Buying furniture can get pretty expensive. Fortunately, there are other people on the internet who are keen to give away their old goods. Below, we've listed four free furniture websites where you can find what you need, based on a couple of key geographic regions.

These sites are great for anyone who is on a minimal budget but still needs to fill their apartment or home.

1. Craigslist (Worldwide)

Before you stuff your room with random items, you might want to consider how those objects look side-by-side. You can also learn the basics of design through these free online interior design courses that you can take right now.

If you already know what you're doing, however---or you don't care about how things look---then head over to Craigslist: the ultimate cornucopia of stuff.

Craigslist is available worldwide. It's also the best site on this list to find free second hand furniture if you're living in the US. Really, you can discover anything here---including a few dubious ads while looking for new items. So be careful when responding to advertisements, and make sure you know how to look for signs of a scam.

On the "Free" section of the website:

• You can find people who are advertising free furniture to take away, from shelves, chairs, and beds.
• Additionally, you can pay attention to "curb alerts." Basically, people will sometimes set their free furniture on the curb for you (or the garbage truck) to pick up. They'll also make a public notice of it.

With that said, if you're planning to pick something up at someone's house (and not the curb) be wary. As mentioned, there are some dubious ads and individuals on the site, so asking to meet someone outside in a public place would be best.

Additionally: If you want to sell your goods, instead of finding goods, here is a list of sites like Craigslist to buy and sell used stuff online.

2. Preloved (UK)

If you're UK-based and you're looking for some appliances via free furniture sites, the site Preloved has a nice little section called Freeloved. There, you can find all sorts of goods, including free furniture that you can pick up and use for your own apartment!

When you log onto the site:

• You'll see a picture grid akin to Pinterest. The grid features a few items to tempt your interest and encourage you to browse further.
• After clicking through it for more free stuff, you can also input exactly what you want to find in the search box.

Based on what we saw through our exploration of the site, there are no real categories for what types of free items exist. So when using this site, you'll need to bring along some of your Googling skills. It's useful to know how to search for keywords.

3. Kijiji (Canada)

Now let's say you're on the North American side of the pond, but you're not in the US. In fact, you're north of the border in Canada, and you want to know where to get free furniture, too.

If this describes you, then you can use Kijiji.ca as an alternative to Craigslist. It basically performs the same classifieds function and works in a very similar manner. While you can browse the site without an account, you will need to register with your email address to use the website to its full extent.

By going to the Kijiji website, clicking on the "Free Stuff" link, then navigating to your geographic region, you can find all sorts of free items, including furniture. The furniture ranges from pianos to bookshelves and comes in various stages of pre-use.

I've personally used Kijiji for a variety of different functions, from apartment hunting to looking for old items to refurbish. My advice for anyone who wants to use Kijiji is the same advice you would give to a person using Craigslist:

• Take precautions when furniture hunting, as you can come across unscrupulous sellers or buyers.
• Be careful when meeting up with people face-to-face.
• Know what to look for when keeping an eye out for scams.

Note: Kijiji was originally introduced to both Canadian and US markets, but became "one of eBay's unsuccessful attempts to challenge Craigslist," as detailed by The New York Times. While Kijiji never did well in the US, it reached stratospheric heights of popularity in Canada. It still holds onto that popularity to this day.

4. Gumtree (UK)

Jumping back across the Atlantic: If you're based in the UK, the website Gumtree has a small selection of freebies where you can find various pre-used items, including free furniture.

To find the free second hand furniture, go to the website, then choose For Sale > Freebies from the directory at the top. You can also just bookmark the link we included above.

As for the selection of goods provided:

• There are a decent number of free items available on the website. Those items include chairs, shoe racks, and even a treadmill.
• If you're looking for free items on an ongoing basis, and you don't see what you need right away, you can set up a search alert for this category.

Find a Place to Buy Free Furniture for Your Home

The internet can act as a massive retail repository for new and used goods. If you keep on digging, you can find free things to buy, including many practical items like free furniture. However, as with the case concerning all online classifieds, be very careful of who you speak to. Be careful about where you meet, as well.

If you're looking for more resources to set up a comfortable living space, here's a list of household hacks and DIY experts who can help you organize your home.