MUMS are bagging themselves free toys, games and books on an app which gives away essentials to parents.
YoungPlanet was set up by Jason and Emma Ash, who live in West Berkshire with their three sons, after seeing how much joy their kids got out of free toys donated by other families.
The site allows parents to list items they no longer need, while fellow mums and dads can then request them – all for free.
There are five categories to browse on the app, available on Google Play and the Apple Store, including toys, books, clothes, big stuff and little stuff.
Big-ticket items currently up for grabs online include an Ikea Gulliver changing table, normally on sale for £65, a Graco car booster seat which sell for around £30, and a Schnuggle baby bath, on sale for £24.95 brand new.
The app was a life-saver for new mum Leah, from Hackney, who says she managed to save around £1,000 after bagging everything from a car seat to a baby swing for free.
The 41-year-old said: “We’ve saved an incredible amount of money from using the YoungPlanet app. We were helped by loads of parents in the early days when we had no idea what we needed.
“We were gifted lots of items such as clothing, reusable nappies, swim nappies, a microwave steriliser, some bottles, teats, pacifiers and an SNS.
“In real cash money terms, I would we’ve saved around £1,000 worth, possibly more.
“We have been given a car seat with a family fix base, a baby swing, and our single cot – those three things alone would have cost us over £500 new.”
New mum Maud, also 41, reckons she’s saved around £100 after using the app for just over three months to get freebies for her kids, while decluttering her house in the process.
She said: “I’ve received so many nice things. A lovely scooter and helmet which I will give my daughter for her birthday – that was the largest gift!
“I got other items like a small beautiful mobile Melissa and Doug dolls house, a Peppa Pig bag, some Early Learning Centre toys such as a shape sorter and funky music mat, Jenga, and a children's cookbook, puzzles, and hangers.
“It’s a great way to bring joy to my kids without having to spend extravagant amounts of money and it helps the environment by doing so. It’s really a win-win.”
Fellow parent Kate Ashby added she’s given away hundreds of pounds worth of kids’ accessories on the app, pointing out how quickly kids grow out of things.
“Overall, I’ve donated over £1,500 worth of children’s items,” she said.
“It’s great to encourage reusing things, baby and toddler things have a short life span and it is great to keep things out of landfill and keep enjoyment and fun going on with things that your children have enjoyed.
“I like seeing things that have brought us joy, bringing joy to others.”
James and Emma, 46 and 45, said they wanted to help reduce waste, while also helping out parents financially.
James said: “We’ve enabled thousands of families to not only declutter sustainably but help other families by giving them access to the things they need or want, for free.
“The effects of the pandemic have also impacted the finances of many families, meaning they’re simply unable to afford the items that they need.
“Although our primary goal is to help families become greener, YoungPlanet is also helping parents receive items that they couldn’t otherwise afford in these tumultuous times."
After its soft launch in the capital in 2019, the husband-and-wife team are now rolling it out UK-wide, with sellers also able to post items to any agreed location.
Jason added: “The popularity of the app shows just how many parents want to be more sustainable and help other families on their journey.
“We’re now delighted to be accelerating our nationwide expansion to give more parents the chance to join the YoungPlanet community and pass on their items to new homes.”
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