She and her roommate scored a free piano off of Craigs List.

They put it in their driveway or behind their house because thats easier than taking it somewhere.

Shes got an eye for whats worth refurbishing and what can be used without upgrading it at all.

Two colorful chairs are pictured on a backyard deck

Found furniture on the side of the road can be a treasure for people on a tight budget or bargain hunters. Chris Zuppa/The Penny Hoarder

I could see somebody putting plants in it on their front porch, she said.

I think I paid $5 for it and sold it for $50.

Probably not as good as youd like.

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It always seems like an uphill battle to build (and keep) a decent amount in savings.

But what if your car breaks down, or you have a sudden medical bill?

Ask one of these companies to help…

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It was a hobby at first.

Her brother brought her pieces he found on the side of the road.

A wooden toolbox went just as it was on the back porch to hold magazines.

There are even more options now.

People can sell things on Facebook Marketplace, Nextdoor or Instagram, Marger said.

That takes no investment in retail space.

Garage sales have the best deals over thrift stores, and definitely over vintage or antique stores.

you could stain, paint or shellac furniture.

Leave a $20 gas card on the dashboard every now and then.

Think outside the box.

Take objects and use them for something thats not the intended purpose, Marger said.

Some ideas: A childs wooden chair can be a bedside table or a planter next to a fireplace.

An old door can be a desktop, or paint a flag on it.

Paint old cabinet doors with chalkboard paint and hang them in a childs room.

Look for solid wood pieces as opposed to pressed wood or assemble-yourself furniture.

The wood should be solid with nothing broken, glued back together or water damaged.

When considering furniture, look at the bones, not the fabric.

Fabric can be replaced.

Upholstery and other fabric can be found for great prices at thrift stores and charity resale outlets.

If you are posting a photo of something to sell, accessorize.

Photograph a wooden tool box with magazines or gardening tools in it.

How to Stain Rehab Furniture

First of all, staining and stripping furniture are two different things.

To stain:

How to recover a bench or seat cushion.

Replacing the fabric on a piece of rehab furniture can make all the difference.

It can turn a piece of alley trash into your most talked-about eyecatcher.

When you log into your bank account, how do your savings look?

Probably not as good as youd like.

It always seems like an uphill battle to build (and keep) a decent amount in savings.

But what if your car breaks down, or you have a sudden medical bill?