Craigslist

Anyone that knows me knows that the first place that I go to buy household items or toys is Craigslist.  I love Craigslist.  Once you get over the fear of strangers it is the easiest way to find things that you want at half the price.  I typically buy my kids toys, a crib, bikes, and Christmas presents on Craigslist.  I even buy coffeemakers, furniture, and athletic equipment for myself.  I am telling you, you can buy almost anything on this site/app and it is worth the effort.

For example, I was in Target the other day and saw a lamp that I liked because I knew that it was one that was bright enough for me but wouldn’t hurt Tom’s eyes.  The lamp was $60 and I didn’t want to buy it right then because I knew that I could get it cheaper somewhere else.  Wouldn’t you know it, I found the exact same one on Craigslist for half of the price.  It will take some effort to get the lamp but to me it is worth it to save $30.  Because Charlotte is such a large town, I have to be very picky about what side of town I buy from.  I am a very lazy driver and don’t want to drive more than fifteen minutes in any one direction….not even for a deal.  I can get the lamp later this week when I have to drive towards uptown anyway.  If someone else wants to buy it first then I will have to reconsider its importance vs. distance.

I have been on the lookout for a particular dresser from Ikea for a while and finally found it.  I wanted to put it in the dining room to store all of the kids markers, paper, coloring books, etc.  It is stylish enough for Tom and functional enough for me.  I am too cheap to pay full price at Ikea, but half price on Craigslist is right up my alley.

Now, selling on Craigslist is just as easy, especially with their app.  I can take a picture of the item for sale, write up the details and post it right away.  So simple!  The best part is that I am basically only renting my kids toys.  I can buy them for $30 and sell them for $15.  It is a beautiful thing!  If there is a toy that the kids are not playing with anymore then I will list it and sell it before they even know it was gone.

You may be asking yourself, “I thought that it was dangerous to sell things on Craigslist or have strangers come to your house?”  Yes, it can be a bit risky, but so is walking into gas station, a post office or a school these days.  I have met people to buy/sell things at a playground, in a parking lot, or at my house and I have never felt afraid.  Sometimes I do make sure that Tom or my dad is at the house if it is a man coming to buy something.  Because most of the things that I buy are family oriented, I meet many moms that are doing the same thing.

The best way to use Craigslist is through the app.  The website is fine, but you can’t see the pictures of the items until you click on the post.  That is a pain.  With the app you can see the pictures without clicking on the post.  I can type in “black dresser” on the search line and a huge list of things will come up for me to look at.  I can scroll down all of the pictures and only click on the ones that I think might work for me.   If I like one of them then I can directly email the seller to see if it is available.  Some things sell very quickly so you have to be ready to get it that day or the next if you really want it.  There are so many options that I do not worry too much if something gets away.  There will be something great tomorrow.

One more tip:  Never pay asking price.  People expect to haggle on Craigslist.  Sometimes I even price my item for sale a bit more knowing that the person will try to knock the price down.  I have sold somethings at half the price I was asking only because I wanted to get rid of it.  I have also had the same thing happen when I wanted to buy something.  It depends on how desperate the person is or how popular the item is.  It is always worth asking, the worse the seller can say is ‘no’.

I hope that I have made Craigslist a bit less scary for you.  It is super easy and so worth the effort.  I actually find myself a bit addicted to it on occasion.  It is fun to search and see what you can find, and I love a good bargain.


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