Husbands are interesting. And while I don’t think I really need to elaborate on that statement… I think I will. 😉
Last night I was downstairs working on our taxes and the HH was upstairs {researching who knows what!?} and all of a sudden he’s telling me to check my email… Someone online is giving away free vintage spice tins.
On Craigslist.
In Phoenix, Arizona.
Umm… Okay?
And then while I’m trying to figure out why he is even telling me about this because;
1. I don’t want any free vintage spice tins from Arizona
2. WHY would he think I would even want them?
Another email pops up from him.
The second email is from a person outside of Las Vegas giving away some free potatoes.
I think about the time, gas and energy it would take to arrange to meet this person, get in a car, drive to the house of potatoes, get the 12 potatoes and drive home.
Do you have a conversation with the free potato person ahead of time and ask what size they are, where they’ve been stored, how do they like their potatoes and why did they buy such a large bag of potatoes if they wouldn’t be able to eat them all?
All this for 12 medium sized potatoes? Is it just me or is there a lot of effort involved in this transaction?
What about the woman on the East Side of Lower Manhattan wanting to find a home for the free earbud tips? Are earbud tips code for something else?
Because you can buy 20 earbud tips on Amazon for $3.99.
After my husband sent me the listing for a free kombucha starter I had to tell him to STOP.
No more!
I’ve got better things to do than waste time on the internet looking at free stuff I’ll never use.
Who knows, maybe I’m the weird one. Maybe we should all be spending our time “researching” stuff like this.
~Mavis
P.S. I checked Etsy and that spice jar collection would probably go for $100 – $200. Someone might want to hop on that deal.
The free earbud tips… Maybe not so much. 😉
Mrs. C. says
My HH complains that we have too much furniture and we need to purge. He also sends me almost weekly online auction listings for…furniture. I’m so confused.
Mavis Butterfield says
Funny stuff! Husbands are a mystery, that’s for sure.
Kelly-Jo says
I have a neighbor who will put anything on the “Free” sites because she doesn’t like to throw anything away. I think it makes her feel good thinking that the item will go to someone who will use it rather than watching herself throw it in the trash! Little does she know, the person picking it up is probably a hoarder and it won’t get used but rather added to a pile!
eliz says
Haha! I like your husband’s sense of humor.
Happy Friday!
Emily says
If you stick to local giveaway listings I think it’s worth it to share what you don’t need and get something you do. I try to stick to picking up things within walking distance or on my say to something else. Our local free cycle group is mostly porch pickup so not too much coordinating. I certainly wouldn’t drive cross country for those potatoes 😉
Annette says
Does anyone know what to do with old slide carousels?
Heather in Nevada says
I have seen craft projects that used them. If you don’t want them maybe put them on a local Buy Nothing group.
Christy Rose says
List them on your local Buy Nothing site, someone might want them. We were looking for more of these a few years ago as we had sooo many slides and were tired of putting them in and out of the few carousels we had.
Gigi says
We have a local Buy Nothing group on Facebook and it’s fantastic. It’s only for our town, so everything is relatively close or on the way to where I need to go, plus it’s need seeing other neighborhoods. Yes, I did pick up some free onions, dish soap, pavers and a crockpot. I use it to get rid of items that are small, usable, but not worth selling. Your HH should start up a FB Buy Nothing (city name) group. Does he read the comments?
Mavis Butterfield says
Yes he reads the comments, no he doesn’t need to start a buy nothing group {he has enough distractions as it is!!}. 🙂
Heather in Nevada says
If the items were local I could see why he would tell you. Our daughter has been giving away and getting a ton of items on their local Buy Nothing group.
Our group is pretty sad. I haven’t seen anything that I would need yet
sandy says
My neighbors daughter-placed an old cardboard box by the curb-written on it the word “FREE”. She randomly places items in it…a hubcap, one shoe, old DVD, shower cap, a bowl…leaves it put though rain and sunshine…
People stop their cars to see what is inside. We just watch in complete wonder…what the heck is going on??
Sue B says
I had slide carousels *and* a working projector, tried to offer them up on my local community bulletin board, no interest, so I ended up giving them to a thrift store. Along with some other stuff, including — yes — earbud tips!
The thing is, you open this baggie with the range of earbuds, and remove the size that works for you, and then it just feels *wrong* to throw the rest of these new, unused items away. I use the smallest size and I always think “I’m sure there are folks who need those other sizes!”
It’s a good reminder, though, that someone else may be taking free things because they are a hoarder and can’t resist, rather than because they can actually use the items. On the other hand, that’s really difficult for others to try to manage that for them.
I try to remember that the way to keep things out of the landfill is to not buy them in the first place. Once they are out in the community, sometime the landfill is the right answer — having it sit in a junk pile at someone’s home just to avoid the landfill doesn’t solve anything and only makes it worse at the home that contains them. I try to minimize what I buy initially, but to not constrain myself when it’s time to declutter.