Using Craig’s List to Save Time and Money

Often, busy moms can’t find the time for shopping — you know the real kind of shopping where you visit several stores, compare prices, see, touch, feel, and otherwise consider options. We are also more careful these days about how and where we spend our family’s precious cash.

One way to avoid paying too much and to eliminate sales pressure is to buy things from Craig’s List sellers. Doing this requires less time, minimal technical/computer skills, a healthy dose of caution, and the reward of saving some serious money if you do it right.

For example, some recent items I’ve purchased from Craig’s List sellers include a make-up vanity for my daughter’s room, a guest room bed with trundle, and a SodaStream homemade soda maker. The bed was $150.00 and included a decent mattress (and a friend had commented on Facebook that she bought the same bed for her daughter some years ago for $600); the make-up vanity was $50.00 and is literally like brand new (similar vanity retails for $200.00 at the local imports store); and the SodaStream was brand new in the box for $30.00 (and retails for over $100.00 including the extra flavors and carbonator that were included).

Sometimes, Craig’s List can be hit-or-miss. You might not always find exactly what you’re looking for on the first try. But if you visit often and limit your search to your immediate area AND to private sellers only, you can usually spot the legitimate posts pretty quickly. Here are some pointers for spotting the winners and avoiding the losers.

• If you keep seeing the same item posted over and over again, skip it. It’s either not legitimate or it will be gone already when you inquire.
• It’s typical for private sellers to request a text or an email only as a contact method, but if you don’t get an answer within 12 hours, move on to your next choice.
• If someone responds with a one-word answer without details, move on. If they really want to sell their item, they will be willing to text details and/or call you to discuss.
• If a seller is rude or has any kind of attitude with you, DO NOT respond further. Delete the text and move on. There is no item worth getting into a fight over or risking your safety for. Additionally, if you feel uneasy about any interaction with a seller, stop the interaction and move on for the same reasons. Your intuition is telling you what to do.
• Most sellers want to move their items quickly. If the seller is not willing to meet you in a neutral, public place such as a Walgreen’s parking lot near his or her location for a small item, refer to the bullet point above and act accordingly. If the item is large, like the bed, TALK to the person on the phone before going to a residence for pickup. Then, get good directions and take a friend with you if at all possible. At the very least, make sure some other adult knows where you’re going and how long you anticipate being gone. I have never had any problems with sellers, but you can get a much better feel of a person’s trustworthiness by hearing his or her voice and having a brief conversation. A seller who really wants to sell you legitimate merchandise will welcome this. Avoid anyone who doesn’t.
• If you can’t lift heavy items or don’t have a large enough vehicle to transport (which was my case with the bed), ask the seller if they will deliver it to you. Agree to pay a small delivery fee. Typical fee for delivery is $10-$20. It’s worth it in most cases if you don’t have built-in help from home.
• Don’t take your children with you. This should be obvious, but just in case, I’ll state it for the record.
• Pick up items during daylight hours. See above for reasons why. Plus, you can see the merchandise better in the daytime. Often, you’ll be going to someone’s garage or porch, and the lighting is not good there. You’ll be able to see flaws or damage better too.
• Have your cash ready, load up, shake hands and go home. Don’t take any extra cash, credit cards or other valuables with you, except your cell phone. Craig’s List sellers are not your new friends. This is a transaction for one purpose only. Get in, get out and post on FB to brag about it.

All in all, Craig’s List is a great tool for saving money for busy, cash-strapped moms. If you’re wise and careful, you can find some great deals on like-new items. And if you have additional tips and tricks, please comment below — we can all use more ideas about ways to save while staying safe!