looked so very cool in the store or on the catalog page but when you get it home ... well, it looks like nothing more than a space-taker. Holidays are one of those times when the space-takers grow to unreal proportions, too. I still (lovingly, of course) tease my mother about the cake server - just the little spatula thing - she was presented as a birthday gift from her own mother one year. Like ... really? A cake server?

Unfortunately, that annoying gift wouldn't be able to find a home through Swaptree; they're all about books, cds, dvds, and games. If you're the recipient of a hideous gift that doesn't fall into one of these categories, look back up at Freecycle. Out of sight, out of mind.

Back to Swaptree, though, and the whole matchmaking thing. The way that Swaptree works is that you list what books or other media-type-stuff you have (and don't really want), choose what ones you'd rather have instead of them, and Swaptree does matchmaking magic. All you have to do is accept or reject swaps and mail your trade off. They even let you print the postage right from your computer so you don't have to do anything but get that DVD your kids will never watch again (or that you can't bear to listen to again... even through earplugs) into an envelope.

Here's how it works:

1. You register at Swaptree.com - super quick, and free.
2. Bring a pile of books, music, movies, or games to your computer. Enter their ISBN or UPC numbers, use a pull-down menu to tell other people what the item's condition is in, and click to list it. This takes about 30 seconds per item, tops.
3. Browse the books, music, movies, or games categories. When you see an item you want, click "Want It" and it's added to your want list.
4. Log out, go make a cup of coffee, and log back in. Swaptree has done magic for you, and you can see which items are available to you based on what items you've listed to share. As I type this, I have exactly 10 items that I'm willing to swap, and 952 items are available to me. Seriously - I can go through those items and pick and choose what I'd much rather have than the books I didn't really want to admit owning in the first place.
5. Make your swap, print your postage, and tuck it in the mail box.

Absolutely cool. If you look at it from a pocketbook standpoint, when was the last time you got something you really - reallllly - wanted for nothing more than the cost of postage? Swaptree is making conservation feel so much more fun than the big word would make seem possible.

Zwaggle

This site is extremely new, but gaining ground among parents everywhere. Think of Zwaggle as second-hand consignment... without the burden of cash. You can donate your old strollers and baby bouncers in exchange for things that your now-toddler can actually use.

A website started by families, Zwaggle is still focused on the family. They began with the idea of an online community that reflected a strong sense of social responsibility while helping families manage their resources, promoting a sense of sharing, trust, and respect for one another, our resources, and our environment. It's a site that's shaped entirely by community members.

Instead of an outright swap, when you "donate" items to Zwaggle, you earn Zwaggle points called "Zoints". Those zoints add up, allowing you to "purchase" an item donated by another member. To become a member, you don't even need a credit card - you just register and confirm your email address.

While most of the items are currently geared toward babies, the community continues to grow and increase the selection of goods. And if you don't have another baby that you need to spend Zoints on, you can always trade their outgrown gear for sporting goods, movies, and hobby items. Plus, you're not restricted to things with an ISBN or UPC label like Swaptree, so you can trade out a lot more of your unused "stuff" to other familes who will really appreciate it.