'Buy Nothing' Facebook Groups All About 'Gifting Where You Live'
FOXBORO (CBS) -- Buy nothing but get everything you need. That's the mission of Facebook groups popping up in neighborhoods all around Massachusetts. And Chantel Toomey is a fan. She has picked up a ton of gear for her 3-year-old son, Nick, including strollers, shoes, and blocks.
"I'm trying to think of the last time I really ever bought anything besides groceries," she told WBZ-TV.
Chantel is part of the "Buy Nothing" Facebook group in Foxboro.
"It's about gifting where you live, hyper-local, meeting neighbors," she said. And while moms love it, it's not just for kids' stuff. Members give and receive just about anything - kitchen gadgets, furniture, suitcases and much more.
"Instead of going to Amazon or Target and stuff like that, now I just hop onto Buy Nothing and I see if I can find what I need there first," Chantel said.
The rules are pretty simple:
- Everything must be a gift.
- No buying, selling, or trading.
- Keep it legal.
- Members must give where they live.
The mission isn't just to save money but to make connections. And, in Chantel's case, it's working.
"I've met a lot of my close friends from the 'Buy Nothing' page," she told WBZ.
There are more than 100 Buy Nothing groups throughout Massachusetts. To join or to start your own just check out www.buynothingproject.org.