I keep eyeing the corner of our family room wishing for a treadmill. If we ever find the money, the absolute last place we'd shop would be a sporting goods store. A better fit for our checkbook is to check Craigslist first -- a fantastic on-line garage sale selling everything. We've had two positive purchases through Craigslist classifieds, including a gorgeous, nearly new dining room set and bedroom dresser, saving us over $2,000 versus new.

Thousands list their used sporting goods on Craigslist every day. Once you log onto the site, simply click on your state, your nearest city and look for 'sporting goods' under the 'for sale' header. I just saw a Life Fitness X5I Elliptical for $1,500 in my market -- used only 10-15 times and bought new for $3,500 two years ago. Sure, you'll come across some junk, but there are quality gym gems, too.

If you're ready to burn major calories without leaving the house, start craigslisting for your dream machine today. Another plus, Craigslisters typically state their price up front, no bidding wars.

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