The Best Things in Life are on the Side of the Road with a “Free” Sign

A little dramatic for a title, I know. But I’m just pretty darn excited about what I found today. There have been many times we’ve been driving around and saw furniture on the side of the road, but we normally don’t stop because our car is just too small to bring it home.

Today, though, was different. There it was…a couch with a wood frame in nice shape. I could just feel my heart beating faster because we are in despirate need of a new couch. And it was right across the street!

When I first saw it, I was still working. I also didn’t see a sign on it indicating it was free. So I kept working and kept thinking about it. After work, I went outside and it was still there. This time, it had a nice yellow “Free” sign on it. Bingo!

I called out to my son and pointed it out to him. My son, who is such a little mini-me, said “Let’s go look at it.” So we ventured across the street.

There’s a few scratches in the wood, but that can just be made to look better with a little furniture polish. The upholstery itself is in great shape. Whoever had this couch took care of it. It isn’t necessarily a fabric style that I would choose if I bought a brand new couch – but it matches our living room color perfectly. It was as though it was meant to be.

I looked to my son, to ask what he thinks of it. He hopped on it and said, “This is nice.”

Decision made…we’re taking it. But with just my son and I, how would we get it home?

I went into brainstorm mode and do what I call, “Letting out my inner MacGyver.” Looking in our garage, I tried to see if there was anything we could use to help us get it home. And there it was – my son’s wagon. I could lift the couch up on its side, move the wagon underneath it and then slowly lower the couch on top of the wagon. It could just be rolled home and into our garage.

It worked just as planned. Now when my husband gets home we’ll bring it into the house.

I am so excited!

Posted by Tricia on August 30, 2006 at 8:47 PM in Saving Money | 6 Comments »
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Sara responded:
Posted: August 30th, 2006 at 10:21 pm
score! congratulations on your new couch!!!
Jed responded:
Posted: August 30th, 2006 at 10:41 pm
I love this! You got something you needed, for no money, you did someone else a service by removing something that they no longer wanted, and finally, you did something nice for the environment by reusing something that otherwise would have gone to waste.

The title was not at all over-dramatic for the score that this was. Pictures! Post pictures
Tricia responded:
Posted: August 30th, 2006 at 10:52 pm
Thanks everyone

I’ve been doing some cleaning in our porch so we can bring it in there. Then, over the next few days I’ll give it a good cleaning and a little polish then we’ll bring it into the living room.

I will definitely post a pic when it’s in the house.
Blogging Away Debt » Blog Archive » A Picture of My Free Couch responded:
Posted: January 6th, 2007 at 8:09 pm
[...] While going through my archives to write about My Top Frugal Posts of 2006, I realized that I still need to post a picture of the couch that I got on the side of the road for free. [...]
Like Mother, Like Son : Blogging Away Debt responded:
Posted: March 26th, 2007 at 11:20 am
[...] summer, I was tickled pink when there was a couch on the side of the road with a free sign. We needed a couch so my son and I picked up the couch and brought it [...]
ridi likpi responded:
Posted: January 29th, 2009 at 3:08 pm
this place needs pix of couches