My laptop is still causing problems so I haven’t been posting as often as I would like. Thank you for being patient with me as I attempt to solve these issues (thank you, handyman husband, for your help in this matter). I am in no hurry to buy a new laptop as I am taking the Frugalwoods Approach to live on a simple budget and making do with what I have.

Kijiji is a Godsend

Some of you may know that I recently embarked on a Kijiji journey as a way to embrace minimalism. I am forever grateful that such a platform exists for us Canadians, where we can attempt to hand our crap over to the next guy in exchange for cold hard cash. The truth is summed up perfectly in this famous quote:

Rather than pawn off overpriced junk like the majority of people like to do, I intend to sell my sentimental items at significantly reduced prices because donating was out of the question. These things are still dear to me and have a value attached to them, so knowing that there is a risk that these items could end up in the landfill if I were to donate them makes me feel uneasy. Knowing that someone actually wants to pay money for these items helps me let go of both my physical and mental clutter which is preventing me from discovering my true passions and desires in life. It is my way of saying goodbye to these things in a respectful way, which is a concept that Marie Kondo emphasizes.

We all gotta start somewhere. During the decluttering process, you might benefit from reading this book: The Life-changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo

But Then Again, No.

The thought of meeting a stranger doesn’t have to be scary as long as you listen to your intuition and take measures to protect yourself from the scammers and creepers. If anything feels off to you, listen to your gut because it’s probably right. I cannot stress how important it is to have a buddy with you if you are selling to a stranger. Never go alone because you don’t know who you’re dealing with.

🍁 Protect yourselves, my Canadian friends! 🍁

If someone tries to lowball you by offering to pay a price that is significantly lower than what you listed, kindly tell them to GTFO. Seriously, you’ll get good at saying NO to people. I block lowballers because I cannot deal with people who do not take me seriously, and why should I? Lowballing is rude, especially when I have listed my prices competitively low, to begin with. Also, I get the sense that people who cannot pay my asking price don’t actually have the money which is a red flag.

Last but not least, be prepared to be disappointed. People will inevitably bail on you at the last minute or fail to show up at all, hence a “no show.” This actually happened to me yesterday evening. I did not encounter issues with my first customer but my second customer was a different story. She texted me 10 minutes before meeting up to see if I was open to an e-transfer, mind you, for an item I was selling for $7.00. I refuse to do e-transfers because I prefer simple transactions involving cash. Cash is a language everyone understands; either you have it or you don’t.

All the new Canadian bills looking pretty. Photo credit by Reddit User Zingledorf

I thought her request was suspicious as I proceeded to tell her that there are ATM’s where we were meeting. She gave me some lame excuse as to how she doesn’t have time to go to the bank and get the money. Not to mention that my husband and I drove 30 minutes out of our way to meet her at a location she requested, which was clearly a mistake on our end.

Anyways, I was aggravated by her bailing on me so I ended up stuffing my face with Bulk Barn treats which is something I regretted afterward. Bulk Barn is another Godsend store in Canada, for those who choose to eat their feelings when their emotions get the best of them. In my case, I felt a mix of frustration, anger, and disappointment which translated into sour cola gummies, sour berry gummies, sour cherry gummies and clusters of OMG goodness (not entirely sure what they are but they’re divine). Fortunately, the prices are reasonable and you control how much you buy since everything is weighed.

Enjoying the beautiful Cotton Candy Sunset last night while typing out the rough draft on my balcony. Sometimes I need to reconnect with nature to overcome writer’s block! 🌸

If you are Canadian, I am curious to know whether or not you have tried Kijiji as a buyer or seller. If you aren’t Canadian, have you used Craigslist or other apps like Let Go? What were your experiences like? Please join the conversation and leave a comment below ↓

Thanks for stopping by!