Although I always also loved the trips to the store, any store, with my parents, one of my favorite things was when my dad would pile all of us in the car the night before trash pick-up day. We would drive to one of the "wealthier" neighborhoods--which was just about any of them other than ours--and we would scout out discarded items next to the trash cans for potential playthings! My dad was very handy and he was always able to repair anything we picked up that didn't work. So, my mom would clean it up, my dad would fix it up, and voila! We had a new great toy that we had obtained in what we thought was a very exciting way. 

These days I hear parents concerned about not having money to buy their kids things. I know they would be mortified of the thought of "trash picking" and my parents were always embarrassed when we would brag to our friends about where and how we got our new toy, but the truth is, from a child's point of view, the thrill of the nighttime hunt with the family and making one man's trash our very special pleasure, was one of the best memories of my childhood. 

Linda