Curbside Shopping: how I do it, and this week's finds!

I love going to thrift shops and garage sales. Love love love it.

But unfortunately, with one income and a 5 person family (including 2 adults and one seemingly always hungry teenage boy), I often can't even go to them because I'm out of money! (I really need a job. lol)

So if you've been reading this blog for a while, you know my favourite thing to do right now is to do some CURBSIDE shopping instead!!

Our city, Laval, is a big suburb of Montreal, Qc, Canada. Over 350,000 people live here. Every day of the week, it's trash day *somewhere* on the island (Hum, Laval is an island btw, like Montreal). Mondays is my part of the city, with Wednesday being the neighborhood beside us. I sometimes even go on Thursdays to another part of town which isn't too far from us. So, whenever I need a 'fix', I take the car or van and head out for that special kind of shopping.

Today being Monday, it's trash day in my area. I usually go early morning, but last night, I wasn't tired so I decided to go at night instead. From 9:30 til 11:30, I roamed the streets in search of some treasures.


One of you asked if I have a 'routine' route. I don't, really, but I know the area pretty well so I end up going on nearly all streets.

I see all kinds of things. You wouldn't believe the stuff people throw away!! Next time I go during the day, I will bring my camera to show you some of the stuff I see. I only take a small fraction of what I encounter, can you imagine?! If I have no need for it, or if I don't think I can find a place for it, I dont pick it up.

I like that people purposely leave some stuff ON TOP of garbage cans, or even besides them, in the hopes that someone will pick it up and prevent more landfill. (Though if you ask me, they really should learn to bring this stuff to thrift stores and salvation army and the like, but that's another story! Oh well, this way I can keep this curbside shopping addiction! LOL!!!).

I get a 'rush' out of doing this. Kinda like when you know you're doing something 'wrong'. Some could say that it's illegal, but I'm not actually *digging* in the garbage, only picking up things that aren't in cans/bags and that people leave there on purpose. I've often knocked on doors asking for permission. Every time, I get one of these responses:
I don't care
Go ahead!
I'd rather you pick it up than it end up being in the landfill!
I was hoping someone would pick it up!
Need help bringing it in your car?

Not a single negative response. So I don't bother asking much anymore!

It's also funny to see HOW MANY people do the same thing as me! I keep seeing the same cars circling around, picking stuff up! It gets my adrenaline pumping, trying to get to the good stuff before they do! LOL!!
ANd of course there are the METAL RECYCLERS out there that get on my nerves. You can spot them from afar: a pick up truck with tons of metal stuff jampacked in the back. They're not interested in anything other than metal. THey then bring their metal finds to the different metal recycling centers where they get paid a certain amount for a certain weight. I guess it's good, since, once again, it prevents this stuff from going to the dump and it's being recycled. But selfishly, I hate it because I sometimes see them with great wrought iron pieces in their trucks, that I would've enjoyed! *sigh*. But I let it be. (Though I've been REALLY pissed by them in the past: they have gone to the back of my driveway and picked up some stuff that wasn't even for the garbage! I wish I could've caught the bastard who did that a few times (the end of my driveway is nearly where the back of my house ends!!!)

And of course, when I go in the morning, it's always a race against the garbage trucks! bwahaha!! But by now, I know where each of them start so I can usually beat them.

So now that you know all this, it's time for me to show you this week's free finds!!!


And of course, once again, it's all part of Monday's Thrifty Treasures @ Southern Hospitality! :)





I picked up these cool dried willow branches! I was stoked! I had bought some similar to this, before, and they had cost over 10$. So getting them from free is awesome!!
And of course I HAD to put 'em in my made-over wicker vase, that I had found in the trash several weeks ago!


A nice resin planter! THere's a little crack in it, but no big deal. I cant wait to buy some flowers for it!

Remember I mentioned that I have a list of things I want to buy or find for free? And that, if I'm patient enough, I will ALWAYS find exactly what I need?!!

One of the things on my list was a step stool. Nothing fancy, just a plastic Rubbermaid stool so that my daughter can step on it to reach the glasses and plates @ our trailer (those cabinets are super high up). Well, here's what I found! I would've settled for any horrible colour (one time, I had a pink one), but I found it in white! It's in perfect condition, and even still has the rubber pieces underneath! my daughter is happy! teehee!!

I want to change my bedside tables (I had done a tile mosaic on mine about 13 years ago, it would be much a hassle to undo it now and it doesnt fit my style and decor anymore). So I'm looking for wooden ones.

I found this one last night. Only one of them, but I dont care. They don't have to match, and I know I'll eventually find another one that is just as nice.

The funny thing is...

This is the SAME DESIGN as our 2 chest of drawers, that belonged to DH as a kid!!! I never would've imagined finding part of the same set!! (But our dressers have been sanded down to the bare wood since, and now I'm wanting to refinish it. So stay tuned for a makover for this in the coming months!)


This cute little metal watering can! (yay, I got to it before the metal recyclers did, LOL!!!). Old, rusty... love it! The bottom has hole because of the rust, but I wasnt planning on using it for water, of course! It'll look good with some plants coming out of the top, dontcha think? Still undecided if I will paint it, but probably not!

This next thing is HUGE and HEAVY and took me forever to fit in my van! This will be sanded and refinished and go on top of my dresser to hold DH and mine's huge collection of books (which is now still in boxes for the most part!!).

This Adooooooorable little thingie!! Each 'square' is big enough to fit a CD case, to give you an idea of the size. (Please pardon the dust! I show you each item AS IS!). No clue where it'll go yet, but I loooooove it!

2 wooden chairs (the one on the right is bamboo)

I plan on finding tons of different wooden chairs, painting them all white, and using them on the porch at the campsite to replace the ugly resin chairs that we have. I also want to replace our resin table with a wooden one (left its wood colour)

And now.... drumrollll.....

Remember THIS blue wicker chair?

Well, I just found its twin!!!
Meet GREEN wicker chair!

Imagine it all spray painted white, cute cushions on the chairs, all resting on my trailer's porch in Vermont. I'll have the cutest little reading area ever!!!!

So, what great thrifty or free finds have you found this week?

BTW, I'm sorry I'm unable to comment on all the posts linked on Rhoda's Mr Linky!! We're redoing our kitchen (the thrifty way of course) and it's taking up a lot of time!! I promise I AM looking at each and every link though!