Good bike shops also sometimes have nice bikes that people have traded in when they upgrade. The staff goes over them to make sure everything works properly, and sell them for a very reduced price. So you might not get the exact color you want - you could always have it painted at an auto body shop (or bust out the spray paint) if it meant that much to you. Also, you can call the local police department and ask if they have a bike auction. Many jurisdictions auction off stolen bikes that were never reclaimed by their owners, with the money going to a police charity (like college scholarships for children of officers killed or disabled in the line of duty). A triathlete I know got a $1k+ racing bike for under $100 at a police auction... he was about the only one who knew what it was and snatched it up. All it needed was new tires from sitting in storage for months. I miss riding a bike, but my balance is shot. There are stabilizer wheels for adult bikes but I think they'd just look too goofy. My PT says adult trikes tend to be tippy.

I started reading this thread with great interest because we have had similar battles with my husbands ex.. We have complicating matters though... Here's my situation: My SD has Down Syndrome so there are special financial situations for medical expenses. Her father has the medical insurance and her mother pays the first $200 of whatever isn't paid by insurance. Everything over and above insurance and the $200 they split 55% (Mom) - 45% (Dad). Since their divorce, in about March of each year, her mother provided a list of all of the medical expenses that needed to be split 55-45. The first year we were married and I saw the list I completely came unglued!!! You should see the stuff she tried to claim were medical expenses... Here is the short list (along with her reasoning for claiming it as a medical expense): horseback riding lessons (it helps her heart), computer keyboarding lessons (for hand eye coordination), swimming lessons (for cardiovascular health), karate lessons (hand-eye coordination), summer camp fees (disable children's camp), gymnastic classes (cardiovascular health benefit), fee for Special Olympic registrations, a $600 3-wheeled bicycle (because the doctor said she should get more exercise and she isn't able to ride a two-wheeler)... I could go on and on. Needless to say we pared down what we felt were actual medical expenses and paid that, took what was left and hired an attorney! (Our share was over $2,000, we paid $350) She took it to court and the judged ripped into her for "wasting the courts time and for trying to steal money from her daughter's father" (judge's words, not mine). The judge pointed out that she was spending someone elseÂs money without consulting him on what he could afford. He told her that under no circumstances is a BICYCLE a medical expense, nor are horses, swimming, gymnastics or karate! He explained that these activities are extra curricular and that is what the child support is for! Just because there is a healthy benefit to the activity, it doesnÂt make it a medical expense. The judge then took it upon himself to adjust the child support (it was WAY too high), change who claimed her on taxes each year. (My husband got her once every 3 years, the judge changed it to every other) and he told the dingbat that her father was to be consulted on ALL medical expenses that he would be sharing and that if there was a dispute that it would have to be settled in his court room. He then told her not to have any disputes because he didn't want to see her in his court room! My husband says that she never tried to claim those stupid expenses before I came around. We believe that it was a jealousy thing. We got married and moved into a nice house together, and had that perfect family. She was left with a rundown house in a shoddy neighborhood (she told my husband when he gave her our address, "Couldn't you live somewhere more MODEST?!?!"), no significant other... Once she remarried she left us alone. Until her husband came along all she had to focus on was her daughter and it killed her when her daughter came to our house and had fun. She wasn't jealous of our relationship, but of our life together. She wanted to be the one who was happy and moving on. I am telling you, once she got remarried and the focus was put back onto her life, she quit bothering us. She forgot about our perfect life and started to focus on her own. We haven't heard from her attorney is about 5 years. Used to be we got a threatening letter from him once a month. I believe that there is a certain amount of jealousy with JenniferÂs SSÂs biomom  she is jealous of JenniferÂs lifestyle! IÂve been there! Eventually the biomom will move on and find something else to focus on.

:-) I would not have driven that far normally except that I really have been wanting a vintage desk for my DD's room and the neighborhood was in a nice area near the city that I am somewhat familiar with, so I felt comfortable making the drive. The seller not ponying up extra pictures should have been a tip, yes. But I felt rushed because she was moving out and it was a now or never kind of thing. Usually in those circumstances I go "safe" and just let the item go but in this case I went for it. I must say that I'm a little taken aback by the notion (I'm not saying they were directed toward me) that seemingly "well-off" people shouldn't use craigslist or the thrift store. I could probably come across as being at least a little well-off. I drive a new SUV (only the second new vehicle in my life) and carry an expensive handbag. I like to wear nice clothes. But my SUV is very "basic" inside, not many extras. I have only one handbag to my name, I take care of it, and it is several years old. At home we manually chop firewood and heat our house with an outdoor wood furnace. I wash out my plastic ziploc bags and reuse them rather than grab a new one, I brown-bag every single day, and so on. I do like to be frugal in some ways  not buying new furniture is one of those ways. I don't have the money to buy all the new furniture pieces I want for the house, so used is my option. I certainly don't "over-haggle" and most craigslist prices I've seen I thought were fair and paid them without question. I would not falsely denigrate an item if I really thought it was great. I agree that would be annoying. If I want to barter down, I would say  I really like this, but I am only willing to pay X for it  if you still have it and want sell it later for that price, feel free to re-contact me. I have to agree that it is not so much the price that the original seller paid, but rather the fact of what the buyers are willing to pay that drives things. If anyone is still reading, all my dealings with craigslist thus far have been very good  I make sure I have email and phone communications with the seller ahead of time, and they must come across as very "normal". And the neighborhood has to be safe / low-crime or I wouldn't go. I always let my DH know exactly where I am going, and take someone with me. The items I've sold, I've always met the buyer in a busy shopping center parking lot.

Judy, we had rain a couple of times. One time we out ran it, on our way to the new overnight town, and got the tent set up just prior to a downpour with hail. Next time we found an open barn/equipment shed and took shelter during heavy rain, again with hail. Overall, it was a BLAST! :) Just like always. The route was similar to 2004, when I rode cross the US instead. No, I don't have to do it all tonight, but it's stuff just waiting for me. LOL and... got a mail, tomorrow is open house in Tulsa. Guess we will head over there, and mow, and make sure all looks good, since daughter number one moved back out. Oh, regular live.... :) Moni