Cool new website alert! Reader Annette shared a new site called SplitStuff.com that her husband started and that is most active in the Los Angeles-Orange County area. It’s still very new, so there’s not a ton of activity, but the basic premise is pretty neat so I wanted to share it. Annette writes:

It’s for people who want to get together and buy in bulk to save money. I use SplitStuff mostly to get my produce from local farmers. My friends and I get bulk prices and we take (turns) making the pickup. Other people use it to organize childcare co-ops, get group discounts on classes, or even buy a lawnmower that will be used by three or four neighbors.

I saw splits for charter cruises,

mulch and compost, wine, dog food, wedding supply re-use items, a car lease, cattle feed, vacation homes, and a horse share. On the Splits tab you can also search for items or look at more detailed categories than the three main ones on the homepage (goods and supplies, durable items, and services and projects). Once you register, you can either create a split or join one that already exists.

The split for a horse, see image above, came with this plea:

My girl has been begging for a horse, but that’s a lot of responsibility for one kid. What say we get a bunch of families together and share the costs and responsibility involved?

I would stick to food and other everyday items because the site offers no legal protection and recommends you evaluate co-splitters just like you would screen and interview business partners. In other words, meet in person, get a lawyer if contracts are involved, and don’t think that just because they signed up for SplitStuff they are your friend. SplitStuff was launched in Nov. 2010 by Steve Ruttenberg, who lives in Topanga, CA.

I could see SplitStuff taking off as it speaks to both eco-consciousness and savvy-spending, but if you’re really eager to make a bulk purchase, why not just ask friends?