I Seem To Have Missed Out On the "Easy" Part

We've decided to find a dresser for Fynn and Mad to share.  My brother's family gave us one that they were just going to put out on the curb.  It's perfect, except for the cigarette smell that we can't seem to get rid of.


I'd been hoping to find one through Freecycle.org, but we're not having any luck.  Since we are committed to spending less than $100, I have spent the past three weekends driving around our area looking for yard sales.  So far I've come across three dressers.  None would withstand my use, let alone that of two little girls in a few years.


The upside of all that driving around is that I can now say with assurance that Tom and I picked a solid neighborhood for our first home.  Every neighborhood we'd looked at in a nearby town (which would have put us 15-20 minutes closer to everyone else) is a shambles.  Of course, ours went through something like that right after we closed escrow, so there's hope for those places, too.  It's just that more of them looked worse there than anything we had around here.


Since random driving around isn't accomplishing anything other than using up gas and confirming yet again that I should let go of my complaints about being so far away, I have added a couple of strategies to my bargain hunting repertoire. 


The first was to check out local resale stores.  Two crap dressers from the 70's at one place, nothing anywhere else so far.


Second was to check the PennySaver.  Note to self: If you want a shot at something listed there, maybe checking your mail for the latest edition more than once or twice a week will help move you up in the queue.


Third, today we stopped by an independent furniture store. They have a utile dresser (no idea of the quality since it was all wrapped up) for $125. However, we are committed to staying within the budget we've set.


Fourth, I have begun haunting Craigslist.  Everyone says it's so easy to get great deals on Craigslist.  Now I have found some amazing pieces of furniture for very reasonable prices.  In Los Angeles.  In Koreatown.  In Santa Monica.  In my own local listing (Inland Empire, which sounds better than it is... or maybe sounds like someone trying to boost their own ego, which would be exactly like it is), I find crap.  Much like the crap that I've seen at those yard sales and resale shops.


I did find one this afternoon that seems perfect.  Even better, it's $45, an amount equal to what I'm asking for the dresser we already received from my brother's family, thereby making it free.  Best of all, unlike my brother and his wife, the current owners of the perfect dresser do not smoke in the house.  The downside?  It's located about 55 miles from here and the guy didn't call me back until 8:15 tonight.  And Tom would rather drive down there in the morning than go tonight when there will be minimal Vegas and River traffic.  The guy would not promise to hold it.


If all of this doesn't work, we have one last option.  Tom works for a company that is well-known for its home furnishings.  We know the furniture for kids sucks, but the rest of it is generally good to great quality, if you want to spend those prices.  They have an outlet store a bit more than halfway down to San Diego.  He'll be calling them every Tuesday morning (after their shipments are in) to see if they have anything we might be able to use.


Are there any bases we haven't covered here?