Frugal Friday #12: Ebay
June 23, 2007 by Karen Weideman
Filed under frugal friday, money saving idea, saving money, shopping
Last week I told you about the benefits of Freecycle, so this week I’d thought I’d share some experiences of ebay.
When you are looking for a particular item – cell phone, vacuum cleaner, dehumidifier, r/c car, book, digital camera - try ebay. These things I have listed are all things that my husband and I have purchased from ebay at a fraction of the price.
If you’ll recall, I told you about the great deal I got on my Eureka vacuum cleaner and dehumidifier. A few weeks ago, my husband purchased another digital camera from ebay and last week he bought me a new razor cell phone (mine locked up).
Of course, I wouldn’t recommend buying everything from ebay, but there really are some great deals out there that can save you lots of money. Just be sure to read the complete auction terms and conditions before bidding, know the amount of shipping, and check out the seller’s feedback. This can save you a lot of hassle.
So, have you found any thrifty deals on ebay?
I sell hard to find, out of print, new & used books on eBay for children & adults. So I recommend eBay quite frequently. I also consult with other businesses about getting their product lines on eBay too. I love eBay can’t you tell!
But I also write a blog called Smart not Cheap http://www.smartnotcheap.blogspot so being thrifty is a huge priority for me. One of the things I always warn people about eBay is don’t get into a bidding war for an item because you think you have to have it. Don’t give yourself a huge case of buyer’s remorse! The other is- don’t get addicted to eBay- saving money and being thrifty is about knowing when to say no to extra purchases. A lot of people are hooked on eBay and spend too much time and money there.
opps I wrote my link wrong…
http://www.smartnotcheap.blogspot.com
Michelle, You’re right. I have known people that are addicted to ebay. It gives some people a high to snipe an auction and be the top bidder.
I am no longer teaching, so I may start putting some of my stuff on ebay again.
I love ebay. I have been selling since 1999! We have gotten some really great deals as well, including a new engine for my car!