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Trading Spaces

A friend of mine is a wine broker. I recently took a bunch of one-more-year-and-it's-vinegar bottles off her hands. I've never seen her park in her garage, and I finally figured out why: It is bursting at its concrete seams with...stuff! You couldn't step inside if your life depended on it.

Well, well, well, look at me all smug and superior. All of my belongings fit into my humble city apartment-no storage space (OK, except for those two boxes of Star Wars fan club memorabilia at Mom's), not even a car.

But the fact is, if I had a garage to fill up, you bet I'd end up doing it. I'd hold onto things just in case...in case in 20 years, say, my niece will want some natty old coat I don't wear anymore for a Halloween party. By then, it will be misshapen from storage, possibly eaten through by moths, and weirdly discolored - but hey, you never know, right?

Well, in the meantime, someone could be using it, and I could have one less thing to keep track of. Same with all stuff that's seen its day - trade it, gift it, give it away.

image

-Jenifer Morgan...off to trade some stuff for more space...

P.S. Here’s that cute photo of the other Jen (Boulden) that we mentioned in today’s Personally Speaking…

Posted by: hsnavely on 01/29/2008
related tip
Sure. But you'll save a lotta money for baby's college fund by swapping goods like maternity clothes, kids' toys, and strollers with other parents. You'll also save a used diaper-load of natural resources.
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Annie  on January 29, 2008 at 05:44 AM 1
I have just been doing some spring cleaning myself, trying to make room for my son's new toddler bed, which we bought used on ebay! When I can't be bothered buying or selling something on ebay, or having a garage sale, I use our local freecycle network... it's a fantastic way to get rid of stuff and know it's going to a good home, and if there's something you really need, chances are someone else has one lying around that they never use... check out your local freecycle group at: www,freecycle.org Cheers, Annie www.anniesorganics.mionegroup.com Organic & Natural Enterprise Group Independent Representative
Alan  on January 29, 2008 at 07:38 AM 2
I'll second Annie's note on freecycle. I've been using the local group for about a year, now, and have been able to find homes for a lot of things that I might have otherwise thrown out. I see a lot of baby clothing offered up on that group. Check out your local group! http://www.freecycle.org - Alan
Michelle  on January 29, 2008 at 09:55 AM 3
I'm an avid Just Between Friends shopper and consignor, participating in four regional sales each season. It's not just about saving money, we have a ton of fun and always make new friends and contacts. In fact, I just got an email from JBF stating they were going to be featured on CNBC's The Big Idea (with Donny Deutsch) tonight! Save on!
Crystal  on January 29, 2008 at 04:57 PM 4
I use swapbabygoods.com all the time to swap for my girls. It does not just help me save a lot of money but we have a great network of moms. It is so much fun to be a part of. It's a great feeling to see all the baby/mommy items being passed on to a good home. I find it a great resource that allows me do my part in saving the environment. All the parents must check it out.
Lauren  on January 29, 2008 at 05:08 PM 5
Don't forget freecycle.org! Not only can you gain good karma by offering the stuff you dont' want anymore, but you can ASK for stuff you need - for free!
Rachel  on January 29, 2008 at 09:14 PM 6
I second swapbabygoods.com. I have used it on and off for the last 3 years and always had great experienecs. The best part is now they offer prizes just to participate. It is a great place for moms from all walks of life to get together and help each other save on baby items and go green.
Karen  on January 29, 2008 at 10:45 PM 7
I too love JBF (Just Between Friends). I can sell my kids gently-used items and get up to 70% back! I tag the items using their great barcoding system at myjbftags.com and drop it off and they take care of everything else! Plus I can help out the local charity with donations. I always find great deals on name brand and boutique items, some with tags still on it. The comaraderie and the amazing new friends that I now have from this is a blessing as well!
Carrie  on January 30, 2008 at 12:45 AM 8
I live for buying and selling on ebay. Half the time I will pay up to 70% of the original value of an item just to get it used so that I'm not buying new. I did think the tip was a little shy on information compared to other tips. This would have been a good time to throw in the idea of using cloth diapers to save money or possibly not even falling into the trap of 'needing' so many baby items that are advertised. One good idea is to buy one car seat that will go up to 60 pounds. Forget the carrier car seats...carry your baby...it's better for the babe and you'll be saving a large chunk of plastic. -Carrie http://www.litegreenliving.com
Pascal Gillon BASc of infogatherer.com  on January 31, 2008 at 01:42 PM 9
Gee! That is what I love about idealbite: smart team and brilliant people blogging on it: who said that the future is gloom? Idealbite (amongst some other powerful sites like urth.tv, gaia.com...) demonstrates that usually people do care and CAN make huge positive and lasting changes for the future! Bravo pour tout le monde!
Elizabeth  on February 11, 2008 at 02:30 PM 10
Hmm, interesting that so many people turned this into what to do with baby stuff. I'm going through that myself right now. Anyway, one other cool way to get rid of old stuff and acquire new (to you) stuff is to host a "Naked Lady Party" (some people call it a "clothing swap" but that just doesn't sound as exciting). Just invite a smallish to medium sized group of friends to bring their old clothes over and heap them in a pile in the middle of the room and once everyone's there, they can all sift through and take what they want home. Some people have rules like "you can't take home more than you brought" but I usually just want it all to get taken somewhere otherwise you're stuck with a big pile of clothes to take to Goodwill where people have to pay too much for it. Just share. That's what it's really about. (and keeping things out of landfills).

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