Are you keen to save money and help the environment?

by Anita Horan

I am not sure about you, but I feel like this is a time for change and revamping my life. I have taken some time off my paid job, to finish writing my memoir and while I am loving my current existence, it does mean I have no spare money to replace the many items that are beginning to wear out in my home. 

I have always loved Op Shopping, but associated it more with buying clothes and not household goods. There are online secondhand sites, but I had not really investigated them. I noticed Facebook Marketplace was putting, what I thought were annoying posts in my feed, until one day, I stopped being scared of something new, and decided to have a proper look at how it worked. Within a few weeks I am now completely converted and have totally revamped my home.

I started out very gently, and accepted some empty glass jars someone was giving away. They left them at their front door. I collected them anonymously and left a thank you note. A little later, I had some new items that I did not use, I messaged the jar lady and asked if she would like them. Marga was keen, and offered me some fresh herbs from her garden, which I happily accepted. The next time we met in person, had a chat and did a swap.

Anita (L) & Marga

Looking around my home, I noticed how many things were fifteen years old, like the mattresses and couch which were beginning to collapse. So, I started going into shops to check new items and also searching for specific used items in local swap, free and buy and sell groups. Well, what a treasure trove the latter provided! Many people are moving house, downsizing, replacing good items with new items, all of which means some great stuff is being sold second hand. My biggest purchase was a couch, I searched and searched, in shops, online and on the second-hand marketplace. I did not like any, except for one, and that one I loved! It was only being sold because the owners decided to change their colour scheme. It just so happened my husband and I are helping someone move and have access to a van for an extra hour, I managed to use the opportunity to buy and transport the amazing couch. I have waited so long for a new, comfortable couch, I am simply thrilled.

Then I needed two new mattresses, I was about to buy them new, although I did not have spare cash, then just before I left for the store, a post popped up, a group member had just emptied their mother's home, and put wonderful, barely used mattresses out the front of the house. I grabbed my daughter and we headed straight over. We had such a fun time together, collecting the mattresses and we also found lots of street libraries in the area and stopped at many to look at and borrow some books. 

After that I was on a roll, hmmm one of our chairs had holes, a bedside table and the kitchen kettle were both peeling paint, I could use a hand blender and other kitchen appliances were about to move out of our home, with our friend whom we were helping to move. I went to the shops and actually put some new appliances in my trolley, then I realized, I could not afford them and put them back. I went home and checked facebook groups for the items, it did not take long to find what I needed, and locally too. Some items were free, a got a great package deal on used electrical appliances from someone who was moving and didn’t need them anymore. The wonderful couch and a beautiful new chair were only one year old, and I paid half the original price. Very quickly, I replaced all the items on my list and my house is looking fabulous.

I also care deeply about the environment, running an activist page about reducing waste, and often doing cleanups in the area. Bringing used items into my home, helps prevent them from being dumped, into our already overfull landfills. Also, these items, if they were brand new, would have used immense resources, in metal extraction, manufacturing, packing and transportation. Keeping items in use, and out of landfill is such an eco-friendly thing to do.

The money I paid, helps the people who sold them, the items I received free, provided the giver with a well-deserved sense of personal satisfaction, and also helped me out financially.

I have also had some lovely interactions with other locals, some I did not meet, as they left the goods at their front door for me, but still, our friendly messages built a sense community, which is often lacking in our busy, disconnected lives.

So, if you no longer need something, or if there is something you need, I recommend listing them, and checking listings. It’s good for the environment, good for your wallet, good for building a community and it’s fun to boot!

Anita Horan campaigns for #plasticfreeproduce – check out her blog