Dear Estate Sales...

....how I love thee.
....UNLESS you are on a budget.
I had to pass up on one of the most amazing buys today, and I'm feeling sick to my stomach about it. It was this vintage couch-sleeper, pictured below:

I had made the decision to go with Rebecca, my Estate Sale Queen of a friend - and instantly regretted it. I should've said "no". Because what happens when you have the $ to spend, you find nothing, but when you have zero dollars - you find just about everything. We have been loathing our living room furniture. It's just bulky, and I'm over it! We walk up to this house, and my eyes instantly went to this vintage flower printed recliner chair. $20!!! (Mind you, I have $50 left of my "gimme money" left - with 9 days to go before my wallet is loaded up again.) I sat in it, discovered that it rocks as well. Its in perfect condition. Awesome. Rebecca and I then make our way into the living room. My eyes instantly go to yet another chair - same print as the one in the garage, but bigger - and instead of the recliner, it swivels and rocks. Awesome. This one was marked $30. I'm just about ready to walk out of this place - I feel my throat go dry. Oh no, we then walk into this back room where my eyes fall on this couch. We immidiately go to it, sit in it, and just smile at each other - this couch is amazing. And it's a sleeper. Perfect. They're asking $85 for it. At this point, I'm just freaking out...I need to GET. OUT. As we walk out, we see a table set up for "bid on items over $10." What?! Rebecca then explains this concept to me, and I decide "why not?" What are the chances that they'll call me?! Especially since I put amounts such as:
Flower printed chair (located in garage) - $10
Flower printed chair (located in living room) - $12
Couch-Sleeper - $50
I won all 3 bids. Can you believe it? I then go to ask my darling husband if we can go pick them up - to no ones surprise, the answer was "NO, I don't even like the couch." I had to make the dreadful - also embarassing phone call to Sue Bartlett letting her know that unless my husband sees it, he wants to pass. She had another buyer on the couch, and she was honest (a.k.a. blunt) with me and said "Honey, how about you pass and let someone else take it who is 100% on taking it." Ouch.
I love the couch. It would've been perfect in my living room. I could tell you that I knew Neil would like it w/o a doubt, when I chose to put the bids in, but then I'd be lying. Neil doubts EVERYTHING. The only way I win is if I just do it. Do what I feel is right. But with our new budgeting system, I didn't do it.
I now need a "furniture-house decor" budget - no joke.