Courtesy of Mary Kearl.
- My family saves thousands by using Facebook Marketplace and other resources to score for free items.Freebies have included a swing set, arcade games, and baby essentials.Sometimes we have to spend a few dollars to replace broken or missing parts, but it's never much.
Several years ago, my husband and I did a "year of no shopping" challenge to save up to travel with our oldest daughter when she was a baby. During that time, we bought nothing new unless what we had was broken or worn out beyond repair or we had a new need.
These days, we're back to shopping in moderation, though we're strict about following the 50-30-20 rule, allocating a minimum of 20% of our after-tax income to savings each month.
It's a lot easier to save more and buy nothing (or spend less), thanks to Facebook Marketplace, websites like freecycle.org, and local Buy Nothing, freecycling, parenting, and reduce/reuse/recycle Facebook Groups where people give items away for free or sell them at a second-hand price.
Since purchasing our first home in 2021, we've taken advantage of these, and our neighbors' curb giveaways, to keep our saving habit going strong.
Researchers have found it can cost around $300,000 to raise a child to age 18. We have two. It's mind boggling, but by being creative with getting things for free or cheap from online community groups, we've saved thousands of dollars on shoes and clothes for our kids, baby gear, and big-ticket items.
Here are some of our best finds.
I scored a free swing set worth around $2,000
When we moved into our one-acre property, one thing topped my freecycling wish list, a swing set. After scrolling Facebook groups and freecycle.com for months, I was able to score one via Facebook Marketplace. It's become a favorite for daily use and when we host parties.
A similar swing set would have set us back almost $2,000. Though we didn't have to spend anything for the item itself, we had a few different expenses come up to get it looking like new. We spent about $40 on stain to give the swing set a refresh and around $35 to rent a truck from Home Depot to transport the set to our home.
Arcade games have made our home a fun spot for hosting guests
While I wouldn't necessarily shell out money for arcade games, I've found a few that we've happily added to our home.
Courtesy of Mary Kearl.
We scored a brand new arcade-style basketball game and an air hockey table practically for free (we spent around $11 on replacement pucks and pushers) that are a hit at parties and playdates.
Courtesy of Mary Kearl.
I've gotten thousands of dollars of like-new baby items
In the U.S., parents can spend upwards of $20,00 on their kid, in just one year. The cost of clothing and pricier items like car seats, strollers, and play equipment can add up quickly.
Because of the 6-year age gap between our kids and the fact we only decided to have a second child a couple of years ago, we didn't have much left from our oldest daughter's first year of life. By staying active in local Facebook groups and connecting with moms with young children in real life, we didn't end up having to start from scratch or spend a ton of money to get many of the essentials all over again.
We've found the following items for free in brand new, like new, or gently used condition: a convertible crib (worth about $200), a high chair (worth about $70), a booster seat (worth about $60), a baby blender set (worth about $50), a sit-me-up chair (worth about $40), an umbrella stroller (worth about $40), an infant bath tub (worth about $40), a dozen sippy cups (worth about $30), a bottle set (worth about $30), a sit-to-stand walker (worth about $25), microwavable sterilizing bags (worth about $15) breast milk freezer bags (worth about $10), a bottle drying rack (worth about $10), and tons of burp cloths, swaddles, blankets, and bags full of clothes from size newborn up to 18 months (worth hundreds of dollars).
Free kids' sports gear has saved us hundreds
We've gotten our older daughter three different bikes from Facebook Marketplace and our neighbors' curb giveaways that have saved us about $300 over the years, and other than having to invest $20 to get the brakes repaired on one of them, they've otherwise been in great working condition.
Courtesy of Mary Kearl,
We've also gotten a free skateboard and, after seeing our activity in a local giveaway group, one of our neighbors offered us a gymnastics bar, beam, and mat set (worth about $250) directly instead of posting it online.
We've had some misses, including a 30-year-old ping pong table that took three adults to move and only ended up lasting one season before falling apart. But over the years we've scored a lot of great finds and we plan to keep getting items for our kids — and giving away things we no longer need — for free when possible.
