Declutter your Life with the Buy Nothing Project

Learn how you can declutter your life by joining this Free Facebook Group in your own neighbourhood.

So you need to declutter your life? Maybe you have some old books, clothes, or household items collecting dust. Or perhaps a whole closet, room or even an entire house full of things you need to deal with.

It can be hard to give away items that you’ve collected over the years. Emotional even.

Would you feel better giving your not needed items directly to someone who will use it, and appreciate it? How about if they were your neighbours, and they pick it up from your doorstep, no hassles.

Well, that’s the concept of the popular Facebook Group called the Buy Nothing Project.

In this post, I’ll walk you through how to the Buy Nothing Project works, along with how to join your local chapter, what types of items can be donated and what to expect when you first join.

I’ll also give you some ways I have decluttered my own life, using the Buy Nothing Project.

What is the Buy Nothing Project?

The Buy Nothing Project started out in 2013, in Bainbridge Island, WA by two women, Rebecca Rockefeller and Liesl Clark. It has since evolved into a worldwide hyper-local gift economy, which has reached 21 countries and counting.

It has zero funding and purely run on a volunteer basis.

The concept of the group is, if you have items you no longer need, you can use your local Buy Nothing Group to “gift” it for FREE to other members of the group.

Members of the group usually live very close by (hyper-local) and pickups happen pretty quickly . It uses local private Facebook groups as a platform to connect members.

And its completely FREE!

In their own words from their site:

“Groups form gift economies that are complementary and parallel to local cash economies; whether people join because they’d like to quickly get rid of things that are cluttering their lives, or simply to save money by getting things for free, they quickly discover that our groups are not just another free recycling platform. A gift economy’s real wealth is the people involved and the web of connections that forms to support them.”

– BuyNothingProject.org

How The Buy Nothing Project Works

Once you’ve joined your local private Facebook group (for free), you can start giving “Gifts”. The community refers to items donated or given as “gifts” or “gifting”.

All gifts must be given for FREE with no strings attached (no trading, no bartering, no selling) , while being honest and keeping it legal, duh!

To give a gift, you simply post a picture of the item(s) into the private Facebook group. Other group members will express their interest via comments. They then will arrange a time and date with you, to come pickup the items you want to give.

How to Join The Buy Nothing Project

1. Take a look on their site to find out which community group you should be a part of here
2. Request to join the appropriate group on Facebook . FYI: you can only be a part of 1 group, if you’ve joined the wrong group the awesome admins will help you find your way.
3. Declutter your life! Post as many items as you want into your FB Group. and start gifting to your wonderful neighbours!

Examples of Gifts

• Products(home decor, furniture,makeup, kitchen items, clothing, kids stuff and toys, books, dishes, pet stuff, appliances,etc…)
• Services (organizer, photography, etc..)
• Gifts of self (good deeds, etc)
• Gifts of talent (a lady in my group asked for someone with nice artistic hand writing to help with a blackboard sign for their home decor. They got the help via the group and it was beautiful!)
• Gifts of time

My Personal Experience

I joined my local Buy Nothing group in 2014 and I’m still an active user. Most members in my group are a bike ride away!

Being a member of this group inspires me to declutter home decor, makeup,  kids items and toys, clothes, books, electronics and even small appliances my family and I no longer use.

I’ve formed a habit by going though my closet yearly. I gift items I no longer wear or fit into. Which helps keep my closet more organized. I do the same for the kids clothes.

We also gift items during another yearly tradition – spring cleaning! It’s amazing how much stuff you accumulate in a single year.

Throughout the rest of the year, if I come across something I no longer use or need, I know there is someone close by that would gladly give it a new home. It’s a no brainer!

Although you can join this group to give, you can receive too.

Like, if you’re on the look out for baskets and bins to organize you’re newly decluttered home, you can check the group first so see if anyone has any they no longer need. You’ll be surprised how helpful everyone is.

I really believe this group empowers and inspires people to declutter their lives because of the positive experience that goes along with the “gifting” concept. It’s a powerful, satisfying, and a nifty feeling!

And you’ll have a more organized, clutter-free home to boot!

Other Stats

• Hyper local gifting community
• 450,000 members and growing every day
• Over 2000 private Facebook groups
• Groups in 21 countries
• Grass-roots volunteer-driven project with no funding

I hope you found this post helpful and has given you some tips on how to declutter your life by using the Buy Nothing Group.

I’ve explained how to join this free Facebook group, what to expect your first time, items that can be donated. I’ve also shared my personal experience with examples.

You are now armed with an empowering way to remove the clutter in your home and life. And your neighbours will thank you for it.

Happy decluttering!

And until next time…stay nifty!