by Melanie Cossey

Created on: August 13, 2008   Last Updated: February 27, 2012

Free furniture is in abundance if you only know where to look. We live in a throw-away society where the next latest thing is something to be desired to the exclusion of all previous things. There is no exception with this when it comes to furniture. Because of this, it is relatively easy to find discarded furniture in fair to good condition.

START IN YOUR OWN NEIGHBOURHOOD

• Townhouse and Apartment Complexes

If you live in a townhouse or apartment complex, disposable furniture is actually a huge problem. Many apartment dwellers do not have the knowledge or the means to bring their used furniture to the dump and so a common occurrence is for them to sneak out a piece in the middle of the night and leave it by the dumpster for someone else to take or for the apartment managers to take care of. If you are in the right place at the right time, you can pick up a stellar quality piece for nothing. I've personally found many useful objects parked beside or in the garbage bins such as fruit/flower producing plants, brand new exercise equipment, chairs, couches, dressers, toys, TVs, planters, bikes etc. Some just needed a little clean up.

• Yard Sales

I've had luck at yard sales by coming by at the end of them and seeing what is left over. Often people don't want to bring the stuff back inside or to the dump and will give it away if you ask.

• City Clean-up Days

Sometimes individual cities will have a day where they will haul junk away for free. All households in the city can pile their junk curb side for the city to pick up. These are great times to drive around the neighbourhood and walk away with whatever you need; less rubbish to sit in a landfill.

• Community Church Give-aways

In my neighbourhood there is a community church that has a free clothing and household goods exchange. You donate what you don't want a few weeks ahead and they set up the goods in the basement for a big free-for-all.

• Friends and Family

This is a great resource. Put the word out that you are looking for furniture and household items. Ask older persons. They may be downsizing. This is the age of the baby boomers retirement so many will be getting rid of old furniture with excellent workmanship and durability while they move into more manageable places such as one bedroom apartments.

GO TO THE INTERNET

• Freecycle 

An invaluable resource for freebees is a website called freecycle.org. It doesn't matter where you live there

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