One day you are just an employed girl working in graphic design or marketing, and then the next day you get fired and become unemployed in the shittiest economy known to man. You also just moved into a new apartment and have no furniture…fuck. Good thing you have this article because we did not. Here are the ways that we were able to furnish our apartment at no cost.
1.
Craigslist
While this space was not my expertise, Gen Cueman was widely known as an “expert Craigslist scrounger.” She was on that site refreshing like her life depended on it. While this method may seem unreliable (and maybe unsafe?), we did get a majority of our free furniture this way.
Notable finds: dining set; desk; floor lamp; coffee table
2.
"Buy Nothing" Groups
In the midst of your Meta targeted ads and your estranged aunt’s shitposting, you will find this goldmine of a Facebook group. The "buy nothing" group has three simple rules: no selling, no buying, and participate at your own risk. When you’re accepted into your neighborhood buy nothing group, you can expect anything from an expired can of corn to perfectly intact furniture. In order to be picked for an item, you must comment “please consider me.” If you want a higher chance of getting picked, you can provide a reason (or sob story). For example, I once got picked simply because I said “I love these but cannot afford them at the moment (sad but true).” People love gifting to the less fortunate!
Notable finds: high quality kitchen and glassware; hanging light fixture; decorative surfboard
3.
Facebook Marketplace
While this may be the most user-friendly, it is also the place where you will find a 29-year-old trying to sell their broken TV stand that was "repaired" with duct tape for $50 (firm price). However, sometimes, if you search for free stuff, you will find some hidden gems. Occasionally, people will advertise free items that they've placed in their alley—in this case, RUN DON’T WALK. If you find yourself wanting to get a free piece of furniture in an alley more than 10 minutes after it was posted, forget about it. Chances are, the men in pickup trucks straight out of Mexico that are pursuing every alley in San Diego from 8am–5pm have already claimed it.
Notable finds: rattan chair; nightstand; desk chair; wall art
4.
Offer Up
We only found a couple of good items on this platform but it's still worth mentioning. Looking past the annoying Candy Crush ads and flaky sellers, you can find some high quality pieces if you're tenacious enough. As with all the methods listed, the key is to say you will pick up the item NOW. This means drop everything, stop eating mid-meal, and end that Zoom call early because this is obviously more important.Notable finds: decorative mirror; area rug
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