Recent comments

I've bought and sold furniture on Craigslist during my last move. I'm happy to say I've never been scammed and I do try to be very, very careful, only dealing with people in my general area. I've also searched for (and continue to search) for jobs. Last year my daughter starting picking up promotional "gigs" on CL which led to pretty steady work during the festival season (summer and fall here in NJ). She's now moved into her first real apartment, so I will be searching CL for good deals on furniture and other things she needs. I think it's a great resource, but you do have to use caution and good sense.

I've never used craigslist so I have no experience with it
mkzellmer at yahoo dot com

@CHRISTIE STRUCK: Ideally, no one would ever spend more than they had in their hot little hand but society is built against that commonsense habit. Banks make money off lending, not deposits. Credit card companies make money off lending, especially to credit risks because of the premium they can charge. Car dealers make more money off the loans than they do on the sale of a car. Our 2/3 consumer economy expects people to spend more than they have. That's what made the American economy thrive in the last decade.
There has to be a way for someone to start over when they've gone in over their head. Although it's by no means perfect, bankruptcy gives that chance to start over.

So far I have not been successful using Craignslist.

In my current job search, I have run into quite a few employment scams on Craigslist, including identity theft scams. My college-age daughter was nearly a scam victim when she replied to a Craigslist job posting for part time office work for a law firm. The firm actually existed, but the person who contacted her gave a phone number that was not connected to the firm. My daughter was smart to schedule the "interview" at a Starbucks. The guy never showed. I wonder what he was really up to.

I tried to sell a car on Craigslist. The only response I got was from somebody named "Svetlana" who wanted to engage in some hanky panky. I passed on that.

I have been looking for a Leclerc table loom on Craigslist, but when I find one offered I either don't get a reply from the seller or else I'm too late. Or not worthy; one poster wanted an essay on why I wanted the loom and she would pick the best one.

I am happy to see that others have had success. My friend found a good job on Craigslist. Maybe I won't give up on it just yet.

Philip, I thought you might enjoy knowing that I purchased $5,000 in paper I Bonds in November and December 2009 after reading the well-reasoned points in your "Travelers Checks" article. (Our emergency fund is fortunately cushy enough that I could safely purchase the maximum amount at an opportune time.) Neither my husband nor I had owned any I Bonds previously, so they were completely new to us.

We've been pleased with that decision. We previously kept nearly our entire emergency fund in laddered CDs. This is a more diversified approach. I find it reassuring to have the bonds handy for the "bug-out" bag, in case of some catastrophe involving evacuation.

I haven't purchased any since then, however. Like everyone else, I'm watching the fixed rate. (Edit: I originally typed "fixed rat" and caught it proofreading, ha.) If interest rates start to move up significantly, I'll keep in mind your advice to cash in. Makes sense to me, though I think I'll always hang on to a few, as they seem to give me greater peace of mind.

Absolutely! I used craigslist to find the phone that I'm posting this comment from, for 25% less than what i could find if for on ebay. :) The best way to avoid getting ripped off, in my opinion, is to always meet someone in a public place for inspection of products, if possible, before making any offers or decisions.

Also, Craigslist was MADE for haggling. Unless the post says 'price firm' (or even if it does), you can name your own price and see what happens. I got a very nice refrigerator for a grand total of $100, when it was listed for $140. Then, I turned around and sold my old one for $140!

I've used it for quite a few things. I've sold a few items but mostly tracked down oddities that I wouldn't be able to find on my own without lots of lost searching time. (I do an elaborate Halloween display every year for my neighborhood, and building supplies and things like store mannequins are some of my scores off of Craigslist)

I use it all the time! Mostly selling, occasional buying. Best deal I ever got was a $10 old printer that lasted me about 6 years.

A few years back, I bought a 61" Samsung HDtv for 950$ it retailed for over $2000.

Thanks for this blog. For the past few days I have been anxiously waiting to press the ORDER button on getitdigital.com's website for an amazing deal on a Canon EOS Rebel T2i kit. Holding me back was the price. Odd to say, but the price is also what intrigued me so much. $1200.00 for the camera, a complete set of lenses, several great addons, carrying cases and tripods. You have got to be kidding me!?

I spent the time betwenn first seeing the advertisement and now researching the company. Several websites have reputable claims supporting and dismissing the company as a fraudulant retailer. Many comments were posted immediately ridiculing customer's testimonials and there were as many comments supposedly made from customers of getitdigital.com's with positive feedback on their experience. The whole spiderweb of feedback made forming my own oppinion very difficult.

Thankfully, blogs like this one (with proper English and grammar) make it much easier to ignore the too good to be true pricing and settle for a retail camera from a reputable source.

Thanks for everything, you've saved me and others thousands of dollars!

That's awesome Craigslist has worked out so well for you! Thanks for the advice!!!

I'll use it for things that I don't care too much about, like dorm room furniture or things like that. I've heard it's great for housing and apartment hunting though!