Free stuff for writers on Freecycle.org

A couple of weeks ago, I discovered Freecycle.org, a really cool site where you can get other people's unwanted stuff for free. Each individual area has its own Yahoo! group, and once you've signed up you get emails every time someone is giving something away (or looking for something).

It means I have to weed through a lot more emails, but today all that "work" paid off: I got a free HP printer.

I needed a dedicated business printer. Although I was really the only one using the "family" printer, I'd much rather have one that is used solely for my work. I've been contemplating buying one for months, but last night I spotted a rather nice printer that was being offered on Freecycle.

Here it is: the HP deskjet 6122. The lady who was giving it away thought it needed ink, but when I installed it I saw that the ink cartridges are both nearly full. This printer cleans the ink cartridges for you, so I ran through that process about four times. It still doesn't print perfectly, but it does well enough to hold off on replacing the cartridges.

I feel like a kid at Christmas. I'm so tickled with my free printer that I keep looking for a reason to use it. On a more serious note, though, I highly recommend Freecycle.org — I see a lot of printers, computer monitors, and other things freelance writers might find useful. As I said, it makes for a lot of emails, but it's well worth it in the long run!