Women's discovery inside a bag that she thrifted for under $50 leaves everyone in shock

Getting your hands on a good item in a thrift store is no less than hitting a jackpot. Knowing that you will be reducing waste and helping attain a sustainable future while getting something your heart desires is truly a win-win situation. Surprisingly, something similar happened to Ashley Forst from Seattle, Washington–who goes by @AshleyNikkolex on TikTok–who thrifted a designer purse for less than $50.

The 26-year-old who bought the striped Kate Spade purse at the annual auction that was held in her town every summer said in the video, "This is why you always check the pockets and lining of anything you thrift." Then she talked about how she saw a little zipper when she picked it up to use it for the first time. "I was like, I need to put something in here."

Upon opening the zipper, she found not only a $50 bill but also an envelope stuffed with more bills. While speaking to Newsweek, Forst revealed that she originally wanted to place her keys and Airpods in one of the pockets inside the bag. "Then I saw there was something else folded up and it was an envelope. I opened it and saw a couple of bills, but thought maybe they were like ones or fives, maybe tens if I was lucky. So, I pulled the bills out one by one $100, another $100, and another. I counted it all probably five times because I was in such utter disbelief that it totaled $350," she added.

Forst, who is an enthusiastic thrifter, said it was her first time getting cash for buying something. She told the outlet that she was actually shaking after she found the money in the bag. Once her shock wore off, she decided to try and contact the previous owner, who may have been oblivious to the fact that there was so much cash in the purse. "I did attempt to find the previous owner to no avail," she continued. "I am grateful to have found the money and to have thrifted a designer purse for a steal of a price. It definitely holds a strong memory for me whenever I wear it." She ultimately kept the money, with which she paid off her outstanding bills and donated $100 to charity. 

The video went viral, which came as a surprise to her. "Who knew finding buried treasure would be so polarizing? It truly is an insane story, I admit. Other responses have been telling me I'm lucky and have received good karma, while others have shared what they've found when thrifting. Either way, I had no idea this video would perform as well as it did," Forst said. "Thrifting is one of my favorite hobbies, and I've been doing it since I was a kid. I hope that sharing my thrift content inspires others to shop second-hand because you never know what you may find. My thrifted pieces are usually my favorite because they're unique and it took me more time to find them."

The comment section was filled with people talking about all the places they found money. "I found 200.00 in an unassuming wallet at Goodwill! It was hidden," wrote @katherinebuermann. "One of the last estate sales I went to I bought a VHS for $.25. When I took it home to clean it, I found a $100 bill behind the tape," added @Fatt.House.Cat. 

You can follow Ashley Forst (@AshleyNikkolex) on TikTok for more content on lifestyle.