You never know what you’ll find when you actually stop and look around.
That’s why I love going to garage sales and thrift stores as often as possible – just to dig around and see what hidden treasures can be found in the piles of junk.
I feel like there’s more merit and charm in the pieces that you find in this manner. After years of having this set of habits, I actually don’t like shopping retail anymore. It just seems so heartless to pour so much cash into brand new, widely distributed goods. This sensibility really came in handy the other day when my home HVAC unit cut out on me, actually. How could I ever replace indoor air temperature control equipment with thrift store treasures, you ask? Well, let me tell you about it. I woke up one morning and thought the house felt pretty warm and stagnant. As I got ready for work I was having a heck of a time that morning – I couldn’t even dry off after my shower because the air felt so thick and hot. Finally, I took a look at the air conditioner and realized that the entire cooling system had given up on me. The AC unit was not coming back to life, and I was on the verge of calling out a reputable HVAC repair shop when instead I took a moment, looked around, and found a solution. Out in our old shed I happened to see an ancient AC unit. I hauled it inside, plugged her in, and the baby purred to life! Sure, the little window unit couldn’t replace my whole central cooling system, but the free AC unit got me by for a few weeks before I could afford a new one.