By: On the DL

Like many twenty-somethings, I borrowed money through college and grad school. I was fortunate enough to get several scholarships, but I still had to take out several private and government loans to pay my way. Thanks Uncle Sam! Unfortunately, I didn’t realize at the time that it would mean more than $65,000 in debt! Let’s just say if I lost my job tomorrow, I’d be in BIG trouble.

I’m not married and don’t have kids, but having debt still takes a HUGE chunk out of my paycheck. So, I recently started budgeting tighter and downsizing. Basically doing anything and everything I can to chip away at my debt. That’s what led me to start selling items on Craigslist.

At first it was exciting and new. I was getting rid of old items I wasn’t using (safely of course) and getting a little bit of cash in return. It was great! The Honeymoon Phase was in full swing!

Then things started getting tougher. “Interested buyers” would contact me about a particular product, and then I’d never hear from them again. They wouldn’t return my emails or texts. They just vanished into thin air! I wasn’t sure how to handle it either. I really wanted to get rid of the item, but didn’t want to seem too needy because it makes it tougher to bargain. I’d play it cool, waiting for them to come to me, but many times they didn’t. I’d get anxious, panicking I’d never sell anything ever again. Was there something wrong with my post? With my item?

Sounds eerily like dating doesn’t it? When I made the connection, I sat back and laughed to myself.

In the grand scheme of life, selling a DVD boxed set for $10 shouldn’t make or break my day. But on a bigger scale, neither should not hearing from a potential boyfriend or someone I’m interested in. At the end of the day I know there’s probably someone out there who will want my $10 tennis racket or my $35 Spanish language learning set. And if they don’t? Then they’re not the buyer for me. Who knows? They could be a scammer or someone who’s searching the “for sale” section for a good time.

I think you know where I’m going with this.

So now I just sit back and let the buyers and boys come to me. I practice patience and remind myself that many times you come in contact with the right person when you least expect it. It’s brought a peace of mind to this busy, scatterbrained girl.

That being said, is it weird if I walk around with a homemade t-shirt saying “Interested Buyers Only?”