Everything for free!

[GordonsAliveAndEatsPies]

I am probably going to get a pasting for this, but why does everyone expect everything for "free".

Went onto a local group earlier and someone wants to be gifted a cage for a guinea pig because they "can't afford one". Considering it's a pretty basic equipment for an animal and shows a lack of consideration about any ongoing costs, do people ever think, I might not be able to do something, so I might have to make other arrangements? ie: not get the animal in the first place, or find it another home if it's an addition.

I know people are struggling and as I say, I am sure i will be told it's people's right to do what they want... but where does it stop?

YANBU

A lot of people do give small animal cages away for free though so they were probably just taking their chances before paying out for one.

It depends where they ask.

If its on a facebook page specifically meant for asking for free shit, thats fine. It helps both parties out. No harm in asking.

If they are just randomly begging YABU.

Sigh, I know.

For a guinea pig hutch, there is a chance I suppose that they had one and it has rotted or got damaged somehow, especially if it’s been outside. Or maybe they want to move the guinea pig inside during this cold weather and need a smaller cage/inside run etc.

Our local FB page is full of people wanting new prams, cars, cookers, laptops, trainers , clothes etc in excellent condition for free.

Also people selling old, broken tatt for what it cost new.

I don’t see the harm if it promotes reuse rather than people hoarding stuff they no longer need, or sending it to landfill 🤷‍♀️

I've found on our local FB community page people are being so grabby. People ask for everything from baking utensils to printer cartridges for free. Also, it seems like they can't be bothered to use the conventional ways to find things like Gumtree, EBay or FB marketplace and just are lazy. It's starting to grate on me.

Current cage not rotted. Definitely an addition.

Ours is ridiculous. People wanting very expensive/high end tech for free is constant! And ways amazed when they are called grabby and come back with “but I’m a key worker” which they can’t seem to see doesn’t entitle them to free smart tvs!

I would agree that if you can't afford a cage for the animal you can't afford the animal. I don't mind polite requests to see if anyone has something lying around they don't need it's good for the enviornment as some people (like me) never get round to donating stuff. I've responded to a few requests for specific toys which I hd lying around anyway and was given a lovely hand drawn thank you card from the child which was lovely and showed they appreciated it (I don't need/want money).

That said some people are ridiculously cheeky and entitled. I remember seeing one request for a buggy because she couldn't afford one but it had to be a particular high end brand, it had to be in perfect conditions and she needed it delivered because she doesn't drive. Someone offered an alternative buggy which sounded perfectly adaquate the the original poster wrote a snarky response to 'read my post it must be XXX brand'.

I agree also. I see it a lot. I saw someone asking for a free spinning bike thr other day.

Also the folks that are giving away stuff it’s always the same people wanting it. They literally pop up within seconds of the giver posting, and ask for it, clearly to sell it on eBay or something. They must have alerts set up.

I agree.

I think it’s ok to ask for certain things for free, but then you need to accept what you’re given, not demand a higher brand.

But yes, animal cages are not something that should be free as it shows they can’t afford to care for the animal if it was to get ill

I see a lot of posts like this.

People wanting financial contributions towards presents for boyfriends or partners. I hide them when I see them. It's a bit cheeky when they do it at Christmas.

I've seen people talk about buying loads of stuff from Lush, then a few months later putting it up for sale for the same price so they can buy other things.

It's annoying and I just want to say: think before you buy stuff you won't use.

I can see it two ways. One is that it's cheeky. The other is that there are things people don't want that other people want. Why not give and get for free? It would be more sustainable and no one would go without things.

I agree too. So many seem to think life shouldn’t cost them anything and their wants should be funded by others. If you can’t afford to properly fund animals, children, own house then make different choices rather than expect others to fund them.

Everyone wants everything?

You’ve given one example, of one person asking for a cage for a guinea pig.

Why does every single person in the world exaggerate all the time these days?

Some people are such chancers.

Don't guinea pigs need a hutch and a proper garden run, rather than a cage?

@grumpygiraffe really? If I said I saw the sun rise in the sky this morning and it was beautiful, would you come back at me to say the sun only rose in such a beautiful manner one time? Or would you be less pedantic and realise that it's an example of one time the sun has risen in a beautiful manner.

After all, plenty of people seem to have their own examples and sorry to say, it is a common theme. Like the posters on another thread who believe that because someone has a bigger house than they "need" (whatever that means) they should leave that house to make way for a bigger family who might not be able to afford it, but because it's "for the greater good" with never any discussion about the shortfall this would leave the person who bought the house, with their own money, after tax.

I gave a away a perfectly good dualit toaster a week or two back to someone asking for a freebie on a local site. It was the tone of the ask that convinced me as it was "does anyone have a spare, if not I've got to find one in the sales". Frankly I was trying to find time to clean it up to drop off at a charity shop just when lockdown hit again and I knew it was going to be in the garage possibly for a couple of months. So happy to unload. Turned out the chap was very pleasant and supposedly* an ambulance driver so I'm pleased I was able to help.

• supposedly as he didn't show up with the lights flashing etc!

@GordonsAliveAndEatsPies

I thought this was supposed to be a joke from grumpy giraffe!

"Why does every single person in the world exaggerate all the time these days?"

@Bluntness100. The person asking for a free spin bike is a dreamer. It's hard enough to get a brand new one at full price at the moment. Anyone who's got one they don't want could probably sell it for a premium.

@SmudgeButt ah yes, I see that now. Maybe I should rename myself GrumpyGordon :)

Yea to me it's all about the tone, for example. "My Hamster cage is damaged, before I buy a new one, does anyone have one they aren't using anymore". To me that's sensible recycling.

There is also a type of personality that seems to go along with wanting things for free.
They usually want it (even a hamster cage) delivered.
They seem to have lost the basic concept of saying please and thank you when enquiring about whatever it is you're giving away free.

I never reply to those types, as l think they're just dealers who will sell it on and probably have 5 other freecycle type sites they are watching to bag the freebies.

Not all are like that but way too many are.