Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson
Patience is the companion of wisdom.
~St. Augustine
Patience is also a form of action.
~Auguste Rodin
Sometimes it pays to be patience, especially where
Craigslist or
Value Village are concerned. I freely admit that I am addicted to both. I think it is hereditary, my paternal grandma was a bargain hunter to the tenth degree, garage sales, thrift stores, and swap meets were no match for her bartering / bargaining prowess. I like to think that she taught me well, before it was cool how to recycle, reuse and re-purpose, she told us that there were great things to be found that others had discarded. I have found that to be true over and over again, you just have to know what you are looking for and have patience to wait for them to show up.
I have wish lists of things that I look for when visiting either craigslist or VV.
I check Craigslist free section daily to see if I can find any of the items on my list. It takes me about 5 min if that, and I usually do that while I download my email for the day. Recently I have picked up a couple of book shelves and a CD tower to match the ones already in use for our DVD collection. ALL FREE! Book shelves are pretty much a daily listing so that was easy. The CD tower however, I waited / looked for a number of months before one came up. I was not in a hurry, I knew what I wanted, and was very specific. It was just a "it would be nice to have sometime". It certainly was not a "I need it now item." I still have the CD towers on my list, I am willing to wait, to see if it comes up again.
One thing to keep in mind with Craigslist, is driving distance to pick items up. Is it worth the time / gas costs? I was fortunate, both the book shelves and the CD towers were located no more than 5 km's from routes we regularly drive. So the "free" aspect was not lost on gas usage. Extra bonus. Depending on the item it may be worth going the extra miles to pick up.
Then there are our regular visits to VV- the closest one is less than 3 min from home with another 2 within a 10 min drive. We drive by often, in our day to day life, so none of these locations are "out of the way" a quick trip in can take less than 15 min because we know what is new on the racks or shelves.
Like when I go grocery shopping, I have a list. I do admit that I do not stick to it as tightly as I do my grocery list it simply acts as a guide and gives me a place to start. VV shopping allows for a little more 'freedom' simply because you never know just what you are going to find. With that being said maybe my VV list should be more of a wish list than a shopping list. I have found that if you have patience you will find what you are looking for most of the time.
My newest acquisition is prime example of just that. This past Christmas one of my hubby's aunts made traditional Lefse, I think it is Grandma's recipe. So yummy! The key she told me was to make sure you have the right tools, starting with the right rolling pin. I thought great, I will go pick one up and be off making Lefse with my family... Not so easy. First of they are not carried at any normal department / discount stores. Secondly I have discovered that to purchase a new one could be anywhere from 25$. I thougth that a little steep for a rolling pin and was not willing to pay that, so it went on my VV list. I have been looking ever since. It may not look like much but it made me want to do a happy dance in the isle (much to the dismay of my children) when I found it this last week. For a whopping 3.99! So excited. Now I just need to peel a few potatoes and make some Lefse.
I just have to say that my hubby is the best. He did not even bat an eye when I said, "hey babe want to go for a little drive?" This is not the first time this crazy wife has asked such a question at such an hour of the night no less. And still he says sure, I know many men out there would say NO way crazy woman. Last time we did this it backfired, the item was gone. And he still says yes, I do love this man. This time we had success! This unit is beyond what I ever hoped to find. It is a very well made piece of furniture, I am sure that when it was new it was well over $500. Solid wood, it has doors that fold totally away so the TV will not be obstructed when viewing, and can be pulled out for better visibility. Lots of storage underneath too. Can you tell I am excited! I actually did a little happy dance on the side of the road when it was still there when we drove up. I am hoping that by having a unit to house our TV that can hide the TV it will be like the TV is not in the living room. 
