Tips for Using Craigslist Effectively. Anyone who’s ever tried to drive through a busy city knows that using a carpool lane can be a pain. At the same time, there are so many cars on the road at any given time that it might as well be worth it. Even if you don’t know where to look, you’ll see how much value you can get out of just checking your local Craigslist listings at least once a month. You might be surprised by the number of useful things you can find that won’t cost you a dime.
5 Tips for Using Craigslist Effectively
Here are five tips for using Craigslist effectively:
Look for spontaneous needs
Craigslist isn’t just for selling. The “Services” section is full of people offering things like dog walkers, housecleaners, yard maintenance, and much more. Just because you don’t need these services right now doesn’t mean you won’t need them in the future.
Maybe you have a friend or family member who just got a new dog and needs to find somebody willing to walk them every day while they settle in. Maybe you’re moving soon and need somebody to mow your lawn while you stay behind (or are out of town) and finish some jobs around the house.
On a smaller scale, this could even be used to find babysitters or housekeepers for people with a full-time job who need a break from time to time. There’s nothing wrong with setting a price on these things, either. The key is to look for what you need when you need it.
Check for free or cheap items
There are two ways to look at Craigslist. The first is to simply look for things that are free or cheap. That doesn’t necessarily mean you should spend your time looking for free stuff. There are lots of people who post free things because they’re simply not prepared to actually sell them.
That’s fine. Take a look at the “Free” section and see if anything catches your eye. You might find something that you can take home for free. The other way to look at Craigslist is to see what is selling for free or cheap. Everything on Craigslist is sold or given away for free. If you do a search for free or cheap items, you will be surprised by what you find.
Don’t just look for furniture
Furniture is a nice thing to have. It’s an investment. It’s something that can make your house or apartment look a lot nicer. But furniture is also a very specific thing. It’s easy to miss what’s really needed, and it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the size, shape, and function of all the stuff that is for sale. That’s where the “For Sale” section is useful.
There are a lot of people who want to sell their things, but they don’t want to deal with the hassles of selling them on Craigslist. That’s fine. That’s usually what you’re looking for. A quick look through the section will show you what is for sale, who is selling it, and what they’re asking for it.
Use the “For Sale” section
One of the most popular uses of Craigslist is the “For Sale” section. There are plenty of people who want to sell their things, but they don’t want to deal with the hassle of putting their things on Craigslist. That’s fine. That’s usually what you’re looking for. A quick look through the section will show you what is for sale, who is selling it, and what they’re asking for it. You can also write up the listing if you want to do your own listing, because that makes finding things a lot easier.
Use the “Gift Services” section
As a buyer, one of the best things about Craigslist is that it’s so easy to write a listing. Much harder is to edit your listing later and make sure you deliver what you said you would.
Another easy thing to do is to accidentally misrepresent the services you’re offering. Another thing you might be good at is free or cheap things. Another easy way to misrepresent yourself is to post an ad that says you’d like to sell your services, but you really don’t want to.
Use the “SERVICES”, “BARGAIN”, and “ÒÓ SERVICES” sections
Let’s say you’re looking for somebody to walk your dog for an hour or two once a week. You’re not really looking for a regular walker, but you’d like to find somebody that can come by once in a while. Maybe you have a friend or family member who just got a new dog and needs somebody to walk them every day while they settle in.
Let the seller know what you need before you buy
In the beginning, this tip probably sounds like it’s got nothing to do with using Craigslist effectively. It’s not a strict rule that you have to buy anything you see, but it’s a good idea to at least mention what you have in mind when you see something that you’re interested in. That way the seller knows they might have a customer, and it opens up a conversation you might not have otherwise initiated.
Wrapping up
Craigslist is full of opportunities for finding things for free or cheap. It’s also full of people who want to sell their things for free or cheap. The “For Sale” section is a treasure trove of things to buy. The “Gift Services” section shows you who wants to give you things. The “SERVICES”, “BARGAIN”, and “ÒÓ SERVICES” sections show you what people want to give you for free or cheap. There’s no better way to save money on things you need on a regular basis.
