Those of us who are constitutionally incapable of squandering $1,500 on a couch or dinette set ought to be grateful for the boom economy. Why? Because it wouldn't be so bloody easy to furnish a pad on the cheap if not for all the big spenders and germ phobics casting aside perfectly functional pieces. As it stands, the metro area is brimming with thrift stores that offer both excellent selections and attractive deals. For our (paltry) money, nothing beats the Salvation Army's flagship operation in Minneapolis's Warehouse District. With two enormous showroom floors, the Army is a miser's paradise. Last time we checked, there were more than a hundred couches and love seats strewn about, most priced in the $50-to-$100 range. We were tempted by the lime-green sofa with the pheasant print ($75), but that's just us--there's something for everyone here, especially if you're looking to re-create that potent mid-Seventies porn-set feel. There are scores of easy chairs, some for as little as five bucks, as well as a wide selection of desks, office chairs, and mattresses and box springs, all modestly priced. Sure, you can get lucky and find comparable stuff cruising alleys. But at the Salvation Army at least you have the solace of knowing that a passing Fido didn't just whiz on your new couch.