If you’re looking for a way to make a few extra bucks on the Internet, using Craigslist is an easy way to get started. You don't need to have any technical skills. You don't need to spend any money. So there's really nothing to lose. You just need "stuff" to sell.

And if you're looking to save a few bucks by buying stuff on Craigslist, it's very simple. Just search for what you are looking for, contact the seller, and pick it up.

Craigslist makes comparison shopping can really fun & simple!

But is buying & selling stuff from strangers safe to do?

The simple answer is "yes". After all, it's not that much different than a tag sale. Of course, there are some ways you can protect yourself so you don't put yourself at risk. I've both sold & bought stuff using Craigslist for years, without any problems. But these days you can never be too careful. Here are some tips to keep you safe:

If you are buying:

• Don't give out any personal information, such as credit card numbers, home phone, social security numbers, etc.
• Don't go alone. Bring a friend or relative with you to pick up the items.
• Only pay with cash. Scammers will try to get your money through wire transfers or something like that. So use your common sense.
• If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Enough said.

If you are selling:

• Meet people at a public location, like a retail parking lot.
• Meet during daylight hours, if at all possible.
• Have a friend or relative with you.
• Don't fall for scams - if anyone offers to pay you ahead of time and have you ship the item, decline.

If you're not familiar with Craigslist...

What Is Craigslist?

It’s a free online “bulletin board” for selling stuff. Started by a man named Craig (Craig Newmark to be exact). It’s different than eBay – with eBay you sell your goods online to people from all over. And while you can do that with Craigslist, it works best for selling stuff locally.

I’ve sold old electronics, computers, toys, furniture, tools – nothing to make me rich. But it didn’t cost me a penny. And I made a few bucks while getting rid of stuff we no longer use (my biggest sale was a toy tractor for $100!).

You can start by cleaning out your basement or attic. Or you can check your local papers for people giving away free stuff, or hit the “tag sale circuit” on the weekends looking for bargains you can re-sell online.

Then you can offer to get rid of stuff for your friends and relatives.

How Does Craigslist Work For Making Money?

You can also find “free stuff” on Craigslist that you can pick up and re-sell.

Take a few minutes to look around www.Craigslist.com to see how it’s set up, and to see how other people use it to make money.

You won’t get rich doing this. But at the very least, you’ll make some extra money getting rid of the clutter around your house.

And you’ll learn valuable online business skills without much risk at all:

• how to use the Internet to sell products
• how to write good ads
• how to price your items to sell fast & make a profit
• how to deal with customers (including those who don’t follow through or don’t show up when they say they will)

So if you use common sense...and if you learn how to use it correctly...Craigslist can be a safe & effective way to both make money AND save money!