Habitat for Humanity helps us too

Habitat for Humanity has long been one of my favorite charities.  When I used to have a real income, I sent them regular donations.  Now I support Habitat by shopping at their ReStore(s).  Do you?

In case you don't know, ReStore is a non-profit shop that sells home improvement goods, mostly used, often very gently used.  I used to think that shopping there was buying things intended for those less well off than I.  But eventually I realized that shopping there was a way to support Habitat AND save money simultaneously.

You never know what you're going to find.  For that reason, Mina and I have spent a lot of time "cruising" the ReStores in Corvallis and Albany.  They are not duplicates.  In fact, their inventories overlap very little.  They were a great source of irrigation supplies for our garden last summer (amazingly, it rains a fair bit in Oregon, but NOT in the summertime).

For building our chicken coop, they have been invaluable.  Our coop will include 1 French door, 3 windows ($38 for all 3!), nests built from cabinet drawers and scrap lumber, hardware cloth, screen, door latches, hinges, a tiny chicken door, chicken toys ... all from ReStore.  And when I needed that table to attach the miter saw ... ReStore had it.  Actually, they had two; I had choices.

Often, our first trip, before Home Depot, is to the ReStore.  Our chicken coop wouldn't have been the same (but it definitely would have been more expensive) without them.  Try them out sometime.