A great way to save some cash is to find items you need on Craigslist.com. If you have never looked there, it is worth visiting. Choose your city and surf the “for sale” section for what you’re looking for. It is also a great way to unload junk that has been sitting around collecting dust.

This fall I sold my 150 gallon aquarium for more than I initially paid for it. While that may sound awesome, the truth is I bought it at an estate auction for a song. I will be picking up a TV this evening that we found on Craigslist as well.

The one major caution in all this is to be very aware not only about what you are buying or who you are selling to, but also the situation you are entering into. There has to be a level of caution involved when making a transaction with a complete stranger.

Bring a buddy and avoid inviting someone into your house. Basic precautions will make all of us feel a little safer. That heavy fish tank I sold? The person who bought it didn’t have a way to pick it up, so he offered me $100 to deliver it to him. Yup, okay, that fit me to a T! I wasn’t all that keen on having someone come pick it up anyway.

I have found when selling stuff that I have to be persistent with it. My Baby Bjorn and some other stuff hasn’t sold yet. In surfing the categories, it looks like folks list the same thing every day until it sells instead of once. Using a lot of key words in the post helps search results, too.

Good luck!
Tony