YoungPlanet app to let parents access pretty much anything for free

Vicky Parry 6th Aug 2023 One Comment

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YoungPlanet has an app to help parents access free stuff – and the timing couldn’t be better for people to really learn about it.

Child Poverty Action Group recently reported that the average cost of raising a child was:

£152,747 for a family with two parents or guardians
£185,413 for a single-parent family

Now, while this is a very scary figure and people can be quick to band around such stats, we need to bare in mind that it is an ‘average’ and can vary a great deal. However, it helps us see that raising kids is an expensive undertaking. Therefore anything done to lessen that figure, in a cost of living crisis or not, will be met with much gratitude.

The YoungPlanet story

Emma and Jason Ash saw a gap in the market.

Co-founders and parents-of-three Jason and Emma Ash were walking past a yard sale in the US a few years ago, when one of their boys spotted and fell in love with a red ride-on firetruck.

After seeing the joy on their son’s face from zooming around on a toy that had been sitting around gathering dust, the seller insisted on giving it to them for free – watching the truck in action brought back so many happy memories of her own children enjoying it when they were smaller… And, with that, the idea of YoungPlanet was born:

“Declutter, give joy and save the planet…and it won’t cost you a penny.”

What is YoungPlanet?

According to the website: “YoungPlanet is an app that enables parents to put no-longer-used children’s things to good use with new families and away from landfill, for free.” The app works by letting parents list unwanted items – including toys, clothes, books and baby equipment – for other families to have for free.

Parents don’t have to list anything in order to ask for an item.

What can we use it for?

This app can be used for just about anything you may need. At the moment the founder said a lot of parents are using it for school uniforms, helping to save money at what can be a very expensive time. They have reported that in the past eight weeks alone, the app has experienced a 45% increase in user downloads, as parents look to tackle rising living costs and prepare for the new school term.

As we covered previously here, the site is a goldmine to help you at Christmas and to regift presents. It has clothes for all occasions, sports kit for after school and pretty much anything your child may need.

How to get the app

You can download the app, which is free to do via the Apple Store or Google Play, and simply browse for nearby stuff that other families are getting rid of.

The app will ask for your postcode when you register, and it’ll use this to see what is available near you.