A student is upcycling unwanted furniture and selling it to save up to buy a car – and made $1.7k in her first month.<br /><br />Adriana Camacho, 22, started transforming second-hand pieces last year when she flipped three chairs she found for free and sold them on for $195 as a bundle.<br /><br />She continued to look for old furniture for free – sourcing it from trash and thrift stores.<br /><br />Now Adriana sells on her refurbished items with the aim of saving up to buy a car – a $10k second hand car - after her last two broke down.<br /><br />She’s flipped five pieces of furniture – including a chest of drawers and a vintage TV – and made $1.7k in just one month.<br /><br />Adriana, a liberal studies student, from Fresno, California, US, said: “Everything is saved from trash.<br /><br />“In May I decided to dedicate money I’m making to purchase a car.<br /><br />“It’s not just business, it’s a passion.”<br /><br />Adriana decided to paint the unwanted chairs she found - to see if she could make some extra cash alongside her studies.<br /><br />She was surprised when she sold them on for $65 each after putting them on Facebook marketplace.<br /><br />She said: “I put each one on for $15 but got loads of interest – I managed to sell each for $65.<br /><br />“I thought ‘that was easy’.”<br /><br />Adriana continued to find what she could for free and sourced cheap furniture from charity shops.<br /><br />She started experimenting with different designs to spruce up her own home – before selling items on.<br /><br />Adriana said: “I’m experimenting with my own look too.<br /><br />“In six months, I found my style.<br /><br />“I wanted to express myself through design.”<br /><br />Now Adriana has flipped five pieces of furniture since May 2023 – making $1.7k – which she is putting towards a new vehicle.<br /><br />She said: “My car broke down. Then I got a Ford Focus but three weeks in it would just stop in the middle of the road."<br /><br />Adriana has now been using her mum's car when she can but wants her own to give her more independence.<br /><br />She found a chest of drawers for $30 and sold it on for $375 after sanding it down, adding wood panelling and giving it a new lick of paint.<br /><br />She also found a dresser for $60 - embellished the wood with gold handles and made $450 selling it on.<br /><br />She said: “It’s fun.<br /><br />“I’m trying to keep in the style of the piece.<br /><br />“I like vintage mid-century modern.”<br /><br />Adriana's flips -<br /><br />Chairs for free outside a church - sold for $195<br /><br />Chest of drawers bought for $20 - sold for $260 <br /><br />Vintage dresser bought for $60 - sold for $450<br /><br />Dresser for $30 - sold for $375<br /><br />Dresser for free - sold for $360<br /><br />Old chairs for free on a trash day - $125<br /><br />Total: $1,765
