Craigslist offers endless possibilities for the cost of nothing
Free.
Everybody loves that word. Buy two, get one free. Tax-free. Worry-free. Our very country rests on principles of such a word that is small yet worth dying for.
But what is it that people best love about this notion of free? Is it the freedom to vote for whomever I see fit? Maybe it’s the cable that somehow got “rerouted” to your house that your neighbors are unknowingly sharing with you? Or perhaps the freedom to write random ramblings and pawn them off as opinion columns?
No, readers, the beauty of the word “free” can be found on the buy/sell ad Web site craigslist. For those who have yet to experience it, you’re in for a bargain treat.
There’s an entire section on craigslist entitled “Free.” That’s right – no price tag. Zip. Nada. Zilch. Here’s how it can change your life today.
“February 13, 2008: Free maternity outfit with a blue cloth pouch thingy.”
It’s great to know that when (and if) I experience the beauty of childbearing, at least I have a place I can get rid of those clothes. “Pouch thingys” just aren’t my thing – they’re only useful at Thanksgiving and other large feast holidays. Plus, the word “thingy” just makes my day.
“February 11, 2008: “Free horse manure – great for your garden.”
Sounds too good to be true, right? Because if you’re anything like me, I’m sure you’re tired of chasing those downtown cops on horses that are fed way too much fiber. Not to mention the awkward silence hanging between you and the officer afterward as you’re bending over for a fresh dropping in the middle of Sierra Street.
“January 27, 2008: Free bubblewrap.”
Perhaps the best bargain so far, bubblewrap makes for easy party ice breakers or for impressing certain Valentine’s dates with your mad popping skills. It’s everyone’s guilty pleasure without the guilt of buying something wrapped in it.
All free and all yours.
Isn’t this a great country? Where maternity clothes, horse manure and bubblewrap are only a click away? Where you can drink your calorie-free diet soda with an artery-clogging burger combo meal at no extra charge? Better yet, a country where you can pop a “slimming pill” to lose those extra pounds free of the “e” word: “exercise?”
From one thrifty shopper to another, I’ll admit, it makes me proud to be an American. Our democratic city on a hill, if you will, shines as a beacon to the rest of the world as hope for a brighter tomorrow. You don’t even have to get off your butt for it.
We always say “God bless America,” but I’ll take it one step further: God bless craigslist.
Krystal Bick is a columnist for The Nevada Sagebrush. She can be reached at editor@nevadasagebrush.com.
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