Naperville mom says her 3-year-old’s Christmas gifts cost her nothing thanks local Buy Nothing Facebook group
Like many preschoolers, Gracia Livie’s 3-year-old son loves the children’s cartoon show “Paw Patrol.”
But instead of buying him Christmas gifts featuring the squad of canine helpers, the Naperville mother of four appealed to her neighbors on the Buy Nothing Naperville-Central Facebook group, asking if anyone had any gently used Paw Patrol toys they might be willing to part with free of charge.
Her quest snagged Livie a racetrack and some figures.
Then another mom put up a post about some large dinosaur figures she wanted to give away.
“They were really unique, and I’ve never seen them before. I know that (my son) would love them,” Livie said. “I think (the person giving them away) enjoyed knowing that they were going to be reused by another boy that was going to love them as much as her son.”
Livie estimates she’s saved at least $500 this year by obtaining free items via the page, “and I’ve probably given away over $500 worth of stuff as well.”
Buy Nothing, which allows people to donate or request items or services, is the digital equivalent to asking a neighbor for a cup of sugar or offering hand-me-down clothes to friends when your kids outgrown them.
“There are so many random things,” said Meghan Caf-Zane, who started the Buy Nothing Naperville-Central group six or seven years ago after seeing a friend participating in one in San Diego.
Beyond toys, people have given away pallets of wood and iPads, Caf-Zane said, and a turtle and a litter of kittens were rehomed through the page.
One person, she said, gave away milk they’d mistakenly purchased through an online service.
Rules stipulate that all gifts must be given without any strings attached and without expectation of payment or reward other than the joy of giving. Participants also must be 21 or older.
People caught obtaining items for free and then reselling them on Facebook Marketplace are given a gentle warning, Caf-Zane said. Repeat offenders are dropped from the group.
Buy Nothing is geographically targeted so a person can join only one group at a time, she said.
Naperville is divided into three areas: north of 75th Street, between 75th and 87th streets, and south of 87th.
“Anyone that you’re either gifting an item to or you’re receiving an item from usually is within 10 minutes drive of you. … A lot of times they’re your neighbors that live just a couple blocks away or in the next neighborhood over,” said Livie, whose children are all under age 12.
The proximity comes in handy when someone’s in a pinch.
Livie said last week her older son had a band concert, and she forgot he needed a white shirt.
She posted a request on Buy Nothing the night before, and was able to find a shirt for him a couple blocks away rather than having to buy one new that he’d likely wear just once.
Livie said finds joy in helping others too, like being able to provide a neighbor with a portable sleep and play crib for her granddaughters’ Christmas visit.
“I’m just lending it to her for a couple of weeks, and I’m happy to do that,” Livie said.
Beyond gifts, people have offered help wrapping Christmas gifts and putting up holiday lights, Caf-Zane said.
“The connections I see happening in our group everyday show what special people we have in our community,” she said.
That need for a tight-knit community came into play after the 2021 tornado damaged Caf-Zane’s home and so many people offered assistance to her family, she said.
Her husband was able to pay it forward when a single woman posted that she needed help from someone with a chain saw to cut up fallen branches, Caf-Zane said .
Livie said Buy Nothing has changed her gift-giving mindset.
“Not everything needs to be brand new, and not everything needs to be an instant gratification,” she said.
Sometimes better gifts can be found by being a little patient and being willing to be less choosy about what you’re what you’re wanting, she said.
