Free is the Magic Number

Ultimately, what it comes down to is that I just simply have too much stuff. I am a classic pack rat, and have an inability to ever throw anything away. Ever. It's something I have dealt with my entire life, and really haven't put that much energy into trying to change so don't feel bad for me when I gripe about stumbling over things or not being able to find things. A while ago I came up with the brilliant idea to try and start selling all these extra things I have - clothes, movies, furniture. I even made a few attempts to craigslist various items all with no luck. But again, I didn't put too much work into it so again, don't feel bad for me.

But recently I got to a tipping point with one specific item. The Day Bed. I got the day bed from a friend when I was living in a studio and it served me quite well in my tiny home. Then I moved to a 1 bedroom and bought myself a big girl bed and moved the day bed into couch status. Then I was gifted a couch. This left the poor day bed relegated to "in the way" status and I took it down. Problem was that at the time the only space I had to store it was up against my bedroom wall. And it lived there for months. It lived there through multiple attempts (half hearted as they were) to sell it online and in person. It lived there as I consistently stubbed my toes on it and banged my knees against it. And finally a few weeks ago I decided it just couldn't live there anymore.

So I posted it once again on the never ending sales section of Craigslist. But this time I thought I'd try a new track. This time I posted it as "FREE".

Saturday night at 8:00 I tossed out the ad with a few cell phone picks and stated that it would be great if I could get it outta my place by the end of the weekend. Saturday night at 8:10 I took the ad down and started replying to the 15 messages I had already received.

Call one: Interested party no longer interested.
Call two:
Me: Is Martha there?
Other end of phone: No, can I take a message?
Me: She just replied to an ad I posted on Craigslist about a bed...
Other end of line: She just went to store, should be back soon.
Me: Okay I'll call back in 20 minutes or so.

15 minutes later, my phone rings and it's Martha hoping I still have the bed. A few quick directions and they were at my place within the hour.

9:30 Saturday night, bed gone. I have found my bedroom once again restored to it's rightful size and my are toes blissfully happy to have found their arch nemesis whisked away. And somewhere out there in Chicago is a very happy little girl who now has a bed all to herself.

Could I have used the $50 or so bucks I could have made selling it? Yes. Did giving it away to a very excited family make me feel way better than $50 ever could have? You bet.