Like every other human on Facebook, I have mixed feelings about social media. Particularly since managing social media has been part of my job in almost every role I’ve ever held.
But it has been a godsend since having a baby, and here’s why.
I’ve been the grateful recipient of so many freebies that have saved me a ton of money.
Here’s a list of everything I can remember that I’ve received:
- Reusable cloth nappies
- Hanging storage racks for nappies/toys
- Baby books
- Bags of toys
- A change table
- A bouncer
- Bedside drawers
- Curtains – that didn’t fit and that I regifted
- A few tins of Neocate – the biggest game changer of all. Dairy-free, amino acid formula for which there’s a high bar to get a prescription (though some doctors may be more sympathetic than others). I was then able to say to our specialist, we’ve tried a few cans and it worked wonders, please prescribe it for us. More on our feeding journey and transition to formula here.
How to get free baby gear on Facebook? Easy. Any parent-to-be or new parent should join their local Frugal Mumma and Pay It Forward groups sooner rather than later.
I’ve learned about free playgroups, free counselling sessions, and discounted classes on Facebook. Going to therapy is a topic for a whole other post, but I’ve been having so many breakthroughs and working through so much childhood baggage.
On top of that, I’ve found so much value and support in various Facebook groups. The dairy-free breastfeeding group. The fussy baby group. The Sleep Store group. An NZ due date group. And more!
Yes, I’ve wasted a lot of time scrolling aimlessly through Facebook in search of freebies, as well as more generally. But overall, it has hands-down been a net positive for me during the past year.
It’s great that you’ve gotten so much useful stuff on Facebook. I always forget that there are “buy nothing” type groups on there, amid all the marketplace groups that I belong to.
I’m sure you’ll pass along what you can when the time is right, so it’s all about paying it forward.
I’ve also done pretty well on FB Buy Nothing. There is one targeted for families, but the coverage area is so wide and the group is so large that it is barely worth being a part of. I’ve received clothes, swaddles/sleep sacks, and specific toys that I wanted but didn’t want to buy. I’ve also passed on various things. It is great to keep baby items out of the garbage and in use!
I’m kind of picky about certain things that I want, so I’ve also done a lot of purchasing of used items.