Reader tip of the day: Freecycle!

Reader Katy H. writes in today with tips on saving money for baby stuff using Freecycle:

First off, thank you for your book. My husband and I are expecting our first baby and trying to save as much money as possible. I’m an artist and work at a non-profit, and he is currently unemployed but will be a school teacher (fingers crossed), so money is tight. And we live in Brooklyn, New York, so expenses for housing and child care are sky high. However, the population density and cost of storage can be helpful to the cheap parent to be, which brings me to the reason for my email. I just wanted to pass along a couple tips that have worked well for us in assembling free baby gear. Hopefully, these aren’t too out there for your readers; I am also the proud owner of the Tightwad Gazette, so I am familiar with more extreme tightwaddery (but don’t necessarily practice it).

Anyway, my first tip is Freecycle (http://www.freecycle.org/). This is basically a message board, a little like craigslist, but everything is being given away for free. In NYC, it is a Yahoo groups email list, but I think there are similar lists in many other places. We found a 2008 Pottery Barn Kendall crib in good condition this way, a Svan high chair with the infant seat, pad, etc, and a bunch of maternity clothes – all totally free from people on Freecycle. It is not limited to baby things by any means, but they come up often.

The second tip is neighborhood email lists. There are a ton in NYC, but they probably exist in other parts of the country as well. Most of the local ones seem geared towards families. People use them to sell or give away all kinds of things, especially baby/kid stuff, share community news, ask for advice, and ask for/receive  recommendations for nannies, daycares, classes, doctors, plumbers, roofers, mechanics, restaurants, etc. I joined 2  that overlap my neighborhood, plus one in the neighborhood where I work. I’ve used them to get maternity clothes, a beautiful Dutalier glider and ottoman in great condition, several miracle blankets (free), two different bouncy/vibrating seats, a mobile, a boppy, boppy covers, and a maya wrap – all free except the maya wrap, which was $5. I’ve also gotten recommendations for daycare providers and pediatricians. Joining these lists has made me feel more part of a community than I ever did, despite having lived in the same neighborhood for over 7 years. And even if you use them to buy things, it is often more convenient than Craigslist – and prices seem lower – since the owners live near you. This website lists a lot of links for this kind of group:
http://www.parkslopeparents.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=140&Itemid=1