New to You

Looking for a way to get some "new" in your life without dropping any money. Why  not hold a "new-to-you" party. Get together with 10 or so friends and exchange what they have for what you have. In the old days these were called Swap Parties. They wax and wane in popularity depending on how the economy is doing and how "rich" people are feeling. The more frugality becomes fashionable, the more popular the New to You trend gets.

Not only are Swap Parties a great way to save money, they are eco-friendly falling under the "reuse" category of the 3-Rs. And all kinds of things can be swapped.

Baked goods and frozen meals. If you have a group of girlfriends who love to cook, why not start a dinner and dessert swap. Each of you makes something you're particularly good at. You stick one in your own freezer and then bring a half-dozen to the Swap Party. Bring a sample for everyone to try. You can go home with six new things for your freezer. I'm more likely to swap my savoury for someone else's sweet because I'm not much of a baker.  You can also do this with home-made jams and pickles to broaden your inventory.

Cards, wrapping paper, bags, and other stationary. People always seem to have a ton of this kind of stuff hanging around. As long as you take home only as much as you bring to the party, everything comes out fair. If, for example, you decide to swap cards, you arrive with your contribution and stick 'em in a couple of boxes and the passing around begins. If you brought 10 cards, you can take 10 new cards from the box.

DVDs, CDs, books and games. Have a bunch of games sitting on the shelf gathering dust? Done watching those movies? Time to put New to You to work. There's nothing more satisfying that getting a new set of DVDs or books that are new to you without having to spend a cent. Hey, it's a little like shopping second hand, but cheaper. If there's stuff left over at the end of the night, one person can take it all to the local library.

Clothing. Whether you're a stay-at-home mom who is just re-entering the workforce, or you're simply looking to change up your style a bit, a clothing swap can work if the people involved are all of a similar size. Or maybe you want to swap clothes because you've gained or lost weight, in which case you'll want multiple sizes at your party!  If you're off-size, you can still play if your clothing swap includes accessories. Or maybe you want to focus on the one-wear outfits that have been hanging dejectedly in your closet. Think of all those outfits you bought for weddings or other parties that you haven't ever worn again. Swap 'em and have some fun.

Toys and baby gear. Getting together with moms is a great way to offer new-to-you toys to your kids. You each bring a couple of toys your kids no longer play with to the party, swap, and go home with something fresh and enticing for your young'un. Ditto clothes your kids may have outgrown.

You can have a swap party for anything you and your friends have similar interests in: plants, seeds, and perennials are great for gardeners in the spring. Recipes (with accompanying samples) and coupons work in the fall when the focus moves back to nesting. Scrapbookers can swap supplies. Sewers, knitters, quilters can share patterns.

Swap parties can be a great way to not only stretch your budget, but have some fun too. And if each invitee brings a guest along, it can also be a terrific way to make new friends.

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