Frugal Fridays: Getting the Most from eBay

EBay is a great way of getting things for a far cheaper price than you would elsewhere. Most people are familiar with eBay, but for those of you who aren't, it really is very simple. It's an online auction, where you place your bid for an item, and the highest bidder wins.

Here are some basic tips for getting the most from eBay:

1. Set a limit on what you are willing to pay for any item and DON'T GO OVER IT. It will be available again by and by, so don't worry if you don't get it this time.
2. Take postage into account in this price. If the seller does not show postage costs, email them with your postcode. You do NOT want to be slugged with a large postage fee that changes your bargain to the same price as the item in the local store!
3. Try putting 01 cents on the end of your bid. I.E. if I want to buy a book for $1, I type in $1.01, if it's $2 I type in $2.01, etc. This means that if someone else has also bid $2, you get the item, because your bid was bigger. However, you don't pay that one cent, because one cent doesn't exist (unless you pay through PayPal - and really, one cent is not much, so it's worth it).
4. Don't search generally. Look for specific items you need/want in the search tool instead. Search generally and you are guaranteed to find lots of lovely things that you now want. Don't look and you won't be tempted.
   
5. Consider becoming a seller. I haven't done this, but I know a few people who have and they've found it an efficient way of getting rid of clutter and earning some extra cash.

That's it from me for now! I'm about to go off to the library to get books and for their library sale! Yay! More books!