The economy is tough. Who couldn’t use some cash on the side? Here’s a risky, but potentially lucrative way to make that money, honey.
You’ll need:
- A truck or a decent-sized car with room in the back
- Internet access and the know-how to post to Craigslist
- A stash of cash ($100 max) to make ends meet until you get up and running
- A camera you connect to your computer
- A little free time, or a lazy weekend
What you’ll do:
- Hop on Craigslist first thing – check out what people have up for sale, and how much they have it listed for…think like a buyer – Would you buy it for that price? Have a good idea what you think will sell in your area and for about how much, and then…
- Scope out your local Goodwill – You’ll be surprised how many pieces of really, really nice furniture you’ll find, and for fairly low prices (Don’t be afraid to buy a $40-50 piece if you think it’ll sell!) Snag a super-cute, desirable piece, and then…
- Take some flattering, well-lit pictures of the item with your digital camera and dump them to your computer. Post your item to Craigslist, with a grammatically correct, honest and enticing description (Use spellcheck!) and include those great pictures. Set a price that will give you at least $30 of profit if you sell at the price listed, request only cash sales, and note that you’ll take OBO (or best offer). By setting your price high and noting OBO, you give the buyer some wiggle room, but you’ll still make something off the final deal.
- Sell that item, baby! Keep the posting up, and edit the wording or alter the price if it’s not selling within a week.
You’ve got that mad money in case your desirable item just isn’t going to sell. And in that case, post it up on Freecycle.org and donate it back to someone who needs it, take it back to Goodwill and get a tax deduction or maybe try to get in on someone else’s yardsale! Easy money, and you’ll probably help out some families looking on Craigslist for good buys. Have at it, folks!
[image: forums.bicycling.com]
Filed under: Deals | Tagged: Craigslist, Goodwill, Lazy, Money, Recycling, Thrifty
Nice writing style. I will come back to read more posts from you.
Susan Kishner
I’ve been saying this for YEARS. I just lack a truck.
I know some people do this with items they get on Freecycle. If you’re willing to paint or stain, your haul can be even better.
Aha! That’s brilliant!
If you want to know all the ins and outs about buying and selling on Craigslist you should check out a program called Craigslist Millions. http://www.craigslistmillions.com