I don’t know why, but I’d kind of forgotten about shopping at people’s homes as another option for finding great stuff.  If I need anything, my M.O. is always to head to the thrift stores and browse until one day I find the item.

But I’d made a list headed up Long Term, and many items have been on this list for quite a long time.  Then I remembered our local site for finding used goods at people’s homes, castanet.net.  What joy and excitement to be able to cross three items off my list in just one week.

First of all, I’ve been without music, other than a radio, for about four years.  For some reason the stereo system didn’t work, and as I’m incapable of opening a CD case, I certainly can’t figure out electronic problems.  In any case, I had hideous, huge old speakers, so I started by taking those to the Salvation Army.

Then I began to look for speakers on Castanet, and found two nice Bose speakers for $50.  I drove over and bought them from a 15-year-old kid in West Kelowna who tried to explain woofers and tweeters to me.  I just said if sound comes out, then that’s what I want.

Luke hooked up the speakers and of course he had the amp working in no time.  He then gave me strict instructions never to touch the amp, and I swore I wouldn’t.  Then he handed me a flipper (I now have four lined up on the coffee table) and said this is how I’m to play music henceforth.

After that, I found an adorable metal bistro table and two chairs set for $40, which I’ve put down in the vegetable garden beside the greenhouse.  I put a lovely pot of snapdragons on the table, and voila!  Adorable.

Then I got a decorative metal bench for my xeriscape garden, to be placed at the end of the pebble pathway along the cedars.  It was kind of beaten up for $85 but by then I thought oh what the heck, I’ll just pay the 85 bucks to the woman.  And really, where it’s sitting, no-one can even see any of these defects, so I have to ignore them, too.

My stove is 14 years old and a complete mess, so now I’m shopping for one on my new favourite site.  I found an ad which says 1.5 month old KitchenAide stove for which the person allegedly paid $1600 for $600 so I’ve contacted them.  Maybe I can cross stove off my list soon, too.

As the kids and I reviewed my fab purchases, Luke said why would any buy new?  Why indeed, but it sure is great for people like me, as the stuff people throw away is still so nice.  I said to Luke honestly, the only thing I buy new are dogs and food, because the latter just isn’t any good used.