one man's trash really is another man's treasure

Craigslist. I love it- you know this. Recently, I've been enjoying the other side of craigslist- selling! Since we got our new living room furniture, I've got end/side tables, chandelier, area rugs, a few shelves, and some other random odds and ends that I am not using anymore. I listed everything 2 weeks ago. Nothing. I only had one inquiry. So, I re-listed everything this week. Bingo. When it comes to craigslist, it's all about timing. So, within the last 3 days, I've sold our old chandelier, coffee and end tables, a frame, and a corner shelf. Sweet right?

Mollie bought our chandelier. She had her washer pipe burst (on the third floor of her townhouse- boo) and needed to replace her dining room chandelier. She got a new light and so did I. I even made 25 bucks on the deal because I found that good deal at homedepot. I call that a win-win.

Mary Ann was looking for new coffee/side tables. Her kids are in their teens and she wanted something nicer. I was looking to get rid of my nice but sharp cornered end tables, and Everett was hoping for a table that he wouldn't hurt himself on. Mary Ann was excited, I was excited. She even dragged her son along to help load and he was happy because he got a trip to Sonic out of it. Again, win-win.

In the end, I'm financing my entire living room/first floor update simply by selling and re-purposing the stuff we've got. I'm even making some money! It's a pretty cool deal. If you haven't tried craigslist, you should.

Buy something, sell something. And while you're at it here's a few tips:

1- Be specific. In your searching, use the search engine and look for exactly what you want. Use key words to help narrow the number of things that you will look at.
2- Be persistent. If you read my stalking craigslist post, then you know what I'm saying. Check craigslist multiple times a day for the things that you want. It's all about timing on the website. If you're buying, check the website a lot. If you're selling, repost your items every few weeks and make sure you have nice clear pictures for buyers to look at.
3- Be safe. I only meet people when Aaron is home and only give out my address if they have already verbally said they want to buy the item. My address is usually the very last thing that I give people. It's only after we've had a number of emails back and forth and I know that they're serious about purchasing the items that I give them our address. If you're wary of this, meet at a public place.
4- Be smart. There are scammers on craigslist. Often when you post something you may get one or two of these people. They will tell you that they're interested in your item. Their second email to you will say something about a money order, moving out of the country, etc. Don't do business with these people. Use common sense. Also, I only accept cash. It just makes sense.

So there you go. Questions, ask. I know my way around craigslist ;)


Happy Craigslisting!

you know i love a good deal...

so, add christmas cards to the list. a fellow blogger friend had this deal posted and i'm snatching it up! every year i use shutterfly to make our christmas cards. this year i also made a couple of photo books to commemorate everett's arrival. i love them and shutterfly, so i have no problem sending them some free advertising their way! i went through the 2.4 million possible christmas cards and finally narrowed it down to a few.


choice #1: simple and i can already picture everett's adorable face there!

choice #2:  i love the plaid and detailing. and again... everett's adorable face would look perfect on it!

choice #3: this is fun and different and gives the option of 2 pictures. 

so, opinions anyone? 1,2, or 3?


*and if you're a blogger- cash in on this shutterfly deal! Bloggers get 50 free holiday cards from Shutterfly… sign up: http://bit.ly/sfly2010

a girl who loves a good deal...

I can't help it. This post has been a long time coming. Seriously. It's like deals just call my name. I have more fun finding a good deal than just about anything else. As Aaron and I work toward the day that I can eventually stay at home with the kiddos, I try to find more and more ways to save us the moolah. I've found that it's definitely possible to find the things that you want at a great price. Example: I try to buy Everett organic formula (for his while I'm at work meals) and cereal as much as possible; however, sometimes it just gets pricey. BUT I have an AMAZING grocery store near me. It's called BB's, which is short for bent and broken. Basically, it's a store that purchases overstocked groceries or groceries that the packaging has been messed up in some way. And, if you're like me, I'm not really that worried about what the packaging looks like if I can get stuff for HALF off. Yeah, that's right, 50% off. There are a few things that I always look for there: dog food/treats, baby formula, diapers, toiletries, and coffee. A few tips- always check to make sure the packages aren't open and check the expiration date!  Back to my example- I really try to buy Everett organic products when I can, and today I hit the jackpot. Seriously- I was about the do the happy dance in aisle 3!

I was able to get a canister of organic earth's best formula for $7 (retails @ $45), 6 canisters of happy bellies organic cereal for $1 each (retails at $3.99 each), and 2  boxes of earth's best organic oatmeal for $1 each (retails @ $3.59). That means I spent $15 and saved... $60!!!  So there's my deals for the week. Maybe next week I'll share my favorite deals and love for goodwill. happy shopping!