By KRISTEN NOWAK WINN Accent Editor

This year on Earth Day, I pledged to buy nonessentials secondhand for three months.

I’m already slightly past the two-month mark, and surprisingly, it’s been easier than I thought.

That’s not to say I haven’t been tempted to just run to the store to buy the flower pots I wanted or a chair for the porch. The trick to this process, I’ve learned, is patience. We’re so accustomed to modern-day conveniences and the speed of the Internet, where all we have to do is click a button and the product we desire will be shipped on its way.

So, it took some retraining (and at times some supportive reminders from my husband) in my new approach to shopping. Here’s where I begin to profess my love for Craigslist.org, Freecycle.org and garage sales. You can find almost anything you’re looking for in great condition and anywhere from 50 to 100 percent off the original price.

Because the summer is prime time for bargain hunting in your neighbors’ garages, I took my shopping list and hit the streets. Right off the bat, I found the several flower pots I needed for the porch.

And the best deal of the day? A 1981 Braun food processor that had only been used once, for $10. We’ve wanted to buy one in order to make our own spaghetti sauces with local produce. And I just saved this processor, which works perfectly, from ending up in the dump.

Admittedly, garage sales can be hit or miss. It might take awhile to find just what you need. That’s when you have to remember the key word: patience. The hunt might make you pull your hair out at times, but sometimes it’s half the fun. The biggest challenge I’ve had these past two months was gift buying — while I’m fine with owning secondhand items, I wasn’t sure if my family and friends would be.

I started with shopping for Mother’s Day. My mom creates her own greeting cards, so I put a couple queries on Freecycle and Craigslist for some gently used rubber stamps. Thanks to some generous women who cleaned out their supplies, I ended up with a whole box full of stamps, many that had never been used. My mom absolutely loved them. When Father’s Day came around, I found a handful of great reads for my dad at a used bookstore, at half of the cover price. And for a baptismal gift, I picked out adorable book ends at a garage sale that looked brand new.

It’s been a challenging process, to say the least. But, I’m hoping to keep it up for at least another three months. Garage sale season isn’t over yet, you know.

What’s your approach to secondhand shopping? What was your best garage sale find? Give me a call or send me an e-mail — I’d love to hear your stories and include them in an upcoming column.

Winn may be reached at 330-721-4053 or kwinn@ohio.net.