What is the best free item you've ever gotten?

[PrincessFiona]

What is the best free item you've ever gotten?

I got a fabulous set of glass nesting bowls from Kelly that she was going to toss out...there are about 8 of them and I use them almost every day for cooking...I can separate out my spices, chopped onions...they make me feel like a real chef

I love my free bowls!!!

Kris

[Flynn]

My friend's shoe size grew at least a half size after she had kids and gave me all her Franco Sarto shoes that no longer fit her!!!!!!!

[Momo]

DH would die if I mentioned this on here . He has such a thing against used goods from yard sales and what not. Anyway, some neighbors moved away last spring. They put outside a wing back chair, a little tykes plastic slide,a collapsible stroller, and a wagon and posted a sign to the light post that said free!. I walked over there early, after most had left for work, put the slide , & stroller in the wagon and walked it back through my gate to the back yard where I cleaned and sanitized them all. My sis was visiting at the time and when she saw what I got, and the quality, she said " Way to dumpster dive"...I said "hey I just picked it up from the curb!"
Since summers are so blasted hot my kids loved loved loved playing on the slide in my mostly empty living room. The stroller has been used on our trip back east...it has such a huge basket compared to our other smaller collapsible stroller, and I felt better knowing it could get banged up on the flights than one of our nicer ones. It had a nice size canopy, it reclined ,and it had cup holders! The best was the wagon ...it's this one, minus the little caboose! We have had a great time using it at the zoo and the like!!

http://www.onestepahead.com/shopping...x=1&change=117

[Sheherezade]

Some one was recycling the entire collection of Zoo Books magazines on our street in Boston. Snagged them. DD still reads them and I feel savvy every time we go to the Zoo gift shop or get a junk mail sales pitch for them. They were in pristing shape and there were at least 50 "books".

It might not be the "best" but it sure was memorable. DD was grumpy in her stroller and DS was bored, bored, bored. DH was working all the time in fellowship and I was trying to figure out WHAT to do with the kids all weekend. Bingo! Zoo books in the recycling bin next door. These are the things that make me *believe*.

[DCJenn]

The woman we bought the house from left her grandmother's crystal chandelier. Yes we bought the house but she left it because "it belongs to this house" and she's right.

It's not free but just when we have hit dire straits financially the money fairy shows up. Like I will find 20 bucks in a pocket or something.

My parents gave us a TON of really nice furniture when they moved- without which we would have spent the last seven years eating off the floor.

Jenn

[Meenah]

A practically brand new treadmill, just like the one at the gym!!!! I almost had a heart attack dragging that damn thing down the street!!!!

[houseelf]

Kris,

I feel the love! I'm so happy that you could use them.

My list:

Box seats to MN Wild Hockey game.
Wok saved from ILs trash
hand me down children's clothes

Kelly

[diggitydot]

Probably the coolest thing we've ever gotten for free or been given by someone was a trip to Chicago. They paid for the airfare, hotel right on the lake, all the food and entertainment, and even bought the souvenirs for the kids. (It was my husband's preceptor and his wife...they kept telling us that they remembered very well how poor you are in med school and that they were lucky enough for people to be very generous with them. They saw it as a way to "pay it forward".)

Holy crap. All I could think during the whole trip was, "Sheesh...these people have entirely too much money if they're doing this!"

[Vishenka69]

All the free alcohol I get from work. The less I remember about training years the better. :~

[Michele]

A BIG box of boys clothes from a iMSNer!

A pimp Pottery Barn table from the former manager of the Breakers in Palm Beach.....we got it when we were living in the trailer and we still have it.

I have an incredibly generous friend in Cleveland (a couple of them, really), and have managed to go through 2 babies in cribs w/o ever buying a crib. Both were hand-me-downs and in fantastic condition (and new enough to still meet safety standards).

These two women pretty much clothed my kids w/hand me downs for the first 2 or 3 years of their lives.

My IL's bought us a fridge, stove & washer when we bought our first home (under the banner of "anniversary gift".

We got a new playset that was left behind when we bought this house. It would have cost us around $2500, but I've been told it costs around that to move them.

[diggitydot]

All the free alcohol I get from work. The less I remember about training years the better. :~

Now, that's MY kind of job...

[alison]

Does a free month of parking in Chicago count?
We had our car in a garage here. It was $280/month. Yes, $280. We gave a 30-day notice to cancel it and wanted our deposit to pay for the final month. About a month later, we got a check in the mail for $280. I called the garage people, and they told us to cash the check - it was their mistake - and they had already done their books.

[Vishenka69]

Nice. Although that's a pretty cheap garage by NY standards. :>

[ides]

Not so much a materialistic item, but the best free thing I've gotten was being taught by a friends mom how to make bread. Once I actually have space I'll start making it again. love the skill