So I grew up poor-ish, and my parents were always looking for a way to get us a bit of fun because most of our money went towards essentials. A childhood staple of mine was take it or leave it bins in various forms. One was at the garbage collection place (we had to take our own garbage because it costs money to have a garbage collector come in some places). People would put anything there that was still usable. We got furniture, electronics, and one time even one of those children’s outdoor playground sets that would have sold for hundreds new. My mom would drive me to the local swimming pool (random place right?) where there was a take one leave one book place, and I would get a new book and drop off an old one.

Now I live in an apartment building that has an informal system like this. There’s a basket/shelf thingy, and people leave stuff there, and someone else scoops it up. It gets cleaned at the end of every month, but most things get taken. I got most of my kitchen supplies that way, and have also given tons of stuff (the other day I saw someone wearing a dress that I gave away). I would honestly consider this one of the #1 selling points of my building.

Where can I go to find more of these? I’d love to trade in something I don’t need for something that I’ll use, or that I want to try out to see if it’s useful. They are so in line with minimalism - rehome what you can’t use, take what brings joy and utility. It’s a shame that they aren’t everywhere.