When your Peak Money writer tried to snag free things online, she didn’t think it would be so… competitive. Across social media, there are online communities called “Buy Nothing” groups, where members post items that are in search of a new home — and are totally free. According to the Buy Nothing Project, there are over 700 such groups that exist across the country. With bidding removed from the equation, in-demand items get snatched up quickly. Your writer decided to start browsing for goodies for her new apartment in one of these groups, quickly spotting a post for six beautiful brown woven vinyl placemats. Within seconds, they were gone. This process repeated itself for days across a number of different items: spot, comment, and snatched… by someone else. With the high cost of, well, everything, it’s no wonder these groups are so cut-throat. If you want to try your hand at buying nothing, we suggest turning on post notifications to increase your chances of getting those coveted freebies.