Same thrill, no bill

I'm sure my family would enjoy our backyard campfires just fine if we'd paid for our fire pit. But the fact that the hammered-copper disc landed in our backyard for free adds luster to those starry evenings. I also get a warm feeling when I see the same model for sale at Smith & Hawken for $300. 

Getting stuff through a Freecycle group is satisfying that way. It's like a shopping buzz without the hangover — or bill. You get the same thrill of the chase, the same satisfaction of telling the story behind your discovery. Each Freecycle item is one less deposit to the local landfill, which is good. 

And it's free. All that's required is effort. And not much at that. 

Instead of throwing out unwanted furniture, dishes, bikes, or electronics, people in "reuse groups" give them away to other people in their community who want them. The givers and takers find each other online. The first step is to sign up for the reuse group nearest you (minimizing travel time when spot something you want). 

The granddaddy of all reuse groups is Freecycle.org, with more than 5 million global members the globe and counting. Search here to find the Freecycle group nearest you. 

Other reuse groups are less well known, but are just as successful in putting perfectly good stuff in people's happy hands. Yahoo! has compiled a master list of reuse groups around the world and plotted them on a map. Use it to find a reuse group near you. 

The next step? Check your email. 

Stuff you want to give away, you post as "offered." Whoever wants it responds to you directly, and off you go. 

For stuff you see offered and want to go get, it's the same process in reverse. Let the giver know you're interested, and set up a time and place to make the handoff. Yes, the whole thing is based on trust. It also works. 

Reuse groups keep an estimated 300 tons of waste out of landfills every day, according to a University of Iowa study. This profile of Freecycle founder Deron Beal further illustrates the power of the idea in words and pictures. 

In our own home, we've given away golf clubs, children's toys, and outgrown bicycles, clearing space in our garage. We've added: the fire ring, a garden hose, and a guitar that works fine but sounds awful. Talent is harder to pass around.

Sam Silverstein is the editor of Yahoo! Green.