Buy Nothing Groups: Facebook’s Best Hidden Gem

Project 365, Day 18

I’m going to keep it brief this Monday morning, but hopefully useful! A year or so ago, I read about Buy Nothing groups on Facebook. “You still use Facebook?!?” you may be asking. Yup, sure do, for these types of things specifically. They are essentially neighborhood-based classifieds, with no money exchange. You either post something you want to give away to a neighbor, or you post about something you’re looking for (ISO = in search of).

To keep it small and local, you have to find your neighborhood or area and apply. I can’t remember what “proof” I needed to give, but I do remember there being an approval process. Very similar to the Nextdoor app, but without all the nonsense. What gets posted can be a bit of a grab bag, but sometimes it’s GOOD. The other week, someone was gifting a brand new Nespresso machine—the poster didn’t even really know what it was…this happens often. I’ve seen Bluetooth speakers, Clorox wipes, furniture. Remember the chairs from my corner of doom? No? Let me remind you:

I finally gave up on them and posted them in my Buy Nothing group. They were gone a day later. A quick DM with the interested party, plopped them outside, and they swung by and grabbed them. My corner is now a little less doom-less. The corner of despair…the corner of…whatever, you get it.

This week, I saw someone ISO an oil diffuser, and wouldn’t you know it? I had an extra one shoved in a cabinet I hadn’t used in two years. A quick exchange of schedules was had before that baby was put in a bag and left at my doorstep. Now someone gets to enjoy it more than the inside of my credenza did all that time. I got a “thank you for your generosity” to boot, which makes me feel pretty good.

At first, I was a bit wary of giving perfect strangers my address, but I’ve sold plenty on Craigslist back in my day and it’s really no different than that. Actually, it’s better, because I know, at the very least, that these people have been verified as a neighbor. I take a bit more comfort in knowing they aren’t a complete rando. This morning, a group member asked for yeast because the store was out, and another member quickly chimed in that they had extra. Truth be told, it warmed my heart. It’s like the idea of popping over to your neighbors to borrow a cup of sugar, except this person is a stranger, of course.

Living in a city, building community can feel difficult. The transient nature means getting to know the people you share your sidewalks with isn’t as commonplace as somewhere smaller or more suburban. Of course, this varies neighborhood to neighborhood. But this simple forum with neighbor helping neighbor, I’m into it.

It’s nice to imagine my little oil diffuser sitting in a nearby home, enjoying its second chance at life. Same with my chairs. It’s been a great way to shed the weight of things going unused and knowing they’re immediately being put to use by someone in my community.

If you’re interested, I think you just have to do a search right in Facebook for “buy nothing group near me” and a few nearby groups should pop up for you with instructions on how to join. There’s also this website of the larger Buy Nothing Project if you want to know more about the gift economy they’re fostering.

That’s all for today. See you tomorrow, friends!