You wanted: A pet dog
You got: A Zhu Zhu pet hamster

You wanted: A snuggly cashmere sweater
You got: A Snuggie

Before joining the hordes of dissatisfied gift recipients making returns at the mall, consider a kinder, gentler way to rid your home of unwanted stuff. Freecycle it! This isn’t eBay, Craigslist, or even the good old fashioned barter system. Freecycle users simply post an OFFER (an item they’re willing to give away) or request items from other users by posting a WANTED on the website. And that’s it - first come, first served. No bidding, no haggling, no PayPal. A recent search of the Indianapolis area Freecycle page turned up 375 free items, including a Crock Pot, an HP Laserjet printer, an iPod, and numerous pets in need of good homes.

We think it’s a great way to keep items out of landfills (and shelters!) and keep more money in your pocket, too. As for the fruitcake, we hope you find a taker soon.