One donor's mistake is another thrifter's treasure.
Many of us have daydreamed about it, few of us actually get to experience it: the pleasant surprise of stumbling upon free money.
One such member of the lucky few took to Reddit to show off a nice watch they grabbed from an online thrift outlet — and the even nicer bill that had been left inside.
"Bought a Fossil watch from Goodwill Boutique online for $24.99. Came with the gift receipt from 2007 and a much newer $100 bill!" they say in their post, showing a Canadian $100 bill with the watch and receipts.
"I've also found cash in thrift clothing! I always check the pockets," says one Redditor.
Given that it takes just a few seconds to check out the various pockets, flaps, and storage areas of clothes and containers, this is a no-brainer idea.
The watch also came with its original gift receipt from Sears, which was cause for some speculation.
"I guess someone didn't appreciate their birthday gift! I'm glad you were able to benefit from their ungratefulness," says the top comment.
While the gratefulness (or ungratefulness) of the watch's original recipient can't be verified, this thrift store find can still serve as an important lesson for anyone who is considering donating an item they've been gifted: Make sure you open it fully first, lest you send free money away by accident. In fact, you should probably double-check anything you plan to donate, regardless of whether it's a gift or not.
Either way, forgotten cash finds like these help make thrifting an even more popular activity. Buying and using secondhand items is good for the planet as it helps reduce unnecessary waste, and it's also good for your wallet in the form of savings and the occasional free dollar bill if you're lucky.
So why not give it a try yourself, and see what you can find on the cheap?
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