The Best Things in London Are Free

Let’s face it, it’s a hard time to make ends meet, and with standards of living having improved so dramatically for the majority of us, it’s hard to get by without the latest copy of Heat, let alone heating. In a society obsessed with material goods, it’s too easy for the less affluent of us to feel like we’re missing out, but in some ways, we couldn’t have it better. People don’t wait till things break to buy new anymore, meaning there’s a huge surplus of goods about – there are more microwaves than there are ready meals and more sofas than we have bums to park on them – which means there’s always something up for grabs, and often for free!

And not just any old tat either; good quality, practical items that more often than not just need a quick wipe before use. Freecycle – a site where you can offer or request unwanted items – has a plethora of goods available, from toasters to toys, insulation to irrigation, and even cars (yes, cars!). Anything you can think of will appear at some point, and it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say you could furnish a whole house using it.

Though as it’s hardly a best kept secret, you’ll have to get in quick to avoid disappointment. The competition in London to nab the latest freebies is intense, but compared to the empty toy boxes, dead cats and hedge trimmings you can probably expect of more remote areas, count yourself lucky you’re a Londoner!

Even less secretive is the abundance of perfectly good furniture just lying out on the street ready for the taking – and before you think,  ‘Oh, but there must be a reason they threw it out,’ when was the last time you threw something perfectly good out, or gave it to charity, or just stopped using it? I’m willing to bet it was quite recently. Because in London, what with the constant moving and lack of space, people are always having a clear-out. I remember finding a side cabinet outside work once, and though it was a hernia-inducing two-mile walk home with it, it was free, and it was mine.

There’s nothing quite like the feeling of getting things for free, and teamed with the knowledge that you’re helping limit the amount we send to landfill, it makes you feel rather nifty. Obvious words of warning – if there’s a sofa on the street, watch for woodworm, damp, cat piss and the like. And when getting things from freebie sites, check if they’re broken as a few items are. Folk tend to be pretty honest though, and will tell you straight out if the item they’re offering has a fault; you’ll be surprised how quickly they still get taken. Because when you have nothing, everything has a value.

Image by joeflintham