Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Puttin' the word out

I learned about putting the word out when I started reading The Tightwad Gazette (and became a HUGE fan!). I never considered myself an aggressive enough person to speak up and say things like - "if you know anyone who will sell a twin bed for ___ I would be willing to buy it". The more I did it, the more comfortable I became and the more stuff people just started offering.

Some examples of stuff I have received in the last few months:
  • Just today I got 2 CASES of Girl Scout Cookies - yes 24 boxes for FREE. My boss is somehow affiliated with the Girl Scouts and they can't sell the cookies after a certain date, therefore they have to give them away. She came to work today with tons of them and offered me 2 cases!
  • A set of 4 stainless steel canisters for my kitchen.
  • Two purple floral arrangements for my daughter's room. A co-worker was redecorating her purple bedroom and was looking to get rid of them.
  • 2 Pottery Barn pillow shams - still in the package.
  • A hardly used box of Hooked on Phonics stuff - books, flashcards, workbooks, games, etc!
  • Tons of clothes for my son (gotta love hand me downs!) the best thing is that most of the stuff I received was name brand - GAP, Old Navy, Levi's, etc. I will not have to buy shoes or clothes for at least another year - unless I get some more hand me downs! (These came from relatives, but still - FREE clothes!)
  • A potty chair
  • A plastic Little Tykes type teeter-totter for the kids
  • A grocery bag full of tomatoes and cucumbers
  • Coupons galore!

There are two important things about this concept that you should know:

  • Share and give to others yourself - don't be a mooch. Look for ways that you can share of your time, talents, and bounty with others. If you get a great deal and have 10 jars of Skippy in your stockpile (like I do:))...share some with a friend. If you have clothes that your kids have outgrown that you aren't going to use on the next one - and they are still in good shape - offer them to a friend or family member. They will remember and offer to share something with you (even if they don't that's okay, it's all about good karma:)).
  • Accept what you are given - even if you have to pass it along to someone else. When you don't accept, they may not offer anything again.


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