My Craigslist Waiting List

Craigslist has become very popular to sell or buy second hand items from linens to toys to furniture and cars. I recently have sold some items on craigslist with two-three ads and I have ended up with a waiting list on every one of them. This can be a good and bad thing. Sometimes the first person to call and promise to buy doesn't usually keep their first pickup time. Or we have to wait until the weekend when everyone is free. I always try to post things for sale early in the week, when I'm less busy and I feel like it gives others a chance to browse through before the weekend hits.

The first thing I do is make sure my posts have keywords that are searched often. Two keywords I always have in my ads are Free and New even if that has nothing to do with my item. In the description of the item I say about how much it was purchased new... then at the end I say my items are almost free, but the price is firm. Both words are often searched for and gives my ad a chance to be seen beyond the large daily list. You should use as many keywords you can think of to describe your items and draw potential buyers to see your ad. You can also say the buyer must have their own transportation and moving help, especially if you have a piece you don't want to be wrangled into carrying for someone else.

Another way I use keywords is to describe my items in at least two-three ways. For example, I recently sold an entertainment center. Entertainment Center was my title listing, while in the ad I called it a TV Stand and also Curio Cabinet (as it did have a curio/cabinet section). Other words I could have used were Console or Media Storage. Its really helpful to search retail websites to find other names for what you're trying to sell.

This is the same for deciding your price. Now, I know we'd all like to get the same we paid for the item but things wear and age so they depreciate. And really, buying or selling on Craigslist is just the same as garage sale bargains, and certainly less than consignment store. Be sure your items are priced at maybe 25-40% of the original price. I even list the original price, to imply how much of a bargain my item is. I do usually mention all pricing is firm, and I recommend not agreeing to a lower price until someone has seen your items. Most won't ask you to lower the price anyway.

Make sure you disclose any marks, damage, or changes (as in paint) that you made from the time you acquired the piece. Pictures of imperfections are helpful if you're worried about someone's reaction when they see it. Even suggest ways to fix it or make it less noticeable... you'll catch the eye of the DIYers out there.

Last, make sure you have great pictures of your items. Make sure the item and its background aren't cluttered. Clean and dust it. Make sure the lighting is good to show its true color and detail. I even take pictures along the way when I move furniture or decorate so I have a record of a nice looking item. If no one calls or emails on your items go back and look at your ad. Could you describe your item differently? Can you lower the price any? Could you photo be better?

Remember to be safe, I always try to speak to someone on the phone before they come over - I feel I can judge better on the phone than through text or email. I also usually meet someone to sell an item rather than having them come over. Most will understand and try to meet them halfway, possibly near handicap parking at a busy store. If they do come over I choose a pickup time when my husband is home, it means more people at my home on my side. Last, I try only to give anyone my address just before they come over, so that if they don't show its one less person with my info. You can just say you'll call them an hour or so before your meeting to give your address.

I hope this will help you on your next, or first, Craigslist adventure! Happy selling or buying!!

Bar·gain [bahr-guhn]

noun: an advantageous purchase, esp. one acquired at less than the usual cost.

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I like clearance, wait... I love clearance. Clearance, $1 finds, and 50% off sales... its all great! While I rarely buy home decor or holiday decor, I do think this is an area you can really save your family money by buying with a few key tips in mind.

This fall, my home decorating inspiration came from Better Homes and Gardens magazine. The article showed some fall decor that very simply used dry white beans, funky gourds/pumpkins, and yellow foliage. Its those three items that inspired me the most because its clean and cheery without being too pumpkin-lishous or pilgrim-y. Below are photos of how I used that inspiration.

I already had most items shown in the first picture and I bought the white beans, two types of orange floral picks (just a short, inexpensive stick of foliage), two white craft pumpkins, two fresh green gourds, two star stand ornaments and the 5ft of orange garland. I spent about $30. I didn't find the yellow foliage I was looking for so I got the next best thing that I liked, the orange foliage picks and garland. The craft pumpkins were a bit of a splurge or an investment if you will, but everything else cost between $1-3 each, which I think is pretty good.

 
I usually just shop at craft stores or discount home stores like Target, TJ Maxx or even Walmart or Stienmart. I didn't buy any containers, I thought I would make do with anything I had at home and consider an extra purchase later if I wasn't quite happy. I handmade the chandelier light cuffs from halved toilet paper rolls then hot glued white beans to it. I love how those look!

Here are a few tips I try to follow when I feel like decorating. Each to his or her own of course but these fit my frugal fancy just right. Feel free to borrow these or throw them out the door!

1} Embrace knock-offs and bargain look-a-likes, especially if your inspiration comes from a magazine or an expensive home store. Try to analyze why you like something and if it has a basic feature you can incorporate easily. This way, you can better spot bargains that work for you rather than searching forever or paying a lot for an identical piece.

2}Re-use and Re-invent items you already have at home to help create your new look. Things like neutral colored candlesticks, plates, trays or containers, classic picture frames, place mats, or table runners. Neutral colors range from white and ivory to brown and tan to black and gray, even clear is neutral. These colors match any other color as a pair or can complement two to three colors.

3} Build your decor stock slowly. Buy as you can, and just like you've heard millions of times, less is more. One of my favorite times to buy home decor is after the holiday itself when stores offer 30-75% discounts. Here is a link for the best times of the year to buy home goods on sale. No reason you can't use it for a little while after a holiday and save it for next year.. after all, now that you've read this, you're only buying a few pieces that you love, on sale, and can re-use year after year...right?

New! Follow "How Cheap Mama Cheats" using Facebook!

It only took some searching but I found it! And now you can follow me with your Facebook account if you don't have Google... yay! Just look on the right hand side for the Facebook Fan Box and click on Follow this Blog. I hope you do and catch my new post next week sometime. Thanks for your patience, its been a rough week at our house.

Keeping it clean...

One of my favorite things to use to save money, and be green, are reusable rags. I use them for cleaning, dusting, wiping messes, clean my baby's hands and face, among many other uses. And these don't have to be your torn up, gross tee shirt rags, or forbid, underwear!

I have three favorites to share:

The first of my favorites to use are the heavy duty HandiWipes you can buy at any grocery store or dollar store in the cleaning aisle. I find they are very large so I cut them in half and have double the rags for my money. These are great for quick messes because they rinse so easily and the soap permeates with just a squish of the rag.

My second favorite is a dollar store find of microfiber cloths. I use these to dry counters, my steel sink of water drop marks, in the bathrooms, and if I need something to better scrub something with. I have also cut them in half lengthwise to stick to the Velcro pads on my Swiffer mop, then I just hand spray my own floor cleaner. (Another eco-savings I'll share later) Microfiber is also great for dusting and we use them, sometimes slightly damp, to dust anything and everything. We also have a microfiber dust wand, Swiffer style, and two microfiber dusting mitts.

These have been so useful in our house that we very rarely buy any paper towel, although we still keep it on hand. Sometimes there is just a nasty mess you want gone... not waiting in your washing machine. All of these items wash well and last for a long time. Occasionally, we replace the HandiWipes, because of their thin texture they do wear faster.

Third, and this is my *Dirty Little Secret* are the cheap washcloth packs you can buy at home stores like Target or Wal-mart. The have about 8 or so in a pack for $4-5. Besides cleaning, mostly in the bathrooms for us, or removing my makeup, and wiping away hair, or a quick clean of the counters... my favorite place to use these were when changing my baby boy's diapers. Which, if you have ever changed a baby boy's diaper, you know the risk of getting wet with his water gun! We kept these on hand at all diaper changes and sure saved us a lot of changes of clothes. And are way cheaper than a Pee-pee Teepee, though not nearly as cute.

Any of these towels can be used for cooking too, to dry off fruit, wipe off mushrooms, or wipe extra grease out of your frying pan. Including cleaning the car inside, windows, golf clubs, you name it... Just think of any place you would use a paper towel and try using one of these reusable towels instead.

Welcome to my blog!

Welcome to my blog adventure of How Cheap Mama Cheats.... Well maybe I mean How Frugal Mama Cheats... or less scandalously, How Frugal Mama Saves Money. Ok, I confessed it, I'm not a floosy or a cheater but I do love being frugal. Love it. I grew up that way and love the dozens of way you can save money, be green, and reduce waste. Some ideas may be just what you need or a even more of an inconvenience but either way, hopefully this will get you and your family thinking about new ways to save money and be green too.

I'll have some dirty little secrets to share along the way, and some to keep like names and locations, but check back often because who knows what I'll write next. I will try to maintain privacy of my friends and family; I hope you'll do the same. Please feel free to comment, disagree, send ideas, or share this with your friends, but please be respectful, I will delete anything that is not.

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoy my blog!