EITM: Buy Nothing 5/7/24

Group project, anyone?

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
What was that thing that Lindsay wasdoing a buy nothing group? Yeah?
Oh wait, exactly what this is? Oh no, but I thought she
was part of that. I thoughtit was like you find somebody, but
it's like going back and forth anddelivering it to each other. There is
a lot of that. You don'thave to deliver it. They can come
pick it up. That's why wehave random strangers pulling into our driveway multiple

(00:20):
times a day. Wait, sois she still doing it? Yes,
it will never end. Sure.We were trying to collect stuff for teacher
appreciation what I thought it was for. But we just gave a couple of
children's toys away the people that pickedthem up over the weekend, and do
you just leave them outside? Thatone we didn't want to put on the

(00:45):
driveway, so special arrangements were made. They would you leave a key under
the mat. I didn't have abig enough contractor's bag to put this big.
It was a kitchen slash dalhouse combo. I mean it was. It
was pretty big, and it wasin great condition because like, we never
let our kids draw on stuff,as a lot of parents do, especially

(01:06):
there's a sketchbook for that. Sothis thing was like new, and we
wanted to keep it that way andnot having it damaged by the sun right
which my children aren't allowed to seethemselves, so we definitely set up something
for that. But yeah, forthe most part, it's just sitting in

(01:27):
the driveway, so it just lookslike garbage is in the front yard till
somebody picks it up. It's closerto the garage. But I do worry
if it's a trash day because it'sin plastic bags. Now someone's name is
on it. Is that normal though, that you plastic bag it and put
their name. You don't have to, but it's really go all out.

(01:49):
The name's important because sometimes there aremultiple pickups happening at the same time.
Oh my god, I told youit's in a dick, not for me,
for Lindsay, for her. Hasshe thought about the and I guess
I didn't know. It was calleda buy nothing group and it's all just
barter. No, you don't havea trade, Yeah, no, but

(02:12):
Lindsay gets stuff from other people becausethey put it out on the list saying
it's available. Yeah. When shewas trying to get all the toilet trees
and stuff for the teachers, shewas getting stuff and maybe favored by some
people in the group because Lindsay hasgiven so much stuff away. Right,
But you're allowed to put a requestout there and say, hey, does
anybody have this or that? Doyou guys ever plan on hosting like a

(02:36):
buy nothing. I can't call ita yard sale, but like just a
yard free. I don't know whatto call it. I have no idea
what you call it? Like atrunk sale thing? No, not for
sale. Here's why I asked.I had no idea. They're big happenings
going on in Arlington, big happenings. So I guess on Facebook? Is

(02:57):
she part of is it all partof a Facebook? Yeah? So in
Arlington there is a like a buynothing Arlington Facebook group, right? And
I guess it had gotten so bigthat they wanted to splinter it up and
make like smaller bot like, soit'd be buy nothing this part of Arlington

(03:20):
and buy nothing that part of Arlington, and buy nothing this part of Arlington.
And this one woman let me giveher credit because she's either loved or
hated what's up, Kayla Owen?But I guess there's three over three thousand
people in this buy nothing group?It's huge, and so a lot of
the members of the group, likethe founding members, were like, hey,

(03:42):
let's break it up, right,so let's have I don't I'm making
this up Roslin Courthouse, whatever,Clarendon Ballston whatever. Yeah. Well,
I'll tell you what. Kayla Owendid two things. Number One, she
said, I ain't breaking it up. Number two, she took away she
took away executive privileges from a bunchof the other people in somebody's an admin.

(04:03):
Yeah. Yeah, well, andshe took away admin privileges from a
bunch of them. And now Kaylais being said to have run a coup
on the Arlington Orchestra the dispersement offree stuff. Yes, I don't want
splinter groups to make it because somepeople were complaining it's so big that if
you want something, you can't getit because there's so many vultures trying to

(04:25):
get this stuff for free. Solet's break it up. And then that's
so they're worried that people are arelike getting it free and then turning around
and selling it. No, they'rejust worried that if you wanted the doll
house, and I wanted the dollhouse, that there's too many people wanting
it. But if Tyler was partof this smaller splinter group, that you
would be able to get it becauseyou're more in his community than I am

(04:47):
further out in Arlington. I thinkthey with ours. They split their urs
up into a big happening. Yes, big happenings in Arlington. It's funny
you bring up the resale. Andthat's when Kayla was like, I'm removing
everybody's privileges, and sister threw acoup and a lot of people are very
happy that she did that because theyalso and this is what I was asking

(05:09):
and then and then we'll get backto the resale part. But they also
do monthly meetups in people's backyards.I've never heard of that, where she
will have somebody set up and bythe way, it looks like you know
what it looks like. It lookslike somebody was like, I guess they
close the dump down, let's justthrow it in your backyard. Yeah,

(05:30):
So they bring tables or they setout blankets and they just put the stuff
out there. The crap. Yeah, and everybody in somebody's backyard it still
got life to it. There's likefive six hundred people with like wagons and
stuff that go walking through the backyard, getting old purses and belts and shoes
and dollhouses and sketch pads. It'syou got five hundred people in your backyard.

(05:56):
Yeah, but it's not like theythey weren't aware that people were going
to be showing up in their backyard. They're fine with it, right,
or did they not realize it's goingto be that many people? Well
now because they're afraid that it's goingto get splintered up. Could you imagine
look at that picture? Could youimagine that going on in your backyard.
Well, first of all, well, first of all, I don't know
where these people live. That doesn'tfit in my backyard. Yeah, that's

(06:18):
a big yard. I'd have toshut down a street to get that done.
Yeah, No, that's massive.You see that green blanket on the
left there Yet, that's all Ihave room for. That's it. But
look, first of all, lookat all the trash back there. It
is tables of free garbage. It'snot garbage, so ordered it's garbage.

(06:42):
It's not garbage because people are takingit and using it. One man's garbage
is another man somebody somebody needs resellingit to me. And I try to
be Elliott when it comes to thestuff we give away and say to myself,
I can't dictate what this person doeswith the item. Absolutely, you

(07:05):
could sell it, yeah, Iknow, but there's a lot of steps
and it's just easier to dump itin your driveway for bigger ticket items like
this kitchen dallhas combo. I didnot want someone to resell it. Why
because I knew you could get adecent amount of money for it, then

(07:27):
do it. No, I don'tof that. That's where And this is
the fight I have with Jackie allthe time. I told Lindsay, I
said, give it to someone inthe group whose house at some point we
may be in, because I'm checkingfor you, they'll still have it.
Tyler wants if they sold it,and yeah, but it's not. It's

(07:51):
not your your chance to bitch aboutit if they sold it, because you
chose to give it away to someonewho would have years of happiness and joy.
Would you feel it? Would youfeel better if they just took it
to good will and turned it inand got the tax break. No,
so you want that to stay intheir house for years? And I know
you sent us a photo the dayof to show your kids smiling playing with

(08:16):
it. You know when they'll smilemore when we get money for Chick fil
a. Yeah, get an icecream. But much like a foster animal,
I am going to in a monthsay, hey, you know what
we're missing that toy? No,can you show me another photo of your
kid's smiling with today's date? Actually, like they're a hostage. It's an

(08:43):
odd look. But if you couldjust have your kid put a newspaper in
his mouth, it would go along way here at the house. You
can't control that it is. It'sa gift card. And I have this
fight with Jackie. Once you givesomeone a gift card and they they may
spend it on something you don't want. It does not matter. It's their
money. When are they spending Arethey spending on them that she doesn't want
them to spend up? Like ifJackie gives like one of the nephew's money

(09:03):
for like graduating or something like that. Yeah, she gets pissed when she
finds out that they spend it onbeer. And so I'll be like jack
who cares and spend it on whateverthey want exactly. But Jackie's like,
I want them to spend it onsomething for their apartment or their their dorm
or something. I was like,jack who cares? Who cares? You?
You did your part by giving.Let them do with it whatever they

(09:24):
want. If they want to takethe dollhouse and blow it up on the
fourth of July, by what,Oh my god, what if they sent
you that video? Hey, watchthis page. Hey, we got our
use out of it. So wedecided to do something fun this year.
You know, my younger one isa entrepreneurial YouTube star. We're throwing it
off the roof of the house.Yes, okay, maybe maybe you should

(09:50):
look at it. Yeah, youcan't control that, But you're telling me
I'm may have a takeover in theworks here for Oh, I think I
think Lindsay's gonna start some backyard bynothing. These people do like their backyard
garbage dump monthly, and everybody bringstheir to get rid of. I didn't

(10:16):
realize these groups were that big.I also would the I would, and
I give you credit. If Jackiewas running the scandal, I would I
scandal. I'd be fighting with her. Not like you got to have people
stop coming over to just pick upgarbage, like who cares. When I
pull on the driveway and there arebags out there, I will say when

(10:37):
I get inside, like when isthis person gonna be here? Like what
kind of window have we given them? Whenever they want, well, no,
she'll say, like they said theywere coming this afternoon, and I'll
say from like where? So maybeI should be concerned about how big this
group is getting because it's definitely notjust the neighborhood. Oh no, no,

(10:58):
I'm sure it's all of Germantown becauseI mean three thousand that was the
size of this island, some thirtythree hundred. Yeah, they wanted to
splinter it. That Kayla was like, I'm moving, I'm removing admin uh
and I'm keeping it. That's thecoup cou Kayla is there. Some people
call her Kookie Kayla, but it'scou Kayla. That is uh yeah,
No, she's running. She's sheis running Presidente over the whole thing.

(11:22):
But I would bet also, eventhough you're German Town, I would bet
you got some stragglers from Gaithersburg takinga little look. See what are you
gonna start checking IDs? The what'sof the things? She'll say, like,
uh, you know they're at workand I'll say, oh, what's
that? Like? Lied? Canwill they will people come like late,

(11:43):
like ten eleven o'clock at night?No, why not? Why because at
that point I brought it back insideand why do you bring it back inside?
Me then said it's can I makea clear sage joint operation? But
I do uh narrate a lot ofwhat I need her to write. We'll
say that you have a final chancetomorrow to pick this up the and what
happens if they don't get it bythe final chance to go there? Yeah?

(12:05):
They have like yeah, oh yeah, then you have like like runners
up essentially. Yeah, you haveto like if you if you really want
to be fair, you're supposed touse one of those random uh number generators
online so that it's like a lotterybecause so many people put their name in
for this stuff. No, it'sfirst come per served or is it just

(12:28):
yeah? Just throw you do firstcome per serve because there are people that
live on there who don't work,like my wife, it's not fair.
I mean, why don't you havethem write letters? Like but that was
the problem in Arlington. You sortof alluded to it. People just sat
on there and it became people theyhog a business for people. They it.
It's not a business for us.It's just it's just it's just an

(12:50):
operation. We run out of ourhouse. And I guess, and I
guess some of the Arlington Karens arelooking for the are looking for some of
the mores bensive handbags that they want. But I bet they turn around and
sell them. I guess. Gusbrings up a good point too. If
it gets too splintered, you can'tget stuff. So I imagine too,

(13:11):
it's almost like when they are redistrictingyou for voting purposes, you may draw
that line where you know, okay, this little section these communities may have
the better stuff, so let's makeit exclusive so that like that's not fair.
Oh so it would be like overby over by Target where they're like,

(13:31):
hey, you know what, let'scross out the L Salvadoran apartment complex
because they don't need a burken bag. Yeah. I could see that you're
selling that. People are not givinga stuff Like you don't know these Arlington
biddies telling you or coach or somethinglike that, no you sell those not
in Arlington. Nope, Caleb won'tlet you do that. She runs admin.

(13:54):
She's she's on the coup. That'swhat Poshmark's for. Hi, Elliott
the morning Mate. Yeah, Hi, who's this? It's Brandon. Hey,
what's up, Brandon? I don'tknow too much. Hey, I
just wanted to talk to you aboutthe Buying Nothing Group. It's pretty crazy
how that thing works. We're inHarrisonburg and my wife, she was she's

(14:18):
a member of the buyd Nothing group. There's four groups, like a North,
you know, Southeast, and Westgroup, and we're in the East
group. So we bought a newhouse two years ago and I didn't even
know she was a member of thegroup, and I wanted to get a
new refrigerator for our basement. Andmy wife was like, let me give
me about ten minutes and I'll seesee what I can find. So she

(14:39):
made a post. You you canput a post on the Buying Nothing group.
Instead of just arousing what people aregiving away, you can put a
post on there that says like whichand then looking for a refrigerator for our
basement. And she put that onthere, and literally in fifteen minutes somebody
come at it and said, yeah, we got an extra refrigerator. And

(15:00):
it was like a year old refrigerator. And we didn't even have to go
get it. They just wanted toget rid of the damn thing and they
brought it to us and it's it'spractically a brand new refrigerator. We've made
it for two years in my downstairsbar, and there's nothing wrong with it.
Like it doesn't smell of like abody that was in there or nothing.
No, no, it's it waspretty much brand new and a refrigerator

(15:22):
and just like oh, and theydelivered. Thank god. Somebody somebody had
a wish. By the way,that sounds like that that I don't like
that. You go on there andgo, oh, I have a wish.
Well, first of all, myuncle's dying, but also I could
use a dollhouse like that just doesn'tseem right. However, we got the
microwave. Yeah, for the schools. Actually I need to go on there

(15:48):
today. Appliances, thank you sir, for ourselves. But I got to
look into a water heater. Butno, you know what, I'm having
this fight with Jackie. Our washerand dryer is getting ready to go.
Our basement flooded last night. Theoh really that was not ideal. Hey,
do me a favor, make awish would you like put in there
like we phrase it differently like worldpeace, and then see if you get

(16:11):
me a washer dryer. Where's where'suh? Where's ku kayla? I need
a I need a washer dryer.I now I'm all in. I'm all
in. I'm to buy nothing group. The size of this group, I
need you to let me know what'sup in arling team. If I log
on there, it may look sketchywith with like the geography of it all,

(16:33):
but you're right in the mix ofit. Oh, you know who
needs what? I get it fromall the I get it from all the
Arlington Karns. I get all thatyou need. You need to call them
that they don't know you think they'relistening. You need a hot water heater?
I get that for you. Bythe way, there's also a bunch
of tear downs that are going on. I can go in there and get
a hot water heater if you wantone. Line six, Hi, Elliet

(16:56):
in the morning, good warning me? Yeah, Hi, who's this?
Hi? This is a Nina?How are you? I am? Well?
Are you? Are you big intothe buy nothing groups? Very big,
very big? I do it prettymuch every day. I gave I
received it is wonderful. Wait everyday, how much crap are you playing?

(17:21):
Buying and sell it, getting andgiving? Well, Like, for
example, this weekend, I wentthrough my closet and got rid of all
the clothes that I haven't worn ina long time, and just put him
in a bag and I said,here, you go to take them and
get whatever you don't want to thenext person. And then they just kind
of pass along this large lot ofclothes. Can I can? I ask

(17:42):
an like I understand, Like like, for example, the well, no,
I don't really the there's nobody likewhy not why not dump it where
you can get like a like likea receipt and just pretend that you gave
away fifty thousand dollars worth of clothing. I mean, I just feel like

(18:03):
I received so much from this groupthat I feel like I need to give
in order to earn my Like,what are you getting? I seved a
lot? I received, a carseat. I received I don't know,
if you know, like a giantPaul patrol, lookout towers for my kids,
cows, clothes, books, shoes, toys. It's it's pretty crazy

(18:27):
and define that ass then we don'tcall it wish we say apps, make
it's the end of the school yearin your books. I was falling apart.
I'm not buying a new one.So I just said, you know,
let me ask by nothing. Isaid, ask new books bags for
my daughter. Three minutes later,if somebody was like, yeah, sure,
hear you this and she loves itand she assessed with it. So

(18:48):
it's just like little things like thatthat make things so much easier. And
I was just like, we needthis, Can you ask it by nothing?
I'm like, yeah, sure,I'll see what I can do.
So like if I want, like, like, for example, if I
wanted to grill out tonight, canI go online and make a wish?
Thank you make a wish for steaks. I thought you were gonna say grill
I have seen food before, butI know steaks. Yeah. Oh,

(19:11):
people ask for food. They mayquestions Jesus Christ, what what you're doing
there? Like, what's your pointon being? Well, that's what I
like. I need groceries like thatthat I don't care. I don't care
about a stupid doorknob or some whateverlamp. You know what, I've seen
a lot of well, grocery,I got it here. Make a wish
pay my electric bill. I've seenit on the Facebook. Why did this

(19:33):
become so popular COVID, Yeah,I think so. It was. It's
an offshoot of like your neighborhood lists, sir. People were at home,
they saw that if they wanted toget rid of yeah, thought abou stuff
they needed. And it was becauseto free, which is how I still
like to do everything. Hey,make a wish. I want a large
meat Lover's pizza for dinner. Themost aesthetic thing, though, is because

(19:57):
I sit at the computer, I'llday and see these people walk up the
driveway. I will yell to Lindsey. I will say, oh, she
does not look like her profile picture. Oh make a wish, because we

(20:19):
just did. We just gave hertwo car seats last week, did you
really? And well, first II wanted to make sure that it was
outside of the window for the targettrade in so that people couldn't just target
let it go. And then somebodypulled up and actually I complimented, I

(20:41):
said she should she should take aphoto again for Facebook. She was very
pretty, and I just didn't thinkthat maybe she does it on purpose.
So creeps like me are such adick about talking about her looks and she's
just trying to keep her kids safefrom the car. If you're not going
to make the effort, and youcan't bitch about what somebody else is going
to do with it, right,No, Tyler can make sure this is

(21:03):
out of the warranty with That's whatI manipulate the hell out of it.
But again I don't. But you'renot on it right, Yes,