PORTLAND, Ore. - It starts with a simple ad spotted on Craigslist - something along the lines of "Yard sale leftovers - FREE," and we're off and running.

My husband, who is WAY better with directions than I am, serves as navigator.

"Turn here," he tells me as we draw close to our destination. "I think it's around the corner."

I drive down the street and bingo -- there it is ... a bunch of yard sale items that didn't sell that day and are now free for the taking.

I hop out, spend about five minutes rummaging through stuff and come out victorious - I now have several items of clothing, a stack of books and a purse to take home... and I didn't spend a dime.

"OK - where's the next one?" I ask my husband as I get back in the car and start up the engine. "It's not far," he says.  "Let's go."

And we're off again. Four or five stops later and the back of the car is filled with fabulous freebies, including a brand new cordless air compressor still in the packaging.

"You sure you don't want this?" I asked the guy.

"I have way too much stuff," he told me, motioning toward a garage piled high to the ceiling. "Please take it."

Well, OK... twist my arm. And hubby was pleased. 

"Wow, that's cool," he said when I showed it to him.  "I've been needing one of those."

In this economy, free is a very good price.  And for my husband and I, the trips we've made to pick up free yard sale leftovers has really helped us while we struggle to keep his home-based business afloat and get used to living on a tight budget.

So why are folks giving away their stuff for free?  It's simple - they've been at the yard sale thing all day long, they're tired and ready for dinner and the thought of lugging all their crap back inside the house just isn't appealing.

So they put an ad on Craigslist and wait for folks to make their junk disappear. 

And it works.

Tips

If times are lean for you and you'd like to try your hand at gleaning free leftovers from yard sales, here are my tips:

• The best time to find the ads on Craigslist is between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.  That's about the time folks get done with their sales for the day.
• You'll want to check both the Free Stuff and Garage & Moving Sales listings.  I've found ads for free yard sale leftovers in both sections.
• Some days there may be a lot of ads and other days there may be just one, or even none.  It just depends.
• Try to stick to the ones close to home if you can.  Once word gets out on Craigslist, the stuff goes quick.  So there's no sense in driving a half hour or longer to pick up some freebies because everything could be gone by the time you get there. 

Etiquette

• Don't be rude and just grab stuff and run. Be sure to tell the folks you are getting the stuff from how much you appreciate their generosity. A thank you and a smile go a long way.
• Don't fight with others over the free stuff. Be civil.
• Don't take more than you really need. Be selective and find some stuff you'll actually use. 
• Don't be the person who shows up and just starts throwing everything in the car to sort through later. That's just tacky.
• Return the favor when you have your own yard sale. It's an opportunity to clear out your own junk and give back to the community at the same time.