Pool float, $2
Church Bargain Shop,
Heidelberg

I needed a large piece of heavy-duty, weatherproof material to drape over the guinea pig hutches in the wet. At an op shop, I inspected an old inflatable pool float, which was $30. The woman who’d donated it happened to be on duty. “It’s in perfect condition, hardly been used,” she said. I explained what I needed it for, and she said, “Oh, you should just go buy some sheeting then. It’ll work out cheaper.” Well, heavyweight waterproof fabric costs between $10 and $20 per metre, while an old pool float only costs $2… if it’s a different pool float from a different op shop, that is.