PITTSBURGH -- What's the secret to getting stuff for free?

Everything from toys to highchairs to baby clothes and furniture -- and even a sailboat?

A mother from Stanton Heights in Pittsburgh has picked up all of that, just by being a "freecycler."

Ellen Tafel told WTAE Channel 4 Action News anchor Kelly Frey that she goes to the Freecycle Web site, where you can give something away and then get something back. Nothing goes to waste.

"If you go pick something up, you have to go put it on as 'received,'" Tafel said.

And if someone takes something from you, "I have to put it as 'taken,'" she said.

You can also choose the "wanted" option, which means "you can't get something until you post something," Tafel said.

Freecycling also helps Tafel clear out her clutter.

"I'm going to do the air conditioner (on the Web site)," she said. "I gave away a huge bathroom mirror, a vanity and a couple other items that actually helped me not have to deal with them."

But Tafel said the most fun comes when she finds something unexpected, such as the 14-foot sailboat that her family is planning to take on a trip to a lake.

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