The blessing of free

I just have to share another story of blessing and provision.
We have been wanting to get another bed, something larger for my teenage son that could double as a guest bed.  Mattresses are so expensive - ouch!  We had company coming for the weekend and thought maybe we should just give in and make the purchase... when out of the blue we received an email about a free bed.  Coincidence?  I think not.
That same week, as we were looking over the budget that was stretched too thin, a dear friend showed up with several boxes of food.  It was a blessing that was neither expected nor asked for but that's what made it so special.

"Your Father knows what you need before you ask him." Matt 6:8

Up-cycled table

I've been looking for a small table to put on our back porch.  I tried yard sales and Craigslist but nothing seemed right.  Finally, my husband went to the Restore and found something acceptable.  I say acceptable because it was plain and ordinary - nothing much to look at.  But it only cost $15, so we went with it.

Something had to be done to liven up the table.  Our kids like to play games on the porch, so why not a game table?  I measured out a checkerboard on the top and taped it off.  I considered a traditional red/black color scheme but we don't have any red paint.  I considered going with black and the natural table, but that seemed boring.  I had some blue paint (I have no idea where it came from!) so I decided on blue and the natural table.  After painting and removing the tape, I applied three coats of polyurethane.  Now the kids can play checkers, chess, or even just a game of cards.

"Renting" furniture?

I move - a lot.  This will be my ninth move in the past 17 years of being married.  One thing I've learned is not to get too attached to things.  The comfy sectional sofa that is perfect in one home, just doesn't fit in the next.  So out it goes.  This is one reason why I love Craigslist.  I can buy and sell until everything fits.

It occurred to me this week that in a sense we rent our furniture.  Well, we sometimes borrow furniture for free!  Here are two recent examples.  When we moved into our current home, I wanted a shelving system that would look built-in.  I found the perfect thing on Craigslist and paid $250 for it.  Three years later, I want to keep part of it but not the whole thing.  So, I sold part of it for $50.  I probably could have sold the whole thing for the same $250 I paid for it.  Around the same time, I bought a wardrobe for our bonus room that we use as a bedroom.  Our new home has tons of closets, so out it goes.  We paid $95 for it three years ago and this week we sold it for $115.  So, we made $20 for "renting" our wardrobe the past few years.

The wardrobe that made me money.

A few tips for shopping on Craigslist:

Do your homework and know what it would cost new.

Always offer less than the listed price.

Consider the resale value.  Think - "Can I sell it for the same amount later?"

Remember that classic pieces and colors sell faster.

It never hurts to ask

I got an amazing deal today.  All I had to do was ask.  Well, and be a little persistent.

I saw a chair (in a box, not assembled) that would go perfectly in my living room.  It had been ordered online and returned to the store.  Originally it was $140, but was marked down to $100 because they don't carry them in the store.  I was excited already.

I took it out of the box and noticed some damage.  It was on the back and I thought I could live with it - for the right price. 

I took it to the front and asked to speak to a manager.  I showed her the damage and asked if they could give an extra discount.  She said she couldn't.  Not that it couldn't be done, but that she couldn't.  So I asked to speak to a higher manager.  Another woman came out and quickly agreed to discount it further.  I was hoping for another $20 or $25 off.  Surprisingly, she marked it down to $50!!  What an awesome deal!  Plus, I got another 5% off with my Target card.  That's a total of $47.50 plus tax for my new chair.

 

 

Free is the best price of all...

I have been wanting to buy a dresser for my daughter, but like always, I didn't want to spend much.  I searched my usual places: Craigslist, thrift stores, etc.  Everything seemed over priced.  $50 for a used dresser?  I just couldn't do it.

Then, as I was driving out of my neighborhood one day, I saw it.  A free dresser sitting on the curb.  Not only that, it had a matching night stand.  Did I say it was free??  I was so excited.  It needed a little paint and we splurged on some new hardware.  In the end, I spent less than $25 in supplies.

This is what I got...