I bet you like the idea of using discounted Home Depot store credits to save 30% – 40% on your purchase, but think it’s too much trouble buying them 
off Craigslist.
OK, I heard you. Let me share a time-saving trick.
Sign up to receive a text message when something on Craigslist fits your liking.
The program I’m talking about is IFTTT.com. The acronym stands for “IF This Then That”.
This website allows you to automate internet queries. Just like a personal assistant, the site searches Craigslist around the clock until it finds a winner.
Here’s how to set up IFTTT to monitor Craigslist for discounted Home Depot cards:
1. Go to IFTTT.com and “Join”. Create an account. Be sure to add the cell number where you’d like to receive the text alert.
2. Create a Recipe. Follow the prompts to create a “recipe” that will look like this
3. Click on “this” to specify you want to monitor Craigslist (the peace sign icon).
4. Choose a “trigger” by clicking the “search for something on Craigslist” option.
– Pick the local Craigslist site you want to monitor.
– In the Craigslist browser, search for “Home Depot card”
– Specify that you’re interested in “all for sale / wanted” by “owner”
– Specify the minimum price of card you’re looking for. (I typically don’t buy anything less than $200.)
5. Copy the URL and return to IFTTT.com
6. Paste the URL into the trigger box.
7. Move on to specify “that”, the action you want to happen once the “this” trigger occurs.
8. Click the SMS icon to specify you want text message alerts.
9. Click “Create Recipe” to save your program.
Good job! Now kick back and wait for your first notification. Then take action to cut your expenses.
Here’s how evaluate discounted Home Depot card deals on Craigslist.
I like cards at 30% discounts or better, however your local market might offer better or worse discounts. Just look over a few deals until you get a good read on your market and deal flow.
Run this calculation once you get a notification.
[(Face Value – Price Seller Wants For Card) x 100 ] ÷ Face Value = Percent Discount
For example, if someone is offering a card worth $487.62 for only $350, then you could calculate the card has a 28% discount as follows:
[($487.62 – $350) x 100] ÷ $487.62 = 28%
This is a good offer in my book so I would follow a fail safe procurement process and buy this one.
Happy hunting! Please leave a comment to let me know if this technique helps you save a ton, like it’s helping me.
And, by the way, you can also use IFTTT.com to monitor Craigslist to:
1. Learn of new “for rent” ads in your local market. Stay on top of the trends.
2. Shop for used products and appliances and/or supplies.