The weather has been extra nice here in Portland, so I decided to go for an after-dinner walk. My friend Lise was busy and my husband was tired, so I took off on my own. I opened my free Libby app to cue up my current audiobook, (Yours Truly, by Abby Jimenez) and began my journey.
I left the house yelling over my shoulder that “I need fresh inventory,” which was a joke. Mostly, because it’s uncommon for me to return home without having picked up something or other that my area’s residents set out for free. Sometimes it’s something to keep, but lately it’s something to sell. Just yesterday I sold a small curb picked coffee maker locally for $7 and I also sold two freebie chairs while I was out of town, one for $40 and the other for $75!
Mostly though, I’m out to get a bit of exercise and clear my mind. That is, until I come across a free box/pile.
Like this box of downed apples and pears. I took four apples, which were in better condition than the ones I left behind in this photo. I didn’t take any pears as they do a number on my gut.
I passed by a few other free boxes without falling to temptation, like this one:
I was briefly excited by this array of free items, but I didn’t end up taking anything. In retrospect the push mower would’ve been a smart item to grab for resale, but instead I left it for some other lucky pedestrian.
Too bad I didn’t need hangers:
The one freebie that stopped me in my tracks was this trio of Rejuvenation light fixtures! Although Rejuvenation was sold to Williams Sonoma awhile back, they’re still a Portland based business in my mind and very popular with Portland buyers. Their quality stands out in a Home Depot world and is easily recognizable.
Even in the waning light I was able to confirm my suspicions.
I quickly called my “tired” husband, giving him directions to my specific location and then stood guard over my loot. And like the weirdo that I am, I even took a selfie:
By the way, these light fixtures start at $249 apiece before you add a glass shade!
{ 43 comments… read them below or add one }
I’m jealous of the push mower!
Great finds!
I wasn’t thinking at the time that my husband would be driving the car to me.
Irrelevant, but saying it anyway: such a pretty picture of you!
My mom called to tell me the same thing.
I think this photo could be photoshopped with tropical sunset in background. Pretend you are at an angle to the sunset.
Husband is starting to trust my instincts more and more, thankfully.
Latest find: I had a feeling about a brown leather chair that started at $300 on Marketplace, and was marked down to $50. It meant making a sort-of special trip (3 1/2 hours drive…but I had appraising to do there, anyways) and a bit of a hassle getting it home in the back of the truck. But we did it.
It’s beautiful. I have no idea why it didn’t sell earlier (maybe a God thing), but it’s comfortable. My new reading chair.
(It’s on here — I tried and failed to paste it.)
https://cindybrick.blogspot.com/2024/07/frugal-hits-misses-july-report.html
So I’m working — and Husband comes prancing over to say — he’d looked up the chair. And it retails for $2200-3200 in various spots!
Hopefully your ‘tired husband’ is trusting your instincts, too. He should.
That is a gorgeous chair! Your blog is so nice too. Lovely photos.
Cindy, I don’t know which find I’m more envious of–your chair or Katy’s light fixtures!
Great chair!!!!
Thank you, Dears!
The leather chair is beautiful. I too found a nice leather recliner. My husband griped about having to come pick it up in his truck. It is now his favorite chair. (He spends too much time lazing in it.) He looked it up online & it’s an expensive brand. I too, said trust my instincts.
Nice find. I can’t wait to see what you sell them for.
I cleaned them up last night and will list them in a few days when I’m sure to be at home for a buyer.
I had lunch out today with my best friends from college. Paid $21 in cash for the meal and tip, and the meal was big enough to bring half of it home for supper. Time with my besties: priceless.
Had a frugal fail in that I bought the wrong replacement head for my mop and it was not returnable. The mop is now vintage and it took a deep dive into eBay to finally find the right one. Since the previous one lasted 30 years, I expect to not need another in this lifetime. 😀
Better frugal stuff: Clipper cut my long-haired cat’s tummy and backside to keep her cool and clean. Trimmed my own hair. Cooked kibble topper for my dogs, packaged it up and froze it for their future meals. Bought some canned goods (salmon, kidney beans, cherry pie filling, apple butter) and a roll of jute gardening twine at Ollie’s Outlet, my favorite clearance store. Took a big bag of stuff to Goodwill and did not go shopping, as I am still in “crap out of the house” mode.
“Crap out of the house” is the best mode!
Frugal finds today: Grocery store will no longer be selling this certain type of candied trout. I snagged the last whole piece and the fish guy offered me all the little remains FOR FREE! I paid $7.24 for what ended up being 3 pounds plus of trout. Second thing was that I did a stint at the food bank. At day’s end they had Costco apple pies that will be pasts the date they can give them to clients. I sacrificed and took one home for the husband, who adores pie. Me, not so much. Luckily, as I don’t need to love another sweet. Third and final was that Clobber Paws was antsy so I took him for a run, which means I am in my power wheelchair and he runs along side me. Passed a house where the entire front lawn looks like it is made of rhubarb, and there was a sign saying, “I beg of you, pick some and take it home.” So, I tethered the dog to an electric pole that I was fairly certain he would not be able to heave out of the ground, and picked as much as I could hold in the handy backpack that hangs off the back of the chair. I now have 40 pounds of rhubarb to chop for making rhubarb sauce, and I am going to throw in some elderly apples and plums. We do this every fall and eat it all winter, like applesauce. My scores were not as good as the lamps or the brown leather chair, but I am very happy.
I love the image of you scootering and Clobber Paws running beside! And the score on rhubarb! Wonderful
I had to laugh at the sturdiness of the electric pole! You should repeat that trip with him as often as possible while there’s free rhubarb.
Ruby, I agree that Lindsey and Clobber Paws should repeat that trip–till CP gets so big and strong that he can uproot the pole!
I’m envious of your rhubarb, nice score!
You have a great neighborhood for free stuff!
We’ve had a lot of free produce given to us, so I’m thankful for that. My husband is back to school, and he’s teaching an extra class this year (sold his prep period) so that extra income is nice. I have decided to be happy with my role as frugal queen at home, selling on eBay and Etsy and FB marketplace, and subbing, and volunteering as Master Gardener and at a community garden, which all give me the flexibility I need to manage my chronic illness, help my elderly parents and help with my grandchildren. I have always felt I should be doing more, but when I see that all written down, I think I’m doing enough.
I agree you’re doing enough. I think you have a very busy life as it is. It sounds as if you’re a member of the sandwich generation…helping out with both your grandkids and your elderly parents. I was there myself about a decade ago and I can tell you sometimes I felt stretched very thin. To be doing it and managing a chronic illness is to be commended. Best to you.
Thank you
You are doing more than enough! You have a lot of irons in the fire.
Thank you.
As someone who often feels like I should be doing more, know that you are doing more than enough! That’s quite a stack of plates that you’re juggling. Plus, downtime is hugely important.
I deem you a club sandwich – parents, kids, and grandkids. You’re doing great with not only time management but Kara time. Kara time is important too chronic illness or not.
I also pick up free inventory on my walks. A few days ago I spotted 2 plastic kiddie pools out for the trash. Swung by after my walk in the SUV and scooped them up. Sold the next day for $10. Not much $ but it was free and it all adds up! I just picked up a small white Christmas tree with lights. I’ll wait to list it till closer to Christmas. Yea for walks that earn you money!
It’s like picking up a ten dollar bill off the ground!
Yes. When you find something free and sell it, it’s always 100% profit!!!
Beyond the money making you are keeping usable items out of the landfill. I give you a lot of credit for that.
On the way back from a fabulous Monterey weekend using hotel reward points I stopped by a giant home consignment place that receives goods from stagers. The prices were insanely low.
Since we are in the process of renovating a 100 year, 5,000 square foot River House, the place is a godsend. I am determined to not fill this place just so my only son will have to empty it it 30 years ( god willing.) So I am letting the natural beautify of a house full of windows in beautiful farmland work it own magic as it wll light is framed by original dark wood panelling. Having said that, five bedrooms, office, den , living room, and an American four square entryway big enough for a small bedroom requires lots of lamps and a few frame pictures.
I have decided on tiffany style lampshades if possible. I have bought and repaired some from Ebay. At the consignment place I found a stunning, rounded large lamp with three muses brass base for $79. It works. I check it. It has a crack I may or may not fix. I bought another lamp and five substantial framed “of the era” pictures. I asked for a discount for bulk and she gave me $70 off. I walked out the door for $300. Yes! I just have one plate of glass to maybe replace on one of the photos.
The place has rugs and such but I am going to wait until we actually move in in November 2025 ( cross your fingers) for that. We are restoring the beautiful wooden floors. Oh, and as a found bonus, we removed the siding from the 70s and found the original shingles in great shape. Excellent.
Great score! It sounds like you’re being so smart with your choices.
Oh, how I envy you getting to walk outdoors in nice weather! I just got in and my car thermometer said 101. It was already 90 when I got up this morning at 8:15 (I have the day off). The St. Augustine grass is shriveled from the heat; our town has issued water restrictions so we can’t water the yard every day.
Your apples and pears remind me of the time I’d gotten laid off. My parents were alive but I didn’t want to leech off them too much; they were retired. So I was trying to get my own groceries but the cupboard was getting bare. It was already November or December and I knew Christmastime was going to be a challenge for us all. (That was the year we agreed not to give each other gifts.) I took the dogs walking and a nearby house had a HUGE box of ripe pears (the day before, their tree limbs had been bending over, full of fruit, the crop was so much). It was on the curb and the sign said “Free, please take as many as you want.” I went home, got the car and grabbed a grocery bag or two. I think I took home a couple of dozen or more. My breakfast and snacks for the next few weeks were all taken care of right there! And enough to share with my folks! (There was still plenty left in the box for others to enjoy, however.) I felt like God had really provided for us that day!
‘Free’ food has gotten us through a lot of lean times. Love hearing stories like that.
You feel safe walking with headphones? I’m out in the sticks but wear hearing protection when around chain saw/wood splitter. But I’m a bit more on guard when I do so.
I feel absolutely safe wearing headphones in my neighborhood.
I should have been more precise – vehicles, bikes, rogue dogs, and/or skate boarders are my concern.
Ahh . . . nah, I’m not that able to retreat into my own world.
Katy,
You do have great Free piles. It might be a good thing we don’t have more where we live.
Friends have given me excess garden produce twice this week. I received tomatoes and a spaghetti squash from a friend on Tuesday and yesterday another friend gave me a cucumbers and two types of tomatoes. I can eat tomatoes any time of the day when they are available in the summer.
I have found nothing curbside recently but have managed to walk every day despite all the rain we’ve had the past few days.
I feel the need to chime in and comment on the lovely photo of you. What a score on those lamps!
Thank you!
Fab lights, would have them if it weren’t for the shipping to Scotland, and the rewiring they’d need for here!! Someone will be lucky and you’ll have some pennies!
My daughter just had an amazing free day out with her Archaeology Club, that I couldn’t have afforded if I had to go too! However car died on the way out so rang my mum (we live together so quick to find us) we hadn’t got far, so a trip out, a trip back which we towed the car home. Hubby trying to fix car, broken fuel pump, a tool needed and ordered, to carefully remove vintage pump to replace with less vintage pump. We luckily kept most of the old car, which was the same for spares. Themn another trip out to collect and return home with tired child!
So lots of extra fuel and time, luckily I have a man who can fix pretty much everything, so not very frugal!
Been watching the Swedish death cleaners that has just come to our screens. Gave me a boost to sort, so have spent alot of this evening adding random stuff to Gumtree and keeping my fingers crossed. Otherwise it goes to charity shop. Find the selling stuff really stressful, we don’t have to much to do with the outside world these days, find something many people aren’t very straight with you anymore, lots of messing about. How do you guys deal with it?
Canned lots of my fruit and meat this week, baked and frozen cakes while the hens are still laying.
I took do not have a lear jet!!!
Found 2p on my way to the loo.