I heart Craigslist- Finding Deals 101

Since everyone was so impressed with my $50 dining room set I thought I would post some of the other things I have found on Craigslist and share some savvy skills I use when finding my deals. Hold on to your britches and be prepared to be blown away. :)

1. A tip to finding any good deal is being at the right place at the right time. Search for your item(s) as often as you can. I search for my items at least once a day. It only takes a few minutes to type in my items look though the new postings and go on my way.

The first thing I ever bought off of Craiglist was my daughter's little playhouse for $20. I bought it in October knowing that they would be scarce in December. It was Santa's big present. She loved it of course, and our neighbors gave us the little rocking horse for free. Perfect for Kentucky don't ya think?

2 . Be Patient! OH so important. I waited 6 years for a king bed and when we got into our first home we finally had the space for it. Yes! And since my husband had a bad habit of elbowing me in the head far too often it was the first thing I purchased for our new home. But I didn't go get one from the store or one of the first one's listed on Craigslist. You usually have to wait for a deal. I searched everyday for 2 months to find this brand new in the box cherry wood headboard and foot board for $50.

3. Be prepared to Act. When you find your treasure act right away. Call or email asap. I usually say something like I can pick it up at your earliest convenience and give phone #. (P.S. I looked for about 4 months before we even got in our house for my dining set)

4. Be kinda picky I found our Sealy king sized mattress and box springs for $125. I was pretty picky about that one- I made sure it was from a nice neighborhood near me. And that it had no stains. It is very comfortable and I sleep much better with no elbows in my face. Yes it is hard to find exactly what you want for the right price, but if you can live by #2 and be patient I bet you can find what you want in reasonable time. (PLEASE excuse my lack of pillows and window mistreatments. I am currently working on them.)

5. Be prepared to say no if you go see an item and it won't work in your home. This goes along with #4, be picky. If it won't work in your home don't feel obliged to buy it even if it is a good deal. It is a bummer driving away with nothing, but it is better than being stuck with something you don't really like.

I got both of these beautiful chandeliers for $100. Trust me they are much better than the cheapo builder's standard ones that were there before. Do you know how much these would have cost me new? eek.

6. Bargain. Most everyone is willing to go down on their price so just ask. They expect it.

6. Tell your friends to keep an eye out for you. I saved the best for last. This antique dresser and mirror were free!! My grandma actually found them for me on the side off the road. Who in their right mind would put this on the street? AHH I'll take it!!!! Thank you to whoever passed it on, because I love it. So any Kentucky peeps know where I can get a china cabinet for cheap? ;)

Did I miss any Craigslist Savvy Skills? What have you found lately that was a steal of a deal?