I’ve been scoring some incredible goodies by the side of the road this week. My latest haul was perfectly timed; I passed a house while the garage was still being cleaned out. I scored a Radio Flyer Scooter, a turtle sandbox, and a pop-up play tent and tunnel. Then, as if it could get any better, after meeting the homeowner and briefly chatting about our kids, she offered an extra roomy pack and play (sized for twins) that she’d not yet even placed on the curb. She even kindly offered to hold what I couldn’t fit into the car so I could make a second trip.
I felt a little greedy loading my car up, particularly when a pregnant woman pulled up on the curb after me, but when I asked if there was anything she’d had her eye on since she’s expecting, she laughed and explained that she already has three kids at home so she’s packed to the brim with all the essentials. She did grab what I’d thought was a ball drop toy that turned out to be a wind up t-ball thing that pitches balls to you — kind of cool once she showed me how it works. You just never know what you’re going to find. So exciting.
After a quick wipe down and disinfecting scrub, everything looks good as new and Emilia is none the wiser. And I saved about $230 total.
Here’s a quick breakdown:
Little Tikes Turtle Sandbox, retails for $59
Radio Flyer My First Scooter, retails $35
Pop-up tent and tunnel (similar here), retails $35
Graco Extra Large Pack N Play (similar here), retails $100
I know it’s not for everyone, but the recycler/re-user in me is thrilled each time I’m able to find something that I need secondhand instead of buying new. Our culture encourage consumption of the “newest” and “greatest” and tries to make us feel like we’re less if we don’t succumb to the urging to BUY. It’s something I’ve become more cognizant of since becoming a parent and think we all need to pay more attention to.
Our values should define where our hard-earned dollars go, not marketers.
Anyways, our yard is quickly starting to look like a kid’s “Fun Zone” between all this stuff, the Cozy Coupe from my mom and the log cabin play house (another roadside find just before we moved) so I’m working towards the best way to deal with that. I’ll keep you posted.
Married with Style 