How to Easily and Quickly Make Money on the Side With Craigslist

If you're looking for ways to make money on the side, perhaps to pay off some bills, grow your savings account, or fund your next vacation, the internet can be a great place to do it. One great way that I have generated extra money on the side is through Craigslist.

Got Skills? Offer Them on Craigslist
If you have great skills such as software development, website design, graphics design, bookkeeping, accounting, writing, etc., there could be a business in your area that needs your skills. Consider offering your skills for hire on a freelance basis through Craigslist.

Before posting an ad, check around the site for other ads offering services similar to yours to get an idea of how much you can ask for your services. If a business hires you, make sure to do a stellar job for them, then ask for referrals to other businesses they may know that need your help as well. You may also want to ask them to write a testimonial that you can use in future Craigslist ads to give you added credibility.

Also, be sure to check the site for ads posted by businesses looking for your particular skills. It's not just service providers that post ads on Craigslist; businesses looking for particular services often do as well.

Sell Your Extra Unwanted Stuff for Cash
Craigslist is a great site for selling extra unwanted stuff because it's like a giant online yard sale and it's very easy to use. Craigslist has pretty much anything and everything available for sale from people all over your area. You name it, somebody is offering it, whether it’s books, collectibles, furniture, musical instruments, electronics, etc. If you're like a lot of people, you probably have a bunch of extra stuff just sitting around your house and garage. Instead of just giving it away or letting it sit around, convert that stuff to cash that you can use to pay off bills, build an emergency fund, or save for retirement.

To use Craigslist, all you need to do is create an ad, answer the phone when buyers call, and meet with buyers in person to complete the sale. Make sure when you meet with buyers to do it safely! I don't recommend allowing buyers into your home. Be safe by meeting in a public place such as a shopping center parking lot or in front of your house to complete the sale. I've sold plenty of things on Craigslist myself and haven’t had any issues with people, but it is important to be safe.

The following are a few tips for selling on Craigslist that have worked well for me:

• For larger ticket items, start your pricing high. If you're selling a more expensive item such as a TV or musical instrument, do some research before you post your ad to get an idea of what similar items are selling for. Start by pricing your item higher in the range, and if you don’t get many calls, slowly lower your price until you start generating interest. Using this strategy will help you maximize the amount of money you can get from each item and avoid leaving money on the table.


• Always have your buyers come to you. When I sell stuff on Craigslist, I never drive to meet the buyer hear their home. I always have them come to me. If a buyer is willing to drive to you, it shows motivation to complete the sale and they are less likely to try to talk down your price further and risk walking away empty-handed.


• Always post with multiple, good quality photos. Buyers like to see what your item looks like and what kind of condition it is in, so always post with good quality photos. If it's hard to see how large the item is in the photos, consider photographing the item with a pencil or coin to give a sense of scale.

Once you've sold all your extra unwanted stuff on Craigslist, consider buying stuff from garage sales and thrift stores to sell on Craigslist. A friend of mine made some good money on the side every month buying used video games from garage sales and selling them online. Get creative! There are tons of things out there that you can sell online.

Conclusion
Craigslist is a great site to make money on the side through freelancing and selling your unwanted stuff. Hopefully these tips are helpful for you! Happy selling!