{"id":67099,"date":"2020-03-22T12:11:54","date_gmt":"2020-03-22T16:11:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/awesomejelly.com\/?p=67099"},"modified":"2020-09-30T07:10:37","modified_gmt":"2020-09-30T11:10:37","slug":"roommates-buy-old-couch-for-20-but-it-was-worth-so-much-more-t2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/awesomejelly.com\/roommates-buy-old-couch-for-20-but-it-was-worth-so-much-more-t2\/","title":{"rendered":"Roommates Buy Old Couch For $20, But It Was Worth So Much More"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"

NPR<\/p><\/div>\n

Anyone that\u2019s ever tried to rent an apartment in New York knows how expensive that can be, even when it\u2019s in the outer suburbs. And if you happen to be students or newly grads, money becomes even more of an issue, for most at least. For three roommates sharing an apartment in New Paltz, N.Y., they were living on a budget as most college kids do, so picking out fancy furniture and tons of brand-new appliances just wasn\u2019t viable. But when they picked up a couch for $20 from a nearby discount store, they could have never known what was lurking underneath all that old upholstery.<\/h6>\n

<\/p>\n

Friends Since High School<\/h2>\n
\"\"

Pinterest<\/p><\/div>\n

Good friends Lara Russo, Reese Werkhoven and Cally Guasti had been friends since high school, so it came as no surprise when they decided to rent their first apartment together. The year was 2014, and they had finally found just the right place, a small apartment in New Paltz, N.Y., which is about a 2-hour drive to Manhattan. Reese was still a student at the New Paltz State University of New York in New Paltz, while Lara and Cally had both recently graduated from their respective colleges.<\/h6>\n

<\/p>\n

Roommates Working on a Budget<\/h2>\n
\"\"

QVCC<\/p><\/div>\n

Considering that one of the roommates was still in college and the other two had just finished school, it came as no surprise that the three friends were on a tight budget. But the idea of living on their own and making it work was a challenge, one that the roommates took seriously but one they were super excited to start. They also knew that they didn\u2019t have the luxury of filling up their space with brand new appliances or fancy furniture, so they had to get creative and look in bargain stores.<\/h6>\n

<\/p>\n

Shopping at a Thrift Store<\/h2>\n
\"\"

Big Issue<\/p><\/div>\n

The three friends decided to head over to a nearby thrift store to see if they could find some furniture to their liking. They knew that they would be spending a lot of their time together in their new place, which meant they needed to furnish it with a couch at least. And considering that they didn\u2019t have much money to spend, they went into the store with few expectations, just hoping they would find something that would fit. It wasn\u2019t exactly IKEA, but they hoped they would still be able to get something to put in their living room.<\/h6>\n

<\/p>\n

Taking Home an Old and Smelly Couch<\/h2>\n
\"\"

Dominica Vibes<\/p><\/div>\n

There weren\u2019t many choices in the discount store. In fact, the friends walked around the store for an hour trying to find something that would actually fit their space. They had almost given up when they finally saw a couch that looked like it would work. But the problem was that it was incredibly old, ugly and it had a stench. The only plus was that it was being sold for $20, which was way below their budget. And even if the couch seemed like someone else\u2019s trash, they considered the cost outweighed the smell so they went for it. Little did they know that there was an actual treasure inside it just waiting to be found.<\/h6>\n

<\/p>\n

Cleaning It Up<\/h2>\n
\"\"

Metro UK<\/p><\/div>\n

The friends weren\u2019t exactly ecstatic about their sofa buy, but it would have to do for now. Besides, they felt that they would eventually find a way to make it more presentable. For now, it would serve their purpose, which was to provide a place for them and their guests to sit when they were inside their apartment. They decided to clean it up as much as possible, and cover it with something that could help mask the stink in the meantime.<\/h6>\n

<\/p>\n

It Was So Lumpy<\/h2>\n
\"\"

Hashtag Chatter<\/p><\/div>\n

After fixing it up as best they could, the three roommates couldn\u2019t help but appreciate the fact that it quickly became their new favorite hangout area. The couch was well used considering that Reese, Lara and Cally were always on it, talking, watching movies and just doing what young twenty-somethings usually do to pass the time. But it wouldn\u2019t be too long before the friends also noticed just how uncomfortable the couch was. It may have served their purpose, but it was so darn lumpy. And to make it worse, the smell was slowly becoming bad again.<\/h6>\n

<\/p>\n

Trying To Figure Out What Was Causing It<\/h2>\n
\"\"

Hashtag Chatter<\/p><\/div>\n

About two months after they had bought their dilapidated couch, and after watching a movie, Reese decided that he could no longer take all the lumpiness. And so the search for the cause began. He started to feel around the couch to try and understand why it was so uncomfortable. Thankfully, it wouldn\u2019t take too long before he would figure out what was causing them all that discomfort, but it wasn\u2019t something that they could have ever imagined, even just a little bit.<\/h6>\n

<\/p>\n

Finding a Plastic Package<\/h2>\n
\"\"

Hashtag Chatter<\/p><\/div>\n

Much to his surprise, Reese actually discovered a lumpy package hidden underneath one of the couch\u2019s arm, but one look at it and there was no way of knowing what he was pulling out. Much to his surprise, it was a plastic bubble-wrapped covered package with nothing written on it. Upon seeing this, the roommates had to wonder, what could possibly be inside it? Considering how enforced it was with bubble wrap, the roommates assumed that it must have been something fragile. But they would get the ultimate surprise when they finally opened it up.<\/h6>\n

<\/p>\n

A Huge Bundle of $20 Bills<\/h2>\n
\"\"

TownSquare<\/p><\/div>\n

When Reese pried the package open, it was full of $20 bills. In fact, it was a total of $700 in twenties, which explained why it was such a thick package. According to Reese, \u201cI almost peed. The most money I\u2019d ever found in a couch was like fifty cents. Honestly, I\u2019d be ecstatic to find just $5 in a couch.\u201d But the three roommates were in for an even bigger shock. The $700 was only a mere portion of the actual prize that was hidden inside the incredibly old and dilapidated couch.<\/h6>\n

<\/p>\n

More and More Plastic Envelopes<\/h2>\n
\"\"

ValoreBooks<\/p><\/div>\n

Wondering if there was more where the twenties came from, the friends began to go through the entire couch. And soon enough, they would find more and more packages all over the couch. While this would explain what had been causing all the lumps in the couch, they would also realize that they had landed on a small treasure. Reese went on to share, \u201cIt had these bubble wrap envelopes, just like two or three of them. We ripped them out and was just like freaking out, like an inch and a half of hundred dollar bills.\u201d<\/h6>\n

<\/p>\n

Tons of Hundred Dollar Bills<\/h2>\n
\"\"

VideoHive<\/p><\/div>\n

Every time they would think that they had counted the last hundred dollar bill, there would be more. Cally explained, \u201cJust when we thought we pulled out the last envelope we\u2019d find another $1,000 a few minutes later.\u201d Within twenty minutes, the three roommates had counted up to $41,000 in total. They almost couldn\u2019t believe their good luck, they took photos for evidence! One extremely old and smelly couch managed to bring them incredible fortune, they were dumbfounded by their discovery.<\/h6>\n

<\/p>\n

Like They Won the Lottery<\/h2>\n
\"\"

Birmingham Mail<\/p><\/div>\n

In fact, they were screaming so loudly that it was like they had won the lottery. Cally said, \u201cWhen we were in the bedroom our neighbors thought we won the lottery or something cause we were just screaming.\u201d Lara added, \u201cYou keep counting more and more money and you get excited, like Reese was thinking about buying a car for his mom and a boat.\u201d Reese also went on to say, \u201cWe were just really freaked out by it.\u201d<\/h6>\n

<\/p>\n

Who Did it Belong To?<\/h2>\n
\"\"

Hashtag Chatter<\/p><\/div>\n

But in the middle of their celebration, they couldn\u2019t help but wonder, who did all this money belong to? There were no names on the packaging, no notes that they could find, nothing to let them know who could have left such a huge sum of money in an old dilapidated couch. And this made their imaginations run wild. Did it belong to a drug dealer, or worse, a killer? Or maybe the person that had left it behind was already dead. Lara even said, \u201cMy first reaction was to lock the doors,\u201d knowing that it was such a huge amount of money, fearful that someone might try to rob them.<\/h6>\n

<\/p>\n

Thinking of the Possibilities<\/h2>\n
\"\"

BrainSharper<\/p><\/div>\n

Reese, Lara and Cally discussed things over the next few hours. They talked about the actual possibility of keeping the money and what they\u2019d do with it if ever. Reese claimed, \u201cI would have bought my mom a new car, what she drives is a piece of junk and I really wanted to surprise her with a brand-new car.\u201d The others talked about possible travel abroad or paying back their student loans. But then suddenly, all those thoughts came crashing down.<\/h6>\n

<\/p>\n

Finally Finding a Name<\/h2>\n
\"\"

365DM<\/p><\/div>\n

The threesome would finally see that one of the envelopes happened to have a bank slip in it, and on the bank slip was a lady\u2019s name. So much for all their thoughts of a spending spree or travel plans, it would seem that the money did belong to someone after all. Lara shared, \u201cWe had a lot of moral discussions about the money. We all agreed that we had to bring the money back to whoever it belonged to\u2026 it\u2019s their money \u2013 we didn\u2019t earn it. However, there were a lot of gray areas we had to consider.\u201d<\/h6>\n

<\/p>\n

They Called Their Parents<\/h2>\n
\"\"

Medium<\/p><\/div>\n

Knowing that it was the right thing to do, all three of them decided to call their parents to tell them about what had happened. And all of their parents pretty much told them the same thing. They told their kids not to tell anyone about what they had found, and not to spend any of it. They also said that they should try to find the woman whose name was on the bank slip in order to find out if it was indeed, her money.<\/h6>\n

<\/p>\n

Good Moral Compass<\/h2>\n
\"\"

UPI<\/p><\/div>\n

Cally shared, \u201cThe entitlement very quickly went away with finding that notice with her name on it. Because we didn\u2019t earn that money.\u201d And Lara went on to explain that it was also playing with her conscious, saying, \u201cMy mom said that I have a good moral compass, and if I don\u2019t think that someone is a good person, or deserving of the money, then I\u2019m not obligated to give it to them. This really threw me off. Where do you draw the line? It\u2019s all very subjective.\u201d<\/h6>\n

<\/p>\n

Tracking the Owner Down<\/h2>\n
\"\"

Hashtag Chatter<\/p><\/div>\n

With the help of their parents, the threesome was able to track down the name of the lady on the list. They found it in a phonebook, giving them her contact information so that they could get in touch with her. Lara had said, \u201cWe were always pretty clear that if we could find her and she was alive, it was her money, no matter what the circumstances.\u201d Without hesitation, they called the number right away and hoped that she was still in the same location with the same number.<\/h6>\n

<\/p>\n

Finding Out it\u2019s Truly Hers<\/h2>\n
\"\"

Hashtag Chatter<\/p><\/div>\n

Thankfully when Reese called, a lady answered the phone and he explained the situation about how they had bought an old couch at a salvation store that they believe once belonged to her. According to Reese, he said, \u201cI\u2019m like, \u2018I found something that I think is yours\u2019 and she\u2019s like, \u2018What?!\u2019 And I\u2019m like, \u2018I found a couch,\u2019 and then she\u2019s like, \u2018Oh my God, I left a lot of money in that couch.\u2019\u201d Then and there the roommates knew that the lady was the true owner of the stash of money left inside the couch. Now, they just needed to find a way to get it back to her. So they made sure that they had the right address and they decided to take a trip to give it back to her.<\/h6>\n

<\/p>\n

Bringing it Back to the Rightful Owner<\/h2>\n
\"\"

Hashtag Chatter<\/p><\/div>\n

The roommates got into a car and began making their way over to the woman\u2019s house, which was located somewhere in Hudson Valley. And on their way there, the trio decided to stop for a bit and discuss with themselves about whether they should really give her the money. According to Reese, \u201cAbout halfway to her house we stopped the car and had a serious discussion\u2026 what if she\u2019s a really bad person? What can we do at this point if we meet her and decide we don\u2019t want to give her the money?\u201d But in the end, they just knew that it was the right thing to do.<\/h6>\n

<\/p>\n

Finally Getting There<\/h2>\n
\"\"

Life After London<\/p><\/div>\n

It was a bit past 3 p.m. when they finally made it the lady\u2019s house. As they drove up the driveway, they were greeted by \u201cBeware of Dog\u201d signs, some mounted cameras, a run-down house and a lawn that was badly in need of watering. Not sure what to expect with the old lady as well, the friends were a bit apprehensive when they got out of the car. But as soon as they got down, they were greeted at the door by the daughter and granddaughter of the lady they spoke with earlier.<\/h6>\n

<\/p>\n

She Was A 90-Year Old Lady<\/h2>\n
\"\"

Go Big or Go Home<\/p><\/div>\n

Reese shared about her apprehension, \u201cI think the part of this whole experience that cleared away my prior thoughts and worries was when I saw the woman\u2019s daughter and granddaughter greet us at the door. I could just tell right away that these were nice people.\u201d And the original owner of the couch, who wished to remain anonymous throughout all of this, was actually a little 90-year old lady who had broken her hip some years back.<\/h6>\n

<\/p>\n

She Was a Widower<\/h2>\n
\"\"

Irish Examiner<\/p><\/div>\n

Apparently, the lady happened to be a widow that used to work in a flower shop. Her husband had passed away many years back and she worked until she couldn\u2019t work anymore. Afterwards, she lived off their pension while her daughter and granddaughter made sure to look after her. Sadly, she lived all alone, which was not easy at all, but the elderly woman and her family managed to find a way to make it work. She shared that when she got the call from the friends about the couch and the money, she couldn\u2019t believe what she hearing. She thought she had lost that money forever.<\/h6>\n

<\/p>\n

Handing Over the Money<\/h2>\n
\"\"

PicDN<\/p><\/div>\n

As soon as the friends handed her the money, the old lady broke down in tears. It was obvious that the money meant so much to her, but it wasn\u2019t until they heard why that had them truly grateful for bringing it back. Lara explained, \u201cWhen we handed the money back to the woman, she told us that she felt like her husband was present in the room with us.\u201d Apparently, she had been saving that many for over 30 years, and it was only she and her husband that had known about it and their secret hiding place in the ratty old couch.<\/h6>\n

<\/p>\n

It Was Her Life\u2019s Savings<\/h2>\n
\"\"

Britannica<\/p><\/div>\n

Back in the late 1920s when the stock market crashed, tons of Americans had lost their hard-earned money that had been put in different banks. The Great Depression had forced everyone to mistrust the banking system, which is why this couple decided to store their money at home rather than lose it again if another recession should ever happen again. But considering that she had been using her incredibly old couch to store a lifetime\u2019s worth of savings, one had to wonder, how did she lose it in the first place?<\/h6>\n

<\/p>\n

It Gave Her a Bad Back<\/h2>\n
\"\"

Hashtag Chatter<\/p><\/div>\n

After her husband had passed away, the little old lady continued to work for as long as she could. That way, she could also save more money inside the couch in preparation for the time when she couldn\u2019t work anymore. She also preferred to sleep on the lumpy couch, protecting their nest egg, as well as helping her feel closer to her late husband whom she had built this savings with together. But unfortunately, all the years she spent lying down on a hard and bumpy mattress was giving her a bad back.<\/h6>\n

<\/p>\n

Getting an Operation<\/h2>\n
\"\"

US News<\/p><\/div>\n

The old and shabby couch eventually gave the lady so many back problems that she had no choice but to have an operation. And while she was recovering, upon the doctor\u2019s instructions, her daughter decided to change the couch for a full-size bed for her mother to sleep on. But little did she know that her mom\u2019s life savings was in the couch. Unfortunately, when the old lady found out that her daughter had gotten rid of it, it was too late and they could no longer track the decrepit thing down.<\/h6>\n

<\/p>\n

So Grateful to Have it Back<\/h2>\n
\"\"

Revlisad<\/p><\/div>\n

For the original couch-owner, she couldn\u2019t believe that these young kids had actually found her money and decided to give it back to her. But after hearing the lady\u2019s story, the three roommates knew that they had made the best decision to drive all the way to her house and give her money back. Lara also said, \u201cThis was her life savings and she actually said something really beautiful like \u2018this is my husband looking down on me and this was supposed to happen.\u201d<\/h6>\n

<\/p>\n

\u2028Going Viral<\/h2>\n
\"\"

Gannet<\/p><\/div>\n

When people got hold of the story, it didn\u2019t take long for it to go viral, which is why the old lady preferred to stay anonymous not wanting anyone to know her name or where she lived. Still, people that did hear about it were praising the three roommates for their incredible deed. Reese said, \u201cI think it\u2019s just that anyone can do good if they will themselves to it.\u201d And Lara added, \u201cI think it went the way it should and to be honest I don\u2019t think about it that much.\u201d<\/h6>\n

<\/p>\n

A $1000 Reward<\/h2>\n
\"\"

Hashtag Chatter<\/p><\/div>\n

In the end, the old lady wanted the friends to still have something for bringing her money back to her. She decided to give the roommates a $1000 to share, even though they weren\u2019t expecting anything in return. In the end, they too felt that somehow it was meant to happen. Lara explained, \u201cWe almost didn\u2019t pick that couch. It\u2019s pretty ugly and smells, but it was the only couch that fit the right dimensions for our living room.\u201d And since this all began, the three friends and the little old lady have remained friends and even see each other every so often, which somehow, is the real reward.<\/h6>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Anyone that\u2019s ever tried to rent an apartment in New York knows how expensive that can be, even when it\u2019s in the outer suburbs. And if you happen to be students or newly grads, money becomes even more of an issue, for most at least. For three roommates sharing an apartment in New Paltz, N.Y., they were living on a budget as most college kids do, so picking out fancy furniture and tons of brand-new appliances just wasn\u2019t viable. But when they picked up a couch for $20 from a nearby discount store, they could have never known what was <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":67101,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wprm-recipe-roundup-name":"","wprm-recipe-roundup-description":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[26226,26224,110,26210,26225,4794,38],"yst_prominent_words":[26214,26217,26211,26222,17273,26215,26221,9928,9367,26218,26227,9209,26220,26213,9557,9206,26216,26212,26219,15840],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/awesomejelly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67099"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/awesomejelly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/awesomejelly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/awesomejelly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/awesomejelly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=67099"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/awesomejelly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67099\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":67100,"href":"https:\/\/awesomejelly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67099\/revisions\/67100"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/awesomejelly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/67101"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/awesomejelly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=67099"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/awesomejelly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=67099"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/awesomejelly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=67099"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/awesomejelly.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=67099"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}