When I came back to Penn State for the second summer session earlier this year, I didn't visit the Nittany Lion Shrine first. I didn't crave ice cream from the Berkey Creamery. I didn't run to the HUB to pick up my books.
I went to a yard sale.
Let me explain. My apartment for the summer was typical for State College, mismatched couches and end tables left astray, along with dishes, glasses and utensils. The only problem was that there was no furniture in the bedroom, so I needed a bed -- and for cheap.
I hadn't even unloaded my other stuff, some already used or free, and my family decided to go to a yard sale in the search for a bed.
The first sale had potential. We browsed over some lamps, miscellaneous jewelry, and, lo and behold, a futon! But, alas, it was already sold. So, I bought a 50-cent duck pin, and the search continued.
Without the sight of any other signs, my mom steered the car toward one place we knew always had interesting used furniture - Goodwill.
While my sister was trying to convince me to buy a fuzzy pair of tiger slippers at Goodwill Industries, 424 Westerly Parkway, my dad happened to find a set of box springs for $20. Next, I needed a mattress.
Considering that a used mattress is a little on the unsanitary side, especially in a college town, my mom steered the car toward Ollie's Bargain Outlet, 1919 S. Atherton St. I found one that was a bargain because it was cheaper than a mattress store and had no questionable stains on it, like it may have had if we picked one up off the street.
Our next stop was Lowe's, 104 Valley Vista Drive, not for some fresh paint or a lamp, but for a bed "frame." I use the term "frame" loosely to describe the four cinder blocks and two boards I bought that then supported me quite comfortably during the summer.
My half of the bedroom at my summer apartment was comfortably furnished during that time with: a desk my parents got for free from a friend, a dresser from a Goodwill store, a set of plastic storage drawers I bought at Target and a bigger set I picked from the trash at the end of the spring semester. Total cost including the bed "frame," mattress, and box springs: less than $150.
So, the desk isn't level; the drawers from the trash are missing a wheel; and the dresser has a blue paint blob on it. They're perfectly usable, and I like to call attributes like that "character" --character like the smell of an old book, the peeling paint on an old trunk or the worn lettering on an old T-shirt.
When you know you'll only be using furniture for a few years, there's no shame in using your resources wisely hunting for things at places like Goodwill, yard sales or near the dumpster.
And, at the stores like St. Vincent de Paul, 526 Westerly Parkway, and Goodwill, items that are sold help contribute to charity in the area instead of wasting space at a trash dump. That's the best reason to donate things: You might not think that your '70s-era desk lamp is cool anymore, but if it still works someone else can give it a good home.
Most of the things you'll find at sales and in the trash are even cooler than those you could buy at a store because they have that "character" I mentioned.
Another bonus is the simple fun of hunting to find something you need with that built-in "character," especially if you can talk about your trip later with a friend (or a sister) who teased you about a silly pair of fuzzy tiger slippers.
