Productivity, Shopping from Lifehacker

CraigsList Reader Searches the Depths of Craigslist [Downloads]

from Lifehacker by Jason Fitzpatrick

Windows only: You can get amazing deals on Craigslist, but you won't save any cash if you can't find the bargains. CraigsList Reader lets you deep-search multiple Craigslist location to find the loot.

We've shown you ways to go beyond the basic Craigslist search, including searching all of Craigslist at one time. CraigsList Reader (their unnecessary capitalization, not ours) is, by far, the most thorough Craigslist tool for searching we've ever reviewed. You can search every listing in every city, fine-tuned by region, state, and city. You can drill down to search just for jobs, jobs by type, items for sale, items with pictures, price ranges—in other words, your OCD tendencies are amply rewarded. You can set up desktop notifications based on specific search variables. So if you're looking for freelance graphic design jobs or aquariums for sale in your region, here's the place to save time on doing so.

A bit of advice for searching: be specific and make sure to narrow your categories and location if applicable. CraigsList Reader is a very thorough program, and if you search for a generic term with the filter wide open, it'll take a chunk of time to return all 94,294 results for "garage sale".

CraigsList Reader is freeware, Windows only and requires the Microsoft .NET Framework. For strategies on getting the upper hand using this app, or just the website, check our in-depth guide to taking advantage of Craigslist during a recession.