From furniture and clothing to household essentials and toys, you might be surprised how much you can save on these types of items with the help of your neighbors. In fact, you can find this and more completely for free by joining your local Buy Nothing group.

There are currently about 128,000 Buy Nothing community groups worldwide, all of which have one common goal: building community through a gifting economy. These networks allow neighbors to freely exchange items and services, reducing waste and cutting costs in the process.

Here’s how Buy Nothing groups work, and why they’re a budget-savvy option worth exploring.

A Buy Nothing group is an online community where members can give and receive items without exchanging money, from an extra loaf of bread that needs to be eaten to unused furniture that’s taking up space in someone’s home.

Buy Nothing groups are typically found on Facebook, and they’re made up of residents within a clearly defined neighborhood or local area.

The Buy Nothing Project was originally started to reduce waste and plastics in every ecosystem by encouraging consumers to buy less and share more. By participating in one of these groups, you not only have the opportunity to save money, but also take part in a larger gift economy and avoid overconsumption and waste.

Buy Nothing groups are pretty simple to navigate. Once you are approved to join your local group on Facebook, you can create a post offering up an item you don’t need or asking members for a specific item you want. Interested members will comment on posts, and then the giver chooses whom to give the item to.

Buy Nothing groups have different rules; some allow instant gifting of items, while others ask you to let posts “simmer” for a few hours before making a decision. Once the giver picks a recipient, they coordinate pickup and mark the post as “GIFTED.”

“I have a ton of houseplants now and they’re all through Buy Nothing groups and folks giving out cuttings,” said Jim Wang, founder of WalletHacks.com. “I’ve gotten kites that our kids love flying out in the field…looking around my room, I can see half a dozen things I’ve gotten from Buy Nothing groups.”

And remember, the point of these groups is to give items freely. Buying, selling, bartering, trading, advertising, or marketing of goods or services are all prohibited.

The amount of money you can save by joining a Buy Nothing group will vary depending on your lifestyle and how often you participate. However, some members report significant savings.

“It’s hard to quantify the savings, but I suspect it’s several hundred dollars a year,” Wang said. “Since all the groups are different and your needs will vary, sometimes you just have to get lucky to see things you might want. In my case, I’ve gotten things that I now love but never thought I’d buy.”

Also keep in mind that Buy Nothing groups encourage a mindset shift toward sustainability, reducing waste, and promoting community engagement — creating long-term value that goes beyond simply saving money.

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If you’re considering joining and exchanging items in a Buy Nothing group, here are a few best practices to keep in mind.

Scoring a free item is great, but if you have to travel a great distance to get it, it may not be worth the trouble. Plus, Buy Nothing group members are supposed to be locals. So, when joining a group, double-check that it is meant for residents in your local area.

One person’s trash can be another person’s treasure, but it’s important to ensure the person you’re giving an item to is aware of its true condition.

“Sometimes items aren’t as they describe,” Wang said. “I once received a coat rack that was missing pieces and, essentially, broken. It only cost me my time, but it was annoying,” says Wang.

If someone is going out of their way to come pick up an item, don’t set them up to be disappointed.

Keep in mind that the people in Buy Nothing groups are your friends and neighbors. Being respectful and kind is important in maintaining this gifting network.

You should also avoid sending any private messages unless the original poster has specifically asked for them in order to avoid making anyone feel uncomfortable or pressured to give you an item.

Join and participate in your local Buy Nothing group using your personal Facebook profile with your real name, since these groups are meant to build a strong local community between neighbors and friends. Plus, people feel safer coordinating pickups when they know who they’re meeting.

“I also look at the person’s history in the group to make sure I’m not somehow being scammed,” Wang said. “Since all these groups are local, I almost always have mutual friendships with someone in the group, even strangers.”

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You can find a registered “Buy Nothing” group on the BuyNothing mobile app or by searching on Facebook.

If there isn’t an existing group in your local area and you feel compelled to start one, you can visit the Buy Nothing Project website and submit a form to begin the process and rack up savings for yourself and your local community.

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