1) The Bins 
1750 SE Ochoco St.
Mon-Sun 8 am – 8 pm
(503) 230-2076
Well this is an obvious one but it’s so great it has to be included. The Bins is a Goodwill outlet where Goodwill stores send all the stuff they don’t sell. It’s affectionately referred to as “the Bins” because all this stuff is dumped into bins and sold by the pound. It’s a great place to find costumes, blankets, art, and other weird stuff. They also sell really cheap furniture. Don’t go here with any detailed expectations because you never know what you’ll find.
2) etsy
www.etsy.com
You can find absolutely anything on etsy while also happily supporting independent artists. I regularly go on this site and filter for only things under $5. I’ve gotten paintings, jewelry, patches, buttons, and sculptures this way. The sellers on etsy often hold sales too. This site is great for finding that one picture of a cat playing chess with an octopus on the moon, or just browsing for things that catch your eye.
3) SCRAP
2915 NE Martin Luther King Blvd
Mon-Sun 10 am – 6 pm
(503) 294-0769
http://scrapaction.org
Started as a way for teachers to do something useful with all their leftover classroom art supplies, SCRAP has become a successful non-profit store, gallery, and community resource. Since all their supplies are donated, SCRAP sells things cheap. From fabric and construction paper to old photographs, trophy parts, and blocks of wood, SCRAP is an awesome place for sparking creativity on a budget.
4) IKEA
10280 NE Cascades Pkwy
Mon-Sat 10 am – 9 pm
(503) 282-4532
http://www.ikea-usa.com/portland
IKEA has some weird prices. Some stuff is oddly expensive (no I am not paying $200 for this cow rug) but some of it is super cheap (thank you $2 corkscrew). IKEA reguarly has deals on furniture, especially small things like chairs and end tables. They also have an “as-is” section which can be great for getting scraps of fabric and furniture with small scratches. My favorite IKEA thing is their really inexpensive small picture frames, which are unfinished so you can paint them however you want and then frame photos or postcards. In addition to decor, IKEA is great for basic kitchen tools, organizational materials, and office supplies.
5) Craigslist/Free boxes
http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/
I’m not a huge fan of actually meeting up with people on Craigslist but I LOVE the free section. People often post that they’ve left out furniture, a box of clothes, or leftovers from a recent garage sale. All you have to do is jot down the addresses and head out for free goodies. SE is actually a great area for free stuff anyway. A simple walk around the neighborhood will often lead you to some free piles. I have tons of clothes, some couches, and even a panini press (thoroughly washed) that came from walking around near campus.
