Save Your Money. Save The Environment. Use Freecycle.

Ahh. The new year has begun, and resolutions have been made. Whether you actually committed to your resolution for the rest of your life in front of your 75 closest friends on New Year’s Eve amidst bottles of flowing champagne, or just knew that a new and improved you would break out in 2009 with ne’er a whisper, a group in Rancho Cordova could be just what you need. If you’re into saving a little green, or going green this year, the Freecycle group in Rancho just might be the answer to your New Year’s resolution prayers, and the best part is: Everything’s Free!

Using Freecycle is all about reducing, reusing, and recycling. It’s their motto that giving items away is better all around than throwing them away. Reusing items in our own communities also promotes less traffic pollution and energy use. Large groups and neighborhoods are encouraged to get involved to capitalize on local resources. One neighborhood associations’ old landscaping might be another neighborhoods’ fresh new look.

Peruse the listings and see what the other Freecycler’s in Rancho are giving away. Who knows what you might need? Cell phone chargers, ironing boards, dish sets, tools. You never know what will be posted and by adopting these gently used items, you’re saving them from sure death in a local landfill. (Doesn’t that just make you feel warm and fuzzy inside?)

Or, if you’re goal is to un-clutter that guest bedroom that you’re pretty sure has carpet flooring, what could be better than ensuring all of your old, unappreciated things find new, loving homes? There are rules of course, some of which include keeping the items list family friendly (no guns, drugs, adult entertainment anything, etc). Be sure to include your neighborhood or closest major cross streets in your posting. If you’re not as classified website savvy as you’d like to be, don’t worry. There are specific instructions on how and where to post your free items.

Break out of 2008 by giving away all of your “O” Oprah magazines of yesteryear. Perhaps you could ring in 2009 with a nearly new “Lord of the Rings” DVD set. Whether your wanting or offering, be sure to keep it local by using Freecycle.