What is The Buy Nothing Project?

NEW YORK - Since 2013, The Buy Nothing Project has served as a "Gift Economy" where members of the community can give or receive pretty much anything you can think of.

Di Edwards is the admin for the Upper West Side group says during a stressful move in her first year of law school at NYU--her neighbors helped furnish her entire living room.

"The most rewarding part is knowing that we're creating a place for people to connect and relate to each other in a social way that doesn't have anything to do with money," adds Edwards.

"It's magic," says Liza Pascal. "Our washing machine went down. We got the nicest washer and dryer"

Not only was the set high-end, but Pascal says they received it in 24 hours and best of all--it was free.

The Buy Nothing Project started on Facebook, but now there's an app that makes finding items like decorative sloth boxes-- that much easier.

"What's really cool is you can go really hyper-local with the range of whose gifts you want to see or where you want to ask--unlike more rural communities," says Pascal on using the app in New York City. "One block is like hundreds and thousands of people."

Users can also use the app to simply show gratitude, while Edwards says she gets the most out of "gifting."

"Not to be corny, I've actually gotten a lot more out of giving," Edwards admits.

And the best experience so far? Gifting a gown a had worn to a party at her law school to one of her neighbors

"This dress that would have stayed in the closet for god knows how long and it ended up going with her to the wedding she had in Brazil. She sent me these amazing pictures, and it was just I was ecstatic."