Works for Me Wednesday: Finding Money

I have money hidden all over my house. In the basement. In the garage. In the laundry room, bedroom, kids' room, playroom. Everywhere.

Lest you think me one of those crazies who stuffs money in box springs and behind loose boards, let me explain myself. See, I have found that there is an untold amount of unused stuff in my house. And, on weeks when I want to buy something frivolous like groceries, diapers, or gas (Note the sarcasm.) I find these things and list them on Craigslist.

You can sell almost anything on there. From exciting things like electronics to decidedly unglamorous things like used baby clothes, you can find a local buyer for just about anything you have to sell.

Here's why I love it. First (and most importantly) it's free. You can list anything you want with no listing fees or commissions. Second, it's so easy. You list it. You get emails from interested people. You meet them and deliver the goods. You get cash. Does it get any better than that?

I've had a couple yard sales and found them to be a ton of work and kind of hit or miss as far as success is concerned. However, with CL I've always had great success. In fact, two Christmas' ago I paid for our entire Christmas (and a very good Christmas at that) just by selling stuff we weren't using. It was awesome.

To be fair, selling on Craigslist isn't perfect. So, I'll give you the downsides just so you go into this thing informed.

First, you have to run around and meet people to transfer the goods for the money. You could always have them come to your house if you feel comfortable, but I've always been pretty funny about that so I tend to find local places in my area to meet them. I always make them come my way to buy it 'cause it's not worth selling something if you have to spend too much gas running around.

And since I'm a mom I couldn't live with myself if I didn't say this, please make sure you meet people in daylight hours and public places. Just like you wouldn't hold a yard sale in a back alley at night, you shouldn't meet buyers in places that seem sketchy to you. If you're smart and careful, there is no reason meeting a buyer from CL won't be as safe as anything else you do.

Second, you have to be willing to sell things for just slightly above Yard Sale prices. You definitely won't get the same amount for an item on CL as you would on Ebay, but you aren't paying the commission like at Ebay and Paypal either so I think it's a pretty fair trade.

Lastly, you do have to be careful who you sell to/how you accept payment. The most important rule on CL is this: CASH, CASH, CASH. Never accept checks, cashier's checks (even for cars) or any other form of payment. And only agree to local buyers. Chances are the nice lady from across the country is some scammer looking to involve you in a check fraud scam. Only deal with people you are going to meet face to face.

Basically, if you follow those few simple rules you'll find that you're discovering money in places you never even realized you had. I look at it like an extra source of income on weeks when your bank balance dips dangerously low before Tuesday.

That's what is working for me this week. To see other tips from some amazing moms visit Shannon's Dryer!