Get What You Need For Free In Buffalo, New York

What if you could post online that you needed something, and got it no questions asked? There are some platforms that come close like Craigslist and Facebook marketplace, but what if you could get exactly what you needed - from a bedroom set to a cup of sugar - without having to spend a dime?

This is one of the main ideas behind The Buy Nothing Project. 

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On the flip side, Buy Nothing also allows you to give away the household items piling up in your house that you don’t have use for anymore, but don’t want to see it rotting in a landfill or collecting dust on a consignment shelf.

The Buy Nothing Project originally started as a string of closed Facebook groups. After the pandemic hit in early 2020 and more people started to lose their jobs and struggle to get things they needed, the initiative steadily grew. Now, Buy Nothing has its very own app in the app store. As of January 2022, there were reportedly over 7,000 individual Buy Nothing groups across 44 countries, including right here in Buffalo. 

The Buy Nothing Project bills itself as a “gift economy.” In their words, “everything shared on Buy Nothing is given freely - no money, no barter, no strings.”

It works by allowing someone to post in three different categories: Gifts, Asks, and Gratitudes. Gifts are household items you can post that you no longer need and feel that someone else could use. Asks are just that - posting that you need something to see if anyone else has it. Gratitudes are to show your appreciation and thanks for your neighbors who helped you out.

This model of giving not only is environmentally sustainable by not constantly having to throw away things you don’t need, but it helps to build community and friendship. The Buy Nothing Project is a perfect fit for the citizens of Buffalo - we are the “City Of Good Neighbors,” after all.

Here are some of the household items you can get for absolutely free and no catch on the Buy Nothing app right here in Buffalo…