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Craigslist

Sunday, June 28th, 2009

With Craigslist gaining popularity and media attention these days, I had to weigh in. See, I have a love/hate relationship with that fickle fiend. It is one site where I have been reasonably successful, and also very nearly scammed. With that in mind, let me share some personal experiences and some tips for safe usage.

Over the past year, I have become something of a Craigslist savant. I can whip together a posting in about thirty seconds flat, depending on the cursed little confirmation code that I have to decipher. I have used it to try and find a roommate, rent a house, sell a piano, sell some dishware, advertise a yard sale, get rid of a hot tub, and even date. (Yes, I like to live dangerously.) The dating bit is going to be an entirely separate post.

I had absolutely no success finding a roommate. Tons of people responded, many of them con artists from over seas eagerly awaiting my response with my bank information (right…) and certain that we would be the best of friends. (I passed.) And then there was a single mom with four children who thought living with me and my two kids in a three bedroom house was going to be just perfect. (I almost bit on that one. Luckily, the bubble held an intervention and knocked me back to my senses.) And then there was the guy who wanted to be my roommate, share my car, and even carpool my kids. No red flags there, right? And when I turned him down, he decided he wanted to date me and stalked me periodically for the next few months. That was fun.

Selling the household goods was relatively simple. And between the fact that the posting is free and ridiculously easy to complete, I highly recommend Craigslist. My most successful posting, other than the dating ones, was for the defunct hot tub. (Yeah, I posted not once but twice.)

Here was my dilemma. After I gave up on finding a roommate, which was an endeavor as fraught with peril as dating and not nearly as fun, I decided I’d have to rent out the entire house in order to avoid foreclosure. So, in an effort to clean up the place and prepare to vacate the premises, the hot tub had to go. And I think the ad says it all:

Free hot tub/lawn ornament.

My ex bought a broken down hot tub a year and a half ago for the low low price of $500. It NEVER worked. Since then it has remained a lawn ornament, something of a Zen piece as it has become one with the yard.

Perfect for those with some mechanical ability, since it can be repaired. Comes with chemicals, steps, and a cover.

Desperate times call for desperate measures. Trying to rent the house. Need to lose the eyesore.

Please call to come haul it away. All I want is my unobstructed view back.

See. Simple, clever, and effective. Within ten minutes of posting, I had seven calls. And by the next evening, in a thunder and lightening storm unlike any other, I had that bad boy loaded on a trailer being taken to parts unknown. And the big brown dirt spot is now covered with something akin to grass. (Akin to grass, since I have yet to grow actual grass. See Spring Lawn Care post.)

So, when posting…

Don’t give out too much information. I never include actual street addresses or pictures that could help someone find me, whether I’m renting the house or trying to date. And whatever you do: NEVER EVER EVER give out banking information. NEVER.
Be wary. I tend to be naive, so it was a real disappointment to have my friends assure me that there was no Tatiana from Poland who needed to stay with me for six months while here on a work visa and would pay for all living expenses for the six months up front… Come on, it could happen!
Go with your gut. If it feels wrong, you’re probably right. A man in New Mexico, or so he said, wanted to buy my piano. He just needed my account information to make a direct deposit, then his movers would pick up and deliver the piano. I needed the money. Man, did I want the money. He didn’t haggle… Still, I called my bank and asked if there was anyway that could go horribly wrong. Put simply ‘yes.’ A few days later, a woman was on the news having been scammed on Craigslist while she tried to sell her wedding dress. The scammer ‘accidentally’ sent her a cashier’s check for too much. She sent him the difference. The check was a forgery. And she was out $1500.

Craigslist also has a nice warning list on the site. Take time to read it. The advice is sound.

And if there are other tips I should have shared about Craigslist, please let me know!

Tags: craigslist, guide, how to, scam
Posted in A Single Girl's Guide | 1 Comment »

Spring Lawn Care

Sunday, June 28th, 2009

I watched in fascination and awe, after my husband and I split up, as the men of The Bubble maintained their lawns. It seems that my upbringing in the north where all I did from the age of twelve until I headed off to college was mow the lawn had left me ill-prepared for the chemical treating frenzy that I would be confronted with later in life. At most, there would be the fall burn that would inevitably get out of control due to an unexpected wind and my mother would dread leaving my father unattended for fear the entire volunteer fire department would be at the house to greet her upon her return. (Sadly, it wasn’t an unfounded fear.)

So, I can’t say whether it is a southern ’thing’ or something I never paid attention to until I became a homeowner, but there is a healthy competition among the men for the best lawn. We do have two lawn guys in the neighborhood, which may contribute to the peer pressure.

My house sits on the corner, the former model home of the community, the hallmark of The Bubble, and I’m feeling the pressure to fall in line and tame the mess that’s supposed to be a lawn. (I seem to maintain an ever changing mass of weeds broken up by the occasional blade of crab grass.) I’ll admit that I do rather envy the thick green carpet that covers Ed’s yard. And since I can’t yet afford to hire someone more quailitified and infinitely more motivated, the burden falls on me as man of the house to create a lawn others will pine after, that the kids and I can play in, lay in, and enjoy…as long as Snickers stops leaving piles that is.

Ed took pity on me, after he stopped laughing when I met him at the bus stop with a legal pad full of questions and a pen at 7:30am while we waited to send the kids to school. Finally, he offered one of his flyers that explained his services. It was intimidating to say the least. So, I’m breaking it down to a seasonal approach that I can handle.

End of Winter/Early Spring

Pre-Emergent. This should be spread over the entire lawn to prevent crab grass from growing. (Apparently I gave Ed a blank look at this point. So, he explained in girl terms. Crab grass is that spiky grass that even after you mow the lawn, a few stragglers stick up all over like cowlicks causing immense frustration and preventing the nice clean cut look I’m trying to achieve. Ah ha!) It can be found at Home Depot for $42/bag. One bag covers about 10,000 square feet. It also helps prevent dandelions.
Fertilizer. This one is self explanatory. Take care to fertilize the bushes, too!
Ant treatment. This is highly important for anyone who wants to use their yard or has pets. (Take it from the woman who was nearly eaten alive by fire ants during a friendly game of horse shoes in S’s yard last summer.) Ed swears by Ortho Max. It comes in a big red bag and claims to kill ants, fleas, ticks, cut worms, and numerous other menaces. He pours it into the spreader that he walks behind which distributes it evenly. He also advises that if you have mounds, leave some in the bottom to scoop out for a thick application on them.

I’ll be publishing the next lawn care installment as the seasons change. Look for Late Spring/ Early Summer at the beginning of May. I’ll also update you on the status of my yard. I don’t see me winning the lawn care ribbon this year, but at least I’ve thrown my lawn into the race.

Wish me well!

And if you live in Charlotte, NC or its surrounding areas and want to hire Ed, let me know!

Tags: guide, how to, lawn care
Posted in A Single Girl's Guide | No Comments »