In these times of biting economic recession, almost everyone has had to assess where and what they’re spending their money on.  Many of us have had to cut down, whether it be tightening the belt on how many bottles we get in a week to renting rather than going out. But to some, this isn’t ever going to be enough.  People can’t stop buying things.  So, how do you go about fighting the credit crunch without breaking the bank?  One option has reached out to unite those with a love of thrift shopping and buying things on the cheap that can’t seem to be found anywhere else.  For those who aren’t blessed with the knowledge of eBay (seriously, where have you been?), to describe in brief detail; it’s an online auction house.  Get an account, link it up to PayPal (banking online, sounds dodgy, it isn’t) and start bidding!

I’ve found that eBay is similar to an all-you-can-eat buffet.  Almost everything you could possibly want is there, and the good thing is, it just won’t stop coming.  I recently bought a bag from a reputable high street store for a brand new £2.99, its RRP being £30.  I smiled at myself with smug amusement as my parcel came through the door a couple of days later, new, wrapped, and thoroughly cheaper than it would have been had I gone to buy it in person.  Recession busting from the comfort of my laptop, I think as I go shopping for things that give me a sense of heightened well being as they arrive at my door.  Lest we forget, eBay works both ways, you can shop, or if you’ve got surplus items you want flogging, you can become the vendor.  With the right price, info and photos, you can become the recessionista version of Del Trotter- as they say, a little bit of self advertisement goes a long way.

Currently 700 pairs of fabulous shoes waiting to be bid on

However, the big “but”.  As with every aspect of life (don’t try and deny it), there’s a downside.  Far too many times have I become embroiled in last minute bidding wars; me and some unknown enemy clicking it out to win the jumper I never knew I wanted but always felt I needed.  You have to know your limits, remember to never pay more than you would normally, and set yourself a maximum bid price.  If you’re selling, all of these things can work in your favour, there’s nothing like the satisfaction of people trying to win something you don’t even want anymore and chances are paid less for.  Again, on the downside when selling make sure you’ll be satisfied with the starting price of your item, and you know when it’s going to end.  I put a coat I paid a fair amount for up for auction, not realising bidding ended on Christmas Eve.  Who’s sad enough to spend their festive season worrying about coats when they’re probably already broke from buying Christmas trees and excess mulled wine ingredients.  Safe to say I wasn’t delighted at the outcome come Christmas Day.  Remember to be honest, obviously big up your item as much as possible, but don’t lie about it, however tempting it may be.  Some people are excruciatingly picky, and unless you’ve got a good excuse, will demand a full refund if they’re not completely satisfied.

eBay was the only auction house on the word wide web that I knew about, as it’s the most used, safe and reputable.  I went digging around to find some alternatives, and sure enough discovered eBid.net (sound familiar?) which offers a no listing fee, in comparison to eBay’s 10-25p, more if you add extra photos.  A few other far less legitimate sites are floating around out there, but for the time being, it seems that eBay most definitely rules the roost when it comes to online marketplaces.  So, if you’ve got no qualms with second-hand goods, or you’ve got some of your own you want to sell, go and register, you’ll probably end up more satisfied than Barack Obama on inauguration day.