Shop at Goodwill, it's fun and good for...

When I moved back into my house after my stint on Bainbridge for a year, I needed to do some home improvement work as well as general nesting to make the home feel more homey.  Being a starving (though not anymore thanks to food stamps,) grad student, I couldn't just drive down to Ikea whenever I needed something, I needed to be creative and improvise.  This is when I discovered the wonders of Goodwill.

One fine summer day, I was unpacking the rest of my random junk boxes and was feeling particularly organized.  As with any other person, I have a fair amount of stuff that doesn't get used regularly, so these things needed to be packed away in a way that allowed easy access to them, while at the same time utilizing space efficiently.  After several hours of moving this here and that there, a few items of organizational necessity sprang into my brain; a bookcase, extra hangers, a shower rack, another clothes organizing device (of some sort,) a bucket... you know, pretty boring yet necessary things.

With my list in pocket, I decided to head over to the Goodwill around the corner to see what they had.  Guess what?  They had it ALL.  Yep, everything on my list I found for, of course, much discounted prices than buying new.  Sweet huh?  There were some items that may have needed a little cleaning and some easy repairs, but I'm willing to put some effort into something that costs literally a fraction of what it would if it were bought new.  The place is like Ikea but cheaper... well, see list below for more details.

Ever since then, whenever I need something random for the house I don't drive 50 miles to Ikea, I walk 9 blocks to Goodwill.  Lets discuss why this is awesome:

Awesome:

• Cheap stuff!  Everyone likes cheap stuff.
• Stuff with character!  Does character mean ugly?  Sometimes, but to each their own right?
• Job training!  Goodwill is also a job training center, teaching people how to get and keep good jobs.
• It's sustainable!  Buying something used prevents resources from being used to create something new.
• You don't feel bad for taking something apart.  You know, if you're looking for materials to create something, look around Goodwill and I'll bet you find something that you can take apart and use.

Not so Awesome:

• Stinky, dirty clothes.  Good clothes are the hardest to find (though very possible with patience and time,) and usually they stink of dust.  I came across a shirt with blood on it once.  Ew.
• Lots of junk.  Shopping at Goodwill is like a treasure hunt.  You gotta look through all the worthless garbage to find the real gems.

I think the list is in Awesome's favor.  Some of the other cool things I've found at this store include:  a heavy-duty stainless steel pot for cheese-making, a one gallon jug to use when I get around to making gingerbeer, a dining table, and tons of canning jars.  I've also gotten quite a bit of entertainment out of just perusing the aisles and just looking at all the kooky stuff someone out there used to own.

P.S.  Oatmeal made with whey is NOT delicious.  Luckily the chickens think it is.

P.P.S  I have a poll.  Look at the top left of my page.  Fill it out will ya?  Thanks.

Now for a random picture:

Shawn with our volunteer elephant garlic.  Nice Shawn, nice.