Why buy when you can rent?

I stopped into my favorite thrift shop the other day. (They close at 2PM and are not open on weekends, so I have to pretty much plan a visit.) I was actually there to drop off a printer that we no longer use. I love having a place to take used electronics, knowing that it will benefit someone. And of course, I had to look around while I was there.

I found these great old cookbooks. They gave me a chuckle, so I wanted to share them with you.



This one has mouthwatering recipes like Clam-Frankfurter Dip, Avocado-Frankfurter Dip, and Shrimp-Frankfurter Dip. Mmmmmmm





And what would we do without the joys of Jello?



Here is a picture from inside the "Joys of Jello". This section is about how " Jello is a young dessert. Cool and sparkling.
Fresh and fruity. And the colors are pure pop art." ...So true, so true.



So as I put these books in my paper grocery bag (it was "bag day"- fill a bag for $5) I thought "I may not ever use these books. Do I really need encouragement to eat more sour cream and sausage?" But then I remembered that half the stuff I buy at thrift stores ends up there again eventually. I have begun thinking of such places as rental stores. I pay a reasonably small amount to take the items home with me for an amount of time determined by me, and then, when I no longer need them, or want them, I take them back. No questions asked, no papers to sign, and I should add that I never accept the tax deductible receipt for rented items that I'm returning. That just doesn't seem right somehow.

Sometimes I wonder, when I am selecting things to take home with me, how many times has this thing been rung up at the register? How many homes has it been in? Because, I'm assuming that other people do this too.