Day 8 - The Love/Hate Craigslist Relationship

Since last summer, I've been periodically posting my belongings on Craigslist. Today, after another sweep through Levi's room, I listed a few more things.  Extra gifts we've received (friends and family: we no longer need piggy banks, stuffed animals, or blankets!!), some cloth diapers we never used, and some more toys.  Some stuff I'm OK with donating, but there are other things I'd rather sell.  Plus, the more money I bring in, the more I can justify my random book, coffee, and Babylegs purchases.

I love Craigslist.

I've met some awesome people through it.  In fact, when I sold my pump, the person who bought it went to the same grad school as me, and we commiserated in the Meijer parking lot about post-partum depression.

Where else can you find people who want your old hangers?  Or bottles?  Or TVs from 1975?

Again, making money from your stuff without the hassle of a garage sale?  Awesome.

I found our awesome deal of an apartment on Craigslist and negotiated a $20/month additional discount.  Win.  I also got a $90 Jumperoo for $25 bucks.

This thing was only 25 bucks!?

I also hate Craigslist.

For one, I have a whole pile of "Craigslist Stuff" sitting in my very small family room.  My 1-year-old likes to rifle through it, occasionally putting things "away" in the garbage can or his toybox.

Also, people are crazy.  There are scams.  If you're a missionary in Zimbabwe, I'm 99% sure you don't need to be my landlord, or purchase my car.

It's a pain in my butt as well.  Right now I'm negotiating with a lady.  She wants to buy my bottles.  She saw my location and thought "although I live 70 minutes away, I will be in that general area on one specific evening during a vague timeframe, so I'll buy those."  When I had to work at that time (you know, because I can drop everything at 2 hours notice because you have a return to make), she began negotiating for a pick up somewhere else.  Except her plans are constantly changing, as is the location of the pick up.  Sigh.  I wish someone else would just want the bottles already.

There's also the fear of being raped, murdered, or robbed.  I'm constantly texting my husband with things like "we're meeting a lady in the Cracker Barrel parking lot, if you don't hear from me by 3:10, assume I've been kidnapped."  Or  "Yay!  I wasn't raped!  Now we're at Target!"

I think I need to start giving my Craigslist stuff a deadline for getting out of my house.  I also need to set better limits with my postings.  Any suggestions?