The Joys of Craigslisting

The Phil & Teds double stroller… ahhh… a dream to steer, simple to fold up and to unfold, and small to store. There just isn’t a better stroller on the market, and the price indicates that. Ranging from $600 – $1000+ it is way beyond my price point. However, when I want something I generally find a way to get it, and I wanted this stroller. I began a hunt through second hand sites like Kijiji and Craigslist but still the only P&T strollers were the top of the line VIBES and they were $700+ second hand. This posed a problem for me since I couldn’t justify that kind of money for a stroller, even if it is the BEST stroller and the only stroller of my dreams. Then I had an AHA moment! An epiphany if you will…

Use Craigslist to get what I want! Not to buy from it, but to sell from it! Oh the joys of selling your things to people who actually want to spend money for them! Money that I can turn into my dream stroller! (Have I mentioned yet that I love the P&Ts double stroller?). So, I grabbed up the camera and began to shoot my stuff! Within hours my love seat was sold, my two strollers were gone and we said goodbye to our fish tank and it’s accessories (okay, not all of that went within hours but it didn’t take long). I started my house cleansing on Monday and on Wednesday I had almost half of the money I would need in order to buy the stroller of my dreams.. (sorry, I had to remind you here that I love that stroller). So, on Wednesday I was again going through Kijiji and Craigslist in a vain attempt to convince people to sell me their old P&T stroller for half the price and a photo shoot… (that didn’t go over very well by the way)… the prices were crazy!! I was just about to give up for the hour (I really was desperate for the stroller and was checking about 15-20 times a day) when a new ad got posted on Craigslist. I clicked on the ad and there is this angel, telling me that there is a HUGE sale at Maclams (big baby store downtown) and the P&T strollers are on for $499 with the doubles kit!! You can imagine my excitement!! The tears of joy slipped down my cheeks (well, not really but it adds drama so bear with me here. I quickly called my husband, who is sick to death of hearing about the P&T dream stroller (why I don’t know), and he said okay!! So, I quickly packed up the two kids, fresh from their afternoon naps, handed each a cookie and plugged the address into my GPS. Now, on an ordinary day, in an ordinary world I would never decide to drive with two kids, on a hot day right after nap and before dinner through downtown Toronto right at the peak of rush hour… BUT this was no ordinary day, this was the day that I was getting my dream stroller, the Phil & Teds double sport stroller! So, I ventured out into rush hour to drive from the North East corner to the South West corner. (the heat must have affected my senses that day). After an hour I made it to Maclams, I parked illegally, grabbed the kids, bought the stroller, put the kids back in the illegally parked car and started the LONG hot drive back to the house. The kids were crying, people in their cars were grumpy, but I drove through the city like I was on a cloud. I was living the dream! I was the new and proud owner of the Phil & Teds sport stroller! Life doesn’t get better than that! (well, it does but again I am going for drama!).

All of this is to say that Craigslist is my new best friend. I have fallen in love and have no problem at all selling off my stuff, which I have to say has resulted in a clean and clutter free (almost) house. So, now I have more time to take the kids out and enjoy my new dream stroller. (I love that stroller by the way!). Life lesson here: Craigslist = Clutter free home = time to enjoy life & kids!

Thank you Craigslist!

Submitted by Laurie Haughton of Lens of Motherhood

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