Kenny McGuire furnished his family’s Melbourne apartment for free.

The 45-year-old has become somewhat of a professional ‘Buy Nothing’ member. When McGuire and his wife Kate moved to Australia two years ago, they needed to furnish their apartment from scratch. With the help of the ‘Buy Nothing’ Facebook group, they were able to do it without paying a cent. 

“We’ve got a bookshelf, a table with four chairs, a full-size working TV, a small play table for the baby, the sofa, two fridges, three beds, all of the bedside tables and lamps, baby clothing and more. It is amazing how generous people have been,” McGuire says. 

The ‘Buy Nothing Elwood’ Facebook page allows locals to give household items a second lease on life. With a simple post including a photo and the caption ‘Anyone have any use for this?’, furniture and other kinds of items are redistributed throughout the community.  

Wife and mother, Cheryl Edmond-Paul turned to the ‘Buy Nothing’ group for help when her gas stove was disconnected for the week. Within one day, she had been given an electric frying pan. 

“We only needed it for the week, so afterwards we just said does anybody else need this?” Edmond-Paul says. Then, the frying pan was given to someone for their campervan build.  

According to research from the Australian Furniture Association, 50,000 tonnes of wooden furniture is discarded at kerbsides every year. Not only does ‘Buy Nothing’ help the community, but it also reduces total household waste as well.  

“It’s been a bit of a lifesaver with regard to being able to afford to live here,” McGuire says. “When people are being so generous and you’re able to give back as well, it’s just a beautiful thing.”  

“It’s a very kind, very pure form of charity.”