5 Tips for Getting Freebies on Craigslist

The following five tips can help freebie seekers maximize the potential of Craigslist and other similar sites.

Tip #1: Get Craigslist Reader software that alerts you when an item is listed. Often the best items, whether free or not, are taken almost the moment they're listed because they are given or sold on a "first come, first serve" basis. Software that functions similar to an email client that alerts you when "you've got mail", could save a lot of time and get you the item you're looking for.

Tip #2: Check the other sections besides the "free" section for free stuff. Often people give away free items but don't list them in the free section. These are little goldmines because the listing isn't where most people see it or are looking for it. For example, if you want a free couch, search for "free" in the furniture section (enter "free" in the search field). You'll have to sort through listings that say something like "free pillows included" but thats what it takes sometimes to get something that no one else sees. People actually give away pets on Craigslist, but they're not allowed to list the ad under the free section. They have to list it in "pets" under "community".

Tip #3: Consider spending some money. I know, this is counter-intuitive advice for an article explaining how to get freebies, but its a good tip for Criagslist. The amount of cash you're willing to spend is inversely proportional to the amount of time you're willing to spend. I had a friend tell me once that he'd rather spend $20 for a nice item on Craigslist rather than get a not-so-nice item for free. I got a perfectly good CD and tape player stereo for $5. It wasn't a front loader. It wasn't a two tape deck. But it was exactly what I needed and it was only $5.

Tip #4: If you want a big item and you don't have a truck, search for people willing to offer their moving services. They often post under a services section or under the same category as the item you want.

Tip #5: Go to ActuallyFree.info to read information, user guides and how-to articles for Craigslist. You can also find sites similar to Craigslist and other freebie resources.

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