All Hail Craigslist!

Hello, my name is Kristi and I'm a craigslist.com junkie. I swear I spend hours at that website on a daily basis. I could probably MAKE half the stuff I look at in the "free" section just in the time I spend drooling over it! :) For those who have completely no idea what I'm talking about: first, I pity you; second, why haven't you been to craigslist.com? It's like a big online garage sale but has more than other people's junk. Ok, it does have a lot of junk, but isn't junk really in the eye of the beholder? People can also post job listings, real estate, businesses, etc. The San Francisco area's section is by far the largest, but there are probably a few gems in your area, too. So, check 'em out!!I have to brag about my latest dazzling deal! I've been wanting and searching and dreaming and wishing and hoping for a water fountain for my backyard since April. Little did I know that fulfilling my dreams could also make me money$$. I found this fountain (see photo) on craigslist.com for $50!! It's over 6 ft tall and I can climb in and sit in the bottom tier! It works beautifully, too. The owners said the over 30 people emailed them about it. Miraculously, I was the first to respond to the ad so I had first dibs. It took 4 of us to move it in pieces since it's solid stone. Anyway, to make my really long story short - I recently found the EXACT SAME one at a garden store for $1,499.00!!! I am so positive that I could easily resell this heavy beauty and make a few hundred dollars! Cha-ching! But I won't. I like bragging about it far too much. :)

UPDATE: this fountain was a little too big for the space intended in my backyard, so I reposted it on craigslist and sold it for $250!! Whoo-hoo!

Doing My Part to Save the Earth

It may not seem like much at first, but picking up FREE items from craigslist.com can really make a difference. Do you know how many sofas are given away for FREE on a daily basis? 214 were listed for FREE in the San Francisco area Craigslist when I searched on 11/25/2007. 214!! Absolutely free! And that was just sofas and couches. There were also 99 tables, 76 desks, and 95 beds - ALL FREE! I found similar results in New York, Sacramento, Philadelphia, Denver, Orange County, Portland - the list goes on and on. Unfortunately, many of these ads said that if no one picked up their items they would end up at the landfill that weekend.

I know what you're thinking: "Yeah, who wouldn't give away some old, broken, ugly computer desk." But guess what - I was so surprised by how many of these items were in like-new condition. There are quite a few circumstances when people need to get rid of their nice, new things in a hurry: moving out of state, moving to a smaller space, getting a divorce, going off to college, getting married, bought new things and need room, had a baby and need more room, etc, etc, etc.

So, what's my point? Recycle! Reuse! Refurbish! Whatever your stand is on global warming (and I'm pretty skeptical) there's no excuse to be wasteful. Armed with a little bit of crafty imagination, some paint and elbow grease you can beautify your home and garden...and the Earth. :) Plus, perhaps you can turn around and sell your newly refurbished items on Craigslist or Ebay and make a profit, too! That's what I like to call being an Eco-Capitalist: making money by doing the right thing. A real win-win. Now get out there and see what you can find!