Good Will Hunting

Waste not want not.  Who comes up with these sayings?  And in what language?  I interpret that to mean 'don't waste what you don't want.'  I say, please DO waste what you don't want!  If you do, then people like me get to go and BUY it!  I will happily re-purpose your cast-offs.  I'm not talking garage sales here.  I'm talking about air conditioned, carpeted retail space.  Shop at your local Good Will Store or Salvation Army Store.  No kidding.  

Put your pride away and get your keys!  I'm not suggesting that you root through piles of used underwear; stay with me.  This is good stuff.  Just like any other store, 98% of the items for sale are of no interest you.  It's the 2% that you're after.  You just don't know what you're shopping for until you see it.  Go with an open mind, tiny budget and accomplish great things.  Like any other shopping trip you embark on to find treasures for your home, you may leave empty-handed.  You have to leave, go back, leave and go back again.

You may not have a Good Will or Salvation Army store in your area, but I'll bet you have a thrift store of some sort.  Some of the more 'colorful' mom and pop thrift stores present more of a shopping challenge and tend to smell a bit like your Grandma's basement, but press on.  

Would you walk away from a brand-new pair of Nine West leather cowboy boots for $17.00 on clearance at Saks or Macy's?  I think not.  I ran (quarterback-style) straight to the cash register at the Salvation Army Store and bought those puppies.  Actually, I was willing to pay $34.00 for them, but it so happened that I was a thrift Rookie and didn't know that Wednesdays are 1/2 off of clothing and shoes at that particular location!  Keep the change.

How about a large piece of furniture for your foyer?  Say, in black, with a storage bench-seat, hooks for coats and stands 5 feet tall?  Sounds pretty, huh?  Have your visual?  Good.  Ballard Design or Pottery Barn calls that 'The Beadboard Entry Cabinet' and would kindly ask that you pay around $800.00 plus S & H; please, and thank you.  If the piece had a French name or something that sounded like an $800.00 treasure, that'd be one thing.  Back on Planet Earth, our Salvation Army Entry Cabinet was $99.00.

If I haven't quite been able to create a convincing visual to drive the point home, I'll leave you with this:  Play along and choose the item in this picture that cost $6.00.

If you chose the lamp, you win. 


The linen-like barrel shade was found at Ross for $12.00 (Target Home Brand, by the way) making the grand total $18.00 for the lamp.  The shopping high?  Priceless.


Good Will and Salvation Army made michelles LIST.  Have yourself a nice little Saturday and make time to go Good Will hunting.


Teaser:  Do these brownies make my butt look big?