“I love thrifting. Would you mind if we stopped at Urban Renewals?” my friend, Alyssa asked me.

We just finished a refreshing breakfast at nearby Refuge Cafe in Allston, and I was ready to go home. I was nearing the end of my summer classes, and wanted to do some more work on my projects before presenting them over the next few days.

“Sure,” I replied, against my better judgment. I am a procrastinator, or as I like to put it, “I do best under pressure.”

The first thing I noticed when walking into the store was how huge it was. They sold everything from socks and baby clothes to microwaves and dishware. By this point, I had already been in my apartment a few months and wasn’t looking for anything in terms of furnishing. Alyssa, on the other hand, was about to move to a new apartment and was thrilled at the idea of finding something unique.

We browsed through the rows and rows of clothes, pondered the idea of cutting jeans up into shorts and buying ugly Christmas sweaters a few months early. Toward the back, Urban Renewals sells home appliances, such as vacuums, microwaves and toasters. I was excited to share my story of getting a free toaster from my brother’s roommate, but unfortunately she didn’t have the same luck that day.

As we wandered back to the front, we passed shelves on the side of the store. There, we saw items with the same style as what might’ve belonged to my great-grandmother. It was really cool to see that these items were still trendy and functional and – NO WAY. My eyes stumbled upon a tissue box cover from the same era, except it was pink and – wait – 99 cents? I was elated. Finally I found something that wouldn’t clutter my already-furnished apartment and would also fit perfectly into my color scheme.

I had never thought about getting a tissue box cover, mainly because the thought never crossed my mind, but how could I pass up something that’s not only cute and fashionable, but also 99 cents? A brief search on Etsy confirmed my suspicions – prices for tissue box covers started at $11 and reached all the way to $40 and beyond. Not only that, but there would be an environmental factor of actually packaging and shipping the product as well. I felt lucky to find this affordable item and support the independently-run thrift store.

I was so excited to finally use my cover, but once I got home, I realized I had a rectangular box, which wouldn’t fit the cube-shaped cover. Feeling reckless and impatient, I went to the store and bought one that would fit my cover perfectly. I have used the cover ever since that day in early August, and even more so during the colder winter months when my nose runs. Every time I use it, I think of that fun day of exploration and procrastination with my friend.

Written by Thrift Store Guide contributor Lindsey