ModCloth Return Experience

ModCloth: Vintage and Unique Style

ModCloth sells vintage and vintage-style clothing.  My wife ordered a few items from the ModCloth website for her birthday.  I don't know much about fashion, but I do know that my wife rarely buys clothes online and seemed excited about the unique and vintage styles she found at ModCloth.  Apparently these are not things you could pick up at your local shopping mall.

ModCloth Invoice
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

The Package Arrives

The package arrived promptly, but we intercepted the package and hid it away for a few days until my wife's birthday arrived.  We didn't want her to open it by mistake before her birthday.  It would be hard to mistake this package for any other- the box had a wood grain print and the distinctive ModCloth logo with mushrooms in light blue.

ModCloth Package Arrives
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

If the shoe fits...

Everything looked perfect, especially the nice light blue shoes.  They were a European size, and unfortunately happened to be a bit too small.  I would think shoes are hard to order online or via catalog since the fit of shoes varies.  She tried a couple times, but the shoes were simply too small.  Now what?

The Return Experience

It was up to me to try to return the shoes.  Just like it is up to me to take out garbage and go get milk if we run out.  I had never even heard of ModCloth.  I feared that shipping shoes wherever they came from (it turns out ModCloth is based in Pittsburgh) would be expensive.  Would I have to talk with a customer service agent, or even a call center employee, to arrange to return the shoes?  Some companies require a RMA (Return Merchandise Authorization) number in order to send something back.

ModCloth Return Policy
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

The ModCloth return process turned out to be the best I have ever experienced.  You simply:

• Go to the ModCloth returns webpage.  This is listed on the invoice.
• Select your order from the list that is presented when you log in
• Select the item or items you want to return- just click on the picture of the item you are returning
• Select a reason for the return from a list
• Print a shipping label with FREE shipping.  

I noted the 6th bullet on the Return Policy- shoes must be packaged in a larger box so that postage stickers are not applied to the shoe box.  This was no problem- I just placed the shoe box inside the original ModCloth shipping box that was used to ship the shoes to my wife.

All that was left is to tape the shipping label to the box and drop it off at the Post Office or FedEx.  The total process took less than 10 minutes.  I was able to deal with a company I had never heard of to return a product that I was completely unfamiliar with.  All I had to do was look at pictures and click on the thing I wanted to return.  Did I mention that return shipping was also free?  Nice!

Recommended reading:

Super Shopping at Sears- Over 90% Off

GAP credit card: the benefits GAPCARD at Gap, Old Navy, and Banana Republic

Penny Pincher Journal
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Perfect Multi-gym: Pull-up bar and more

Wanted: Pull-up bar that doesn't damage door frame or trim

Yesterday, my son reminded me that he wanted me to install a pull-up bar so he could do pull-ups.  I want to encourage him to exercise, and I would like to do pull-ups as well, so I wanted to get something right away.  When we lived on the farm, I made a pull-up bar in the barn using construction materials including a 4 foot section of steel pipe, a couple pipe hangers, and some long lag bolts.  The materials for this project cost about $15.  The steel pipe worked fine, but it would rotate in the hangers and it was a bit hard on hands- wearing gloves when doing pull-ups on the steel pipe was a good idea.

This pull-up bar needs to be installed inside the house.  I decided to look at purpose-made exercise equipment this time.  I knew I might pay a bit more than the $15 I spent hanging the steel pipe, but I wanted something that would be easy to install without damaging the house, and that would make it as easy as possible to do pull-ups.

Internet searching revealed a number of options.  The mounting of the pull-up bar was a key issue for me, I did not want something that required a lot of drilling and putting screws into a doorway.  I also decided to mount the pull-up bar in an unfinished basement.  There are stud walls with doorways, but these measure 34 1/8  inches since there is no door or door frame installed.  Many of the pull-up bars requires a narrower opening.

Perfect Multi-gym pull-up bar

I checked the shelf at the local Walmart store and found one that would fit a doorway up to 35 inches wide. It was the Perfect Multi-gym for $29.77.  This was a bit more than I was hoping to pay, but looked like a nice piece of equipment.  This unit installs without any screws or drilling in the doorway.  You can adjust the pull-up bar to fit the dimensions of your doorway, and it uses the trim of the doorway to keep it in place. Most of the weight presses against the door frame, not pulling down on the trim.

Perfect Multi-gym for pull-ups and more
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

The Perfect Multi-gym has several places covered with foam that can be used for pull-ups to exercise different muscle groups.  The unit can also be easily removed from the doorway to use for push-ups, sit-ups, and other exercises.

Since my door frame is unfinished, it does not have trim.  I used 6 nails to hang a piece of 1x2 to act as the trim until we install a door.  The pull-up bar also comes with a safety clip that provides a catch to keep the pull-up bar from coming down from the doorway, which was easily installed behind the 1x2 trim.

Perfect Multi-gym pull-up bar installed in door frame
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

Perfect Multi-gym pull-up bar installed in door frame uses trim for support
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

The Perfect Pull-up Bar

The Perfect Multi-gym will make doing pull-ups easy.  The novelty factor is still high- I have done quite a few pull-ups already today, and I think my kids will use it a lot as well.  I installed it in a doorway so that the pull-up bar is a couple inches higher than the tallest person, so we can leave it in place all the time.  It is comfortable to use and seems well made.  The instructions were easy to follow, and I like that installing the unit does not require screwing or drilling into a door frame.

Recommended reading:

Pedometer Test Drive: How accurate can a pedometer measure walking distance? Is a pedometer worth the money?

Liquid Bandage: Effective for Protecting Cuts? Cheaper than Band-Aids?

Penny Pincher Journal
Copyright © 2013 Dr. Penny Pincher.  All Rights Reserved.  Privacy Policy

United Credit Card: How I Avoided Paying the Annual Fee and Kept my Miles

United MileagePlus Explorer Card

United Airlines Explorer Credit Card
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

Updated August 12, 2013

The United Mileage Plus Explorer Credit Card is a credit card that provides 30,000 bonus miles when you charge $1000 during the first 3 months.  Additional miles are awarded as you continue to make purchases with the United credit card.  


The $95 annual fee is waived the first year.  The credit card is a Visa credit card from Chase (JP Morgan Chase bank).  


When I got my card about a year ago, there was a special offer that allowed me to get 30,000 miles by making a single purchase after receiving the United credit card.  How far can you go for 30,000 miles?  This is about enough for a single domestic flight on United.

United MileagePlus Explorer Card: 30,000 Free Miles and an Annual Fee

I was easily able to obtain the 30,000 bonus miles as promised after getting my United Explorer credit card.  After reading the fine print, I realized that:

1. There is a $95 annual fee every year, except the first year
2. Upon closure of the cardmember’s MileagePlus Explorer Credit Card account, all benefits will be canceled.

One strategy to deal with the annual fee would be to use your miles in the first year, then cancel the credit card before the first $95 annual fee is applied to your account.

However, I did not need to fly during the first year and I want to have some miles available in case I wanted to fly somewhere.  Paying $95 per year to keep miles that I may or may not use did not make sense.  How can I keep my miles, but avoid paying the annual fee?

My initial understanding was that item 2 from the fine print above meant that if you cancel your card, you'll lose your miles.  After further review, I realized that the "benefits" are separate from the bonus miles.  So one way to avoid the annual fee is to simply cancel the card before you get billed for the 2nd year annual fee whether you have used your miles or not.  Apparently you get to keep your points even after you cancel the card!

How to Avoid the Paying the United MileagePlus Annual Fee

There are reasons you may not want to cancel the United credit card, though.  If you have a balance and do not want to move it, or if you want to keep the card to earn more miles in the future, it may be worth keeping.  Also, canceling a credit card with a big limit can reduce your credit score under some circumstances.  So how can you avoid paying the $95 annual fee and keep your United credit card?

I called Chase to request that the annual fee be waived this year.  I figured it was worth a try.  The response was that they do not waive annual fees on mileage credit cards.  However....

They informed me that I could apply some of my miles to pay the annual fee.  I had about 30,000 miles on the card.  It takes about 12,000 miles to cover the $95 annual fee.  This would allow me to keep 18,000 miles after paying the annual fee by redeeming miles.   I prefer this approach over canceling the card because:

1. I can keep most of my miles
2. I avoid the impact on my credit rating on canceling a credit card with a large credit limit

The person on the phone set me up with a PIN that I can use at united.com/chase to apply my mileage points to cover the annual fee.  Navigate to the points redemption page- there are standard options on the website for using miles to pay your annual fee.  You  can wait until the annual fee shows up on your billing statement and then go to the website to redeem miles to pay it.

Using points to cover the annual fee makes much more sense for me than paying the $95 annual fee with cash.  This will allow me to keep 18,000 miles I have remaining and perhaps even accumulate more miles if I keep using the MileagePlus credit card.

Penny Pinching Tips:

• You can essentially get a free flight using bonus miles from a United MileagePlus Explorer Credit Card
• Watch out for the annual fee: Either cancel your card before the annual fee hits your account at the end of the second year, or use about 12,000 of your miles to pay the annual fee instead of paying cash if you want to keep your card
• It might be worth paying $95 in cash instead of miles if you want to keep your United Explorer Card and you are very likely to use your miles- 30,000 bonus miles gets you a free trip, 18,000 miles may not get you anywhere...

Recommended reading:

Sears Super Shopping: How I got 90% off at Sears 

GAP credit card: the benefits GAPCARD at Gap, Old Navy, and Banana Republic 

Penny Pincher Journal
Copyright © 2013 Dr. Penny Pincher.  All Rights Reserved.  Privacy Policy

Cheap Ethanol Gasoline vs Pure Gasoline: Which Is a Better Deal?

Ethanol Octane Rating is Higher than Gasoline
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

What is Ethanol?

Ethanol is grain alcohol.  This is the same type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages such as beer, wine, and spirits.  Ethanol is produced by fermentation of crops such as corn or sugar cane.  Most of the water is removed from ethanol through distillation.  Ethanol is flammable and contains a lot of energy which makes it useful as fuel for motor vehicles.

Ethanol as a Motor Vehicle Fuel

Ethanol is a biofuel that has been blended with gasoline as a motor vehicle fuel since the 1980's or earlier when it was known as "gasohol".  This was mainly a 90% gasoline / 10% ethanol mixture.  This formula is still common, although the name gasohol is no longer commonly used.

Ethanol Gasoline Blend is Cheaper than Pure Gasoline
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

If you look at the octane ratings at a fuel pump, you will find that the ethanol gasoline blend has a higher octane rating than pure gasoline.  Many people assume that this means that ethanol gasoline has higher energy content than pure gasoline, but this is not true.  The octane rating is an indication of controlled combustibility vs explosive combustibility of the fuel, not the energy content.  The higher octane rating of ethanol indicates that it can be compressed to higher pressure before combustion than gasoline.

Gasoline actually has about 50% more energy content than pure ethanol.  Another way to think about energy content: a gallon of pure ethanol has 66.7% of the energy content of a gallon of pure gasoline.

The commonly available ethanol blend fuel uses 90% gasoline and 10% ethanol.  Vehicles that are "flex fuel" capable can use E85 which is 15% gasoline and 85% ethanol.

Advantages of Ethanol Gasoline Fuel

• Ethanol blends are cheaper than pure gasoline
• Produce less air pollution from burning ethanol gasoline blend vs pure gasoline
• Smaller carbon footprint than gasoline
• Growing plants to produce ethanol absorbs CO2 from the atmosphere
• However, ethanol is not carbon neutral since fuel is burned to plant and harvest the crops and transport ethanol


• Ethanol is a renewable fuel, gasoline is not
• The market for ethanol proves demand for alternate fuels
• Ethanol fuel blends reduce gas line freezing since ethanol can absorb water and remain a combustable fuel

Cons of Ethanol Gasoline Fuel

• Ethanol has less energy per gallon than gasoline- this means less miles per gallon
• Hard on small engines not designed to run on ethanol blends
• Use of crops to produce ethanol fuel drives up food prices
• Risk that drought could cause both food and fuel shortage

Gasoline Octane Rating- Lower than Ethanol Blend
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

What is the difference between ethanol and biodiesel?

Ethanol is an alcohol that is usually blended with gasoline to produce fuel for engines that use gasoline.  Biodiesel is fuel made from vegetable oil or animal fat that is used to replace diesel fuel in diesel engines.
Both are renewable biofuels, but are used for different types of engines.

Is cheap ethanol gasoline a better deal than pure gasoline?

Most vehicles will get about 2% less miles per gallon using a 10% ethanol blend than with pure gasoline.  However, the price of ethanol blend gasoline is less than pure gasoline.  Is it a good deal?  A check of local prices shows that pure gasoline is selling for $3.59 per gallon vs $3.49 per gallon for the 10% ethanol blend. The price for the ethanol blend is about 2.8% less than for pure gasoline.  So at this price, the ethanol blend is a better deal than pure gasoline.  You will get 2% reduction in gas mileage, but you pay 2.8% less.

Penny Pinching Tips

• Ethanol fuel is a good deal- you will get slightly lower gas mileage with ethanol blend, but the lower cost more than offsets this difference
• Ethanol is a renewable biofuel and has a smaller carbon footprint than gasoline

Recommended reading:

How to Get Better Gas Mileage Without Getting a New Car

How Much Would I Save on Gas with a More Fuel Efficient Car?

Penny Pincher Journal
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Hypoallergenic Dogs / Dogs that Don’t Shed

What Causes Dog Allergies?

Allergens are the agents that cause allergic reactions.  The primary allergens produced by dogs that affect people are dander and saliva.  Dander is composed of skin cell that slough off as new skin cells are produced.  Saliva is produced by the tongue and is transferred to the dog’s fur by licking.  As fur sheds, dander and saliva from the dog are carried to come into contact with people.  Hypoallergenic dogs shed less and therefore are thought to produce less allergic reaction.  Since all dogs produce dander and saliva, all dogs have the potential to cause allergic reactions.

This dog is hypoallergenic!  What other choices are available?
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

Which Dog Breeds are Hypoallergenic? 

Some dog breeds are known as hypoallergenic.  These breeds shed less fur than others.  The lists below contain dog breeds that are known to shed less than most.

Hypoallergenic Small dogs:

• Maltese
• Poodles (Toy, Miniature)
• Schnauzers (Miniature)
• Bedlington Terrier
• Bichon Frise
• Chinese Crested
• Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier
• Xoloitzcuintli

Hypoallergenic Large dogs:

• Standard Poodle
• Schnauzers (Standard, Giant)
• Irish Water Spaniel
• Kerry Blue Terrier
• Portuguese Water Dog

Hypoallergenic Hybrids (Designer Dogs):

• Labradoodle (Labrador Retriever x Standard Poodle)
• Mal-Shi (Maltese x Shih-Tzu)

Labradoodle: A Hypoallergenic Hybrid of Labrador Retriever and Poodle
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

Less is More

Small dogs have less surface area, and therefore produce less dander.  Another advantage of small dogs is that they are easier to groom and bathe frequently, which will reduce the amount of dander and saliva that they carry.

Dogs Bring Pollen From Outside

Dogs also can pick up pollen outdoors and carry it in their fur, causing allergy problems in addition allergies related to the dog itself.  Frequent bathing can reduce the amount of pollen that dogs carry in their fur as well and may reduce allergic reaction.

Dogs Have Individual Differences

Since there is variability in dander and saliva characteristics and amount of shedding among individual dogs, it seems like a good idea to spend time with the particular dog to gauge the amount of allergic reaction to expect.

Reducing Allergic Reaction to Dogs

• Choose a hypoallergenic breed that sheds less
• Choose a small dog that will produce less dander
• Frequently bathe your dog to remove pet dander and pollen from outdoors
• Frequent brushing can help remove loose fur and dog dander which will reduce exposure to allergens from your dog
• Sweep and vacuum frequently to remove as much dog fur and dander from your house as possible
• Keep your dog off of your bed to reduce exposure to allergens from your dog

Recommended reading:

Malshi: Cross of Maltese and Shih-Tzu Dog Breeds

Hypoallergenic Cats: Which cat breeds are least irritating?

Penny Pincher Journal
Copyright © 2013 Dr. Penny Pincher.  All Rights Reserved.  Privacy Policy

GAP credit card: GAPCARD rewards at Gap, Old Navy, and Banana Republic

Gap Credit Card

When buying some clothes at the Gap store in the mall for my son, I was offered the chance to sign up for a Gap credit card and save 15% on my purchase.  Since this amounted to about $10 of instant savings, I was interested.  The GAPCARD is a savings program that includes other opportunities for discounts and rewards including:

• 15% off initial purchase
• 10% off Tuesdays
• Special Ads and coupons
• Extra 10% off for first 60 days
• Earn $10 Reward Card for every $200 spent at Gap, Old Navy, and Banana Republic

Save Money at the Gap Store with a GAPCARD
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

Bonus offer- $30 Store Credit

When I received my Gap credit card in the mail a few days later, the envelope include an offer for $30 store credit if for using the card outside of Gap/Old Navy/Banana Republic within 30 days.  The Gap credit card is a Visa card and can be used anywhere Visa is accepted.  I plan to use it to buy gas tomorrow and book the $30 in store credit.

Earn $10 Rewards Cards

You can earn rewards from shopping at Gap, Old Navy, and Banana Republic.  For every $200 you spend at these stores, you'll earn a $10 Reward Card.  I sometimes shop at Old Navy, and my son seems to like Gap, so earning a $10 reward seems possible.

Tuesday Discount Deals

If you shop at Gap on Tuesdays, you’ll save 10% after you get a Gap credit card, plus 10% extra during the first 60 days.  Saving 20% would merit a special trip if you are planning to buy more than one item.



One hazard of getting a credit card is ending up with a balance on a credit card with a relatively high annual percentage rate (APR).  Most cards that provide rewards and benefits have a high APR.  I plan to pay the balance off every month to avoid paying interest and fees.

How do you sign up?

Instant credit card application is available in the store.  The cashier will ask questions, and you use a touch screen to enter information to apply for a credit account.  The credit check is done within a few seconds of applying.

Gap Credit Card
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

What information is required to apply for a Gap credit card?

During the credit application, you will need to provide:

• Photo ID
• Other credit card
• Address
• Phone number
• Social Security Number
• e-mail address

Can you use account right away?

Yes, you can use the Gap credit card immediately if you are approved.  You will save 15% off of your purchase and the balance goes on your new Gap credit card account.

Penny Pinching Tips:

• You can maximize this 15% discount if you apply for the card when you are making a sizable purchase anyway, for example Easter clothes or back-to-school clothes.
• Avoid being motivated by special offers to buy more than you intend
• Pay off the balance on your Gap Card each month to avoid interest and fees

Recommended reading:

Old Navy Credit Card Tips

Kohl’s Credit Card: Get Kohl’s Cash and Kohl's Discounts

Sears Super Shopping: How I got 90% off at Sears

Penny Pincher Journal
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Sears Super Shopping: How I got 90% off at Sears

Super Shopping at Sears- Over 90% Off

They say you shouldn't go grocery shopping when you're hungry.  I guess you shouldn't go clothes shopping when you're cold...  This story has a happy ending- I got some great deals on winter clearance clothes at Sears.  

The following steps helped me save a ton on my unplanned shopping trip:

• Finding items on the clearance rack for $5- in my size and colors
• 5% discount using my Sears Gold Card
• Saving $10 more by applying for a Sears Blue card 

I was able to save over 90% off original price!

Super Shopping at Sears
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

The Clearance Rack at Sears

I left my coat in the car and went walking around the outside of mall at lunch time.  It was sunny and looked pretty nice, but it was actually only about 20 degrees.  I decided to walk inside the mall to stay warm.  Still cold from outside, I entered Sears.  The clearance rack caught my eye.

I noticed Dockers Stain Defender long sleeve button-up shirts, regularly $50, were marked down to $5.  Sometimes I see clearance items with great prices like this, but the sizes are ridiculous like XXL-T and the colors are nearly unwearable.  Upon further investigation, I found that they had the full range of sizes and colors available for $5.  Awesome!  I picked 5 size Large with color schemes that push my style envelope a little bit, but not too much  I got some plaids and stripes, but work-wearable.  These are similar to shirts I have in my closet only much less worn out and higher quality.

Next I found a couple fleece pull-overs that were originally $50, marked down to $5.  I usually prefer the full-zip fleeces, but for $5 I can handle 1/4 zip.  I went with solid black and brown with some accent features.  There was an even more expensive brown fleece, regular price $60, marked down to $7.99 that made its way into my pile.

When Will Clothes Go on Clearance?

Updated March 10, 2013: The key to success was timing- I happened to come along at the right time.  Apparently the winter clothes were put on clearance that morning.  All sizes and styles were still available.  I stopped by again the next day, and almost all of the $5 shirts and fleeces were gone.  If you are a serious bargain hunter, it may be worthwhile to patrol your favorite store daily in early March so you can get the winter clothes on clearance.  Early March seems like the time that the stores want to put out shorts and summer clothes to sell for spring break.

Supersize Savings at the Checkout

My good fortune continued at the checkout.  The cashier asked if I had a Sears Gold Card.  I thought that I had one, so I answered "yes".  Good answer.  I saved an additional 5% by using my Sears Gold Card.  The cashier asked if I would like to save an additional $10 by applying for a Sears Blue Card.  "Yes," was the right answer to this question as well.

I purchased $410 of clothes for a total of $33.62.  I also got "Bonus Points" added to my Sears account for the purchase.  The Bonus Points can be used for future discounts.  

Percentage-wise, I saved over 90% off original price.  I realize that almost no one pays full price for these items, but this still seems like a great deal!  I also realize that I have about 2 weeks to wear the fleeces before it gets too warm, but these will be great in cold weather for years to come.  It was a worthwhile lunch break, overall.

Penny Pinching Tips

• Keep an eye out for clearance racks at end of season
• Pile on other discounts like coupons and credit offers
• Buy clothes out of season to save for future seasons
• Try to pick fairly tame style and colors so you will be more likely to wear them year after year

Recommended reading:

Kohl’s Credit Card: Get Kohl’s Cash and Kohl's Discounts

Death of Sears: The End of Brick and Mortar Stores and What will Replace Them

Penny Pincher Journal
Copyright © 2013 Dr. Penny Pincher.  All Rights Reserved.  Privacy Policy

How to Sell on Craigslist

How to Sell on Craigslist

Selling on craigslist is much like placing a classified ad in a newspaper.  You create an ad that describes your item for sale and how to contact you to view or purchase the item for sale.

Placing ads on craigslist is free.  All you need is an e-mail address.  If you don't have an e-mail address, you can get a gmail or outlook (formerly hotmail) e-mail address for free.  You can also include photos with your ad.  This will help your item sell.

Anyone with Internet access can look at ads on craigslist.  Some people check listings on craigslist every day (or even more often) looking for bargains.  For example, people interested in antiques may frequently check for new items for sale in the antiques category on craigslist.

I have used craigslist to sell items ranging from recreational vehicles to household items to collectibles and antiques.  Here is how to sell on craigslist:

How to Post an Ad to sell on craigslist

It only takes a few minutes to post an ad on craigslist.

1. Go to craigslist.org
2. Select the city nearest you.  One of the rules of craigslist is that you can only post your ad in one city at a time.
3. Navigate to the best category for your item.  Look under the "for sale" banner and select the best category from the list, for example "antiques"
4. Click "Post" to start the process of placing an ad on craigslist
5. When prompted, choose a category for your ad, for example "antiques- by owner".  You may also see categories for sales by dealer, etc.  Just pick the one that most closely matches your situation.
6. Fill out a description of your item for sale.  On this screen, you'll enter the Posting Title, Price, Specific Location, your e-mail address, and description of your item.  See below for tips to describe your item go get responses from buyers.

Place your ad to sell an item on craigslist
Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

7. Upload pictures.  This screen allows you to select image files on your computer to upload to your craigslist ad.  You'll need to take digital pictures of your item for sale.  Using a computer or smart phone, you can upload these to be included in your ad.  Pictures are not required, but are helpful to get buyers interested in your item.  

Upload images to your craigslist ad to sell your item
Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

8. Publish your ad.  You'll have a chance to preview your ad as it will appear on the internet and you can click a button to publish it.  If you spot any mistakes in your ad, you can go back and make changes before publishing it.

Preview your ad, click publish to place your ad on craigslist
Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

9.  You will see a message that you have been sent an e-mail that you will need to open and click a link to activate your craigslist ad.  This e-mail contains instructions on how to:

• PUBLISH YOUR AD
• EDIT (OR CONFIRM AN EDIT TO) YOUR AD
• VERIFY YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
• DELETE YOUR AD

Save this e-mail for future reference so that you can edit your ad as needed and delete your ad after your item is sold.

Tips to describe your item to sell on craigslist

Your item will sell faster if you can provide a detailed description.  Include the make, model, age, and condition of your item.  There are lots of items for sale, so potential buyers will skip over your listing if they cannot easily understand what you are selling.

Clear pictures help.  Craigslist allows up to 8 pictures, so try to get photos from multiple angles.  The first picture you upload is the one that will be featured and shown first when someone opens your ad.

I like to include measurements in the description when selling items such as furniture- if you don't include measurements, you may get lots of questions asking for the measurements.  It's easier to provide this in the description.

It is helpful to provide a specific asking price as well.  Make sure the price you enter in the listing description matches any price you may mention in the item description.  If buyers see two prices, they will automatically go for the lowest one- or even worse see room to negotiate down from the lowest price.  So make sure you only have one price listed anywhere in your ad.  It is a good idea to specify "cash only- no checks" to avoid misunderstandings later.

Avoid scams on craigslist

Some of the biggest risks on craigslist are scams where people will try to get money from you for a product they don't actually have.  Car selling scams are an example of this.  Someone will try to get you to send them money for a product they will send you later- then they disappear with your money.  When buying, always see the item for sale in person.

When selling, always get cash from the buyer.  This avoids any problems with bad checks.  For larger purchases, a cashier's check from a local bank is much better than accepting a personal check.

e-mail Trolling on craigslist

When you have an item listed on craigslist, you may get inquiries about your item that simply ask, "Is your item still available?"  Generic inquiries like this are likely sent by robots trying to harvest your e-mail address so it can be sold to spam mailing lists.  I don't respond to inquiries unless they mention something about the item for sale, or the buyer's location relative to mine.  What I am looking for is evidence that the e-mail was sent by a human interested in my item rather than a robot trying to get my e-mail address.

I am happy to reply to messages asking a specific question about my item for sale, or how far it is from the buyer's location to mine, etc.  But consider it a red flag when you get inquires that are so generic they could be sent to anyone selling something on craigslist.  I ignore these.  If you are concerned about missing a sale from someone who may really not know if your item is still available, you can add text in your ad on Craigslist that states that the item is available as long as the ad is posted.  With craigslist, it is easy to take down your ad when your item sells, or add a note that says "sale pending" if you have accepted an offer but not yet received payment.

Here are some examples of actual e-mails I received responding to craigslist ads.  If I had replied to these, my e-mail address would have been captured and sold to spam e-mail lists:

• "Do you still have the item forsale?. Hit me back with an email if its available. My email is connected to my android phone and i can respond immediately. Thanks. Philip"
• "Still avaliable? Contract me at [address-deleted]@gmail.com"
• "Amount??? get back to me at  [address-deleted]@gmail.com"
• "Do you still have the items for sale, get back to me with your phone # and email to contact you with asap."

Notice how none of these messages refer to the specific item for sale.  These messages could apply to any item for sale on craigslist.  Also, notice the incorrect grammar and misspelled words.    My advice is to simply delete this type of generic inquiry to a craigslist ad to avoid providing your e-mail for spam mailing lists.

How much information to share on craigslist? 

When you create your ad on craigslist, you will need to provide some contact information so sellers can contact you to ask questions and arrange to purchase your item for sale.  Craigslist can turn your e-mail address into an anonymous e-mail, so your real e-mail address is not posted on craigslist.  This will reduce the amount of spam e-mail you receive.  You will need to decide how much additional information to reveal to strangers on the internet.  I keep it to a minimum.  Potential buyers contact me through e-mail.  I can then decide whether to respond or not.  Once you respond, your e-mail is no longer anonymous- the buyer gets your real e-mail address at that point.

Selling safely on craigslist

I will typically arrange to meet the potential buyer in a public place to look at the item for sale if it is transportable.  This may be a parking lot or coffee shop.  I will share my cell phone number with a potential buyer to make coordinating the meeting easier.  If the item is not transportable, you may decide to share your address with the potential buyer.  I would recommend talking to the buyer on the phone first to decide whether to share your address or not.  If you have any concern for your safety, simply say you have another call coming in and end the call without sharing your address.

Avoid sharing too much information in your ad since you have no idea who will end up with that information. Buyers on craigslist are fully capable of using craigslist anonymous e-mail to make initial contact if they are interested in your item- they don't need your phone number and address to do this.

Dealing with Buyers- Closing the Deal

Don't be surprised if you get an offer for less than asking price when you meet with the potential buyer.  Another situation that may occur is that the buyer offers you a personal check, even though you specified cash only.  If your item is in high demand, I would recommend holding out for your terms- full asking price and cash only.  However, if you think you might have trouble find another buyer you may decide to compromise a bit.  

I have had great success selling items on craigslist- the best part:  it's free and you can change your ad whenever you want!

Recommended reading:

How to Sell Used Items at a Consignment Shop and Get Cash

How to Ship Sold eBay Items

Amazon offer: The Garage Sale Millionaire: Make Money with Hidden Finds from Garage Sales to Storage Unit Auctions and Everything in Between

Penny Pincher Journal
Copyright © 2013 Dr. Penny Pincher.  All Rights Reserved.  Privacy Policy

Winter Driving Tips

Winter Driving Tips

How to Drive Safely in Winter Conditions

Winter Driving Conditions: City
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

The 24 hour forecast:  9 inches of snow with gusting winds...
The drive to work tomorrow: not fun...

Here are some winter driving tips to stay safe and get where you are going:

Tip 1: Don't drive if conditions are too dangerous

It's your car and your neck that will be at risk if you drive.  If it seems too dangerous to drive, then consider waiting to drive until conditions improve.  If you can delay driving for a few hours, this will give snow plows a chance to clear the roads and spread salt and sand.  How would you rather spend a couple hours- watching TV and drinking coffee at home, or stuck along the road waiting for a tow truck?

Tip 2: Drive while it is light outside

If it is before sunrise, wait until the sun is up- this will improve your ability to stay on the road if visibility is limited.  If sunset is approaching, consider driving and getting to your destination before it gets dark.

Tip 3: Drive Slowly

Road conditions may be more slippery than you realize... until it's too late.

Winter Driving Conditions: Highway
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

Tip 4: Easy on the brakes

Hitting the brakes suddenly can cause your vehicle to go out of control, even on a straight road.  Leave plenty of room between you and the car ahead so you can avoid sudden braking.

Tip 5: Forget full and complete stops

If you are driving on snow covered or really slippery roads, you may not want to stop completely at stop signs unless there is traffic.  You can reduce your chances of getting stuck if you slowly and carefully roll through stop signs.  Of course this is safe only if you can see that the intersection is clear of traffic.

Tip 6: Fill up before the storm hits

You are better off with a full tank of gas when driving in winter weather.  If you do get stuck, you can run your engine to stay warm until help arrives.  Also a full tank of gas will reduce the chances of fuel line freezing from condensation in the gas tank.

Tip 7: Put a coat and boots in the trunk

Prepare for the worst- let's say you slide into the ditch and need to walk a couple miles through a blizzard.  Having a coat and boots on board will make this situation a lot more manageable.

Tip 8: Clear your windshield, headlights, and brake lights before starting out

This will give you the best chance of arriving safely

Winter Driving Conditions: Interstate
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

Tip 9: Even 4x4 vehicles are dangerous in slippery conditions

Vehicles like four wheel drive SUVs and pickup trucks have a high center of gravity and can roll over easily if they slide off the road.  Be especially careful in slippery conditions if you are driving such a vehicle.

Tip 10: Make sure you have your cell phone- and make sure it is charged up

If you do have an accident, having a cell phone available will help you deal with the situation

Recommended reading:

How to Get Better Gas Mileage Without Getting a New Car

How to Get the Best Deal on a New or Used Car

Penny Pincher Journal

Copyright © 2013 Dr. Penny Pincher.  All Rights Reserved.  Privacy Policy

ReadyBoost Windows 7 and Windows Vista

ReadyBoost Windows 7 and Windows Vista

Give your computer a performance boost with ReadyBoost.  ReadyBoost is a built-in feature of Windows 7 and Windows Vista that allows your computer to use a flash drive as a memory cash.  Flash drives have faster random access read and write times than a hard disk, so this can speed up your computer.  ReadyBoost also works with Windows 8.

You'll need a USB flash drive, also known as a flash memory stick to take advantage of ReadyBoost.  The San Disk Cruzer Fit worked well in this upgrade of a Windows 7 laptop for $12.99.  The flash memory must be fast enough or else ReadyBoost will not be enabled using that device.  Unfortunately there is no easy way to determine in advance if a flash memory will be fast enough or not.  The good news is that most newer devices seem to work, and the prices have come down to the point where it is not a big risk to try one and see if it works.

How to Start ReadyBoost: Windows 7 / Windows Vista

Simply insert a flash drive into a USB port on your Windows 7 or Windows Vista computer.  Navigate to the drive using Windows Explorer and right-click on the flash drive letter, then select properties.  On the properties window for the flash drive, click on the ReadyBoost tab.  Select 'Use this device' and click OK.

Drive Properties Window allows you to Enable ReadyBoost
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

Now your computer is running faster by using ReadyBoost.  There is nothing else you need to do.  ReadyBoost for Windows 7 and Windows Vista automatically checks the flash drive speed to ensure that your computer will run faster before it will use ReadyBoost.  So if you were able to enable ReadyBoost, your computer is running faster.

Troubleshooting ReadyBoost

There are 2 issues that can go wrong with starting ReadyBoost:

1. ReadyBoost will not use your flash device because it is too slow or too small
2. There is no tab for ReadyBoost on your drive properties window

ReadyBoost will not use your flash device

If you insert your flash drive, click on the ReadyBoost tab, and get a message that your flash device is not compatible with ReadyBoost, the most likely cause is that it failed the memory access speed test.  Sometimes a device will be right on the line between passing and failing due to it's speed and will sometimes be used for ReadyBoost and other times not used.  The easiest way to solve this issue is to try a different (and hopefully faster) flash device.

You can check the access time of a flash device that fails the ReadyBoost speed test using the Windows Event Viewer.  In the Start Menu, search for Event Viewer (or eventvwr.msc ).  Launch this program and navigate to: 

Applications and Services Logs

Microsoft

Windows

ReadyBoost

ReadyBoost Log in Windows Event Viewer
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

You will find event logs for the ReadyBoost flash drive speed tests.  In order to be used for ReadyBoost, the drive must have access time of 1 ms or less and sustain 2.5 MB/s read speeds and 1.75 MB/s write speeds.

If you are having problems getting ReadyBoost to work, make sure your flash memory is big enough, you'll need at least 256MB.

There is no tab for ReadyBoost on your drive properties window

I encountered this situation on my older Windows Vista laptop.  I inserted flash drives that I was confident would meet the access time requirements, but I did not get a ReadyBoost tab on my drive properties.  I checked the ReadyBoost Log in the Windows Event Viewer- and noticed that the last speed test was performed about 4 years ago!  This was a big clue to solve the problem...

I probably tried to optimize Windows Vista performance by removing unneeded Windows Services.  Since I wasn't using ReadyBoost at the time, ReadyBoost was an unneeded service.  If the ReadyBoost tab is missing, make sure the ReadyBoost service is enabled on your computer.

At the Start Menu, search for services.  The name of the application to launch is services.msc, or it may be called services with an icon that looks like a gear.  Launch this application and scroll down to find ReadyBoost and click once on it to select it.  If it is not running click start.  You can also right-click and set it to start automatically.

Start the Windows ReadyBoost Service if it is not running
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

After starting the Windows ReadyBoost service, now try to insert your flash drive again- you should see a ReadyBoost tab.

How Much Boost will you get from ReadyBoost?

How much ReadyBoost will speed up your computer depends largely on how much memory your computer has and how fast the hard drive runs.  If you have a laptop that does not have a lot of memory and has a slower hard drive, you could see it run much faster with ReadyBoost enabled.  On a desktop with lots of memory and a fast hard drive, you will likely see little benefit from ReadyBoost.  If your PC has a solid state drive, you will get no performance benefit from ReadyBoost and in fact ReadyBoost will not enable on that computer.

Can you use a SD card for ReadyBoost?

SanDisk Extreme III SD Card for ReadyBoost ($8 on eBay)
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

I decided to use a SD card for ReadyBoost on my old Windows Vista laptop.  I wanted to keep the USB ports free and the SD reader on my laptop is never used.  Since my SD card reader is about 5 years old, it is not compatible with the newer SDHC or SDXC cards.  I had to find an old SD card.  The speed class of the SD card reflects its access time.  I chose a speed class 6 SD card with 6 MB/s read-write performance. I found a used 2GB SD card for sale on eBay for $10 or best offer with free shipping.  I offered $6.50.  Counter offer: $8.  The card seems to work well for ReadyBoost.  Speeding up my old laptop is certainly worth $8.

Unused SD Card slot on laptop- ideal for ReadyBoost
Image Source: Dr. Penny Pincher

Penny Pinching Tips:

• ReadyBoost is worth a try if your computer is running slowly
• Try USB flash drives/memory sticks that your already have around- these may work
• Expect the biggest speed-up from ReadyBoost Windows 7 / Windows Vista on computers with little RAM or slow hard drives

Recommended reading:

Use a Cheap USB Flash Memory Stick to Speed up Windows 7

How to Speed up Windows 7

Penny Pincher Journal
Copyright © 2013 Dr. Penny Pincher.  All Rights Reserved.  Privacy Policy