Friday posts tend to be about the the crap I buy. That’s fine with me, because its a seemingly bottomless pool of subject matter. Easily accessibly for me with a quick trip around the house or a review of the receipts in my wallet.

During my last such stuff perusal, I took note of not all things I’ve bought which I still adore, but all the items that have entered my life free of charge. Things I am nonetheless enamored with, that came to me with no exchange of money.

Exhibit A. Whale shelf, holder of hairbrushes, eye glasses, and miscellaneous bathroom detritus, manufacturing second courtesy of my friends at These Creatures. A fabulous company I did business with at the Pet Store, with an eye for quality and a happiness to pass along sub-par pieces to friends. I would (and have) gladly paid for these products, but I’m a particular fan of the ones they wouldn’t sell.

Like the key rack, phone charging station that lives by our front door.

A word about origins: It’s been brought to my attention that I tend to overlook the concept of “no free lunch”. (Thank you carpool buddy). With that in mind, I am not including items received as gift, or purchased by someone else with the intent of giving them to me. These are mostly cast-offs. Items gleaned from friends, family and co-worker because I happened to be in the right place at the right time, and I’ve a big mouth. I will always speak up to take something off your hands. When it’s something I like of course. Shy, I am not.

Moving on.

I searched high and low for coasters I liked, only to have them fall into my lap with a free wood score. A little finishing, and an existing coaster holder later, I’m still a fan of their rustic nature. Coasters: $0.

Yetis, food chain friends, and Vikings all need a place to live. A contained place.

Enter vintage metal baskets from a stash in a co-workers barn. I love these. They’ve come in handy for apple cold storage (even if it was mostly a fail), yarn, and decorative purposes. They are little rusty, with infinite possibilities.

More vintage. This time a poppy print absconded with from a house The Husband’s parent’s bought and then sold. The house had a furnished vacation rental, which came equipped with an odd assortment of furniture and art. I love poppies. I love free.

Planters? not free. Plants? Didn’t pay for a one. Given up during moves or clipping from someone else’s. I’m not sure I will ever buy a house plant again.

Another instance of a small amount of manufacturing. When in need of a few bedroom hooks, The Husband assembled this gem out of a scrap wood from a friend and unused hardware from another closet in the house. He stained the wood with used motor oil. Handy that, and a lovely finish.

To round it out with a recent acquisition, I’ve oft lamented the state of my hardwood floor. They weren’t the bestest when we moved in. Their plight hasn’t been helped by heavy dog traffic. Some spots are worse than others. Those spots I’d like to cover with recyclable Flor tiles. Or free area rugs from friends, as they present themselves. Friends without pets, whose area rugs are in remarkable condition. It’s not quite as cool as Flor, but its working quite well.

This is really just a sampling. The list of free goes on. There’s the old throw pillows inherited from a great aunt, the owl bookend gleaned from prior tenants of a friends house, the board from an old salmon packing crate that adorns my kitchen wall. Somewhere in time somebody paid for these items in some way or another. That person is typically multiple degrees removed from me. Everything comes with a cost; communication, a little resourcefulness, certainly patience. That’s the price of being a nonconsumer. One I am usually quite happy to pay.

What’s your best free find?