( CNN ) -- Many of us find money in our couch . A few quarters here and a few dimes there . If we 're lucky , maybe enough to buy a drink . Imagine finding enough to buy a small coffee stand . Three New York roommates , investigating the cause of their thrift-store couch 's lumpiness , discovered $ 41,000 hidden in envelopes tucked in the old sofa . Lara Russo said she and roommate Reese Werkhoven were sitting on the couch , watching a Harry Potter movie , when he unzipped one of the cushions to see what was making it uncomfortable and found a small package . `` It was just in a bubble-wrap container , '' Werkhoven told `` Erin Burnett OutFront . '' `` We were like , 'Oh , my God . This might be drugs , it might be money ; we 're getting scared about it . '' It was money , a stack of $ 100 bills an inch and a half high . The two started `` freaking out '' and went into a bedroom to show Cally Guasti . Her first impulse was to lock the doors in case it was drug money and the owner wanted it back . The roommates found more envelopes in the couch , which they had bought at the Salvation Army for $ 20 . One of the envelopes had a name on it . Like many a wise man , Werkhoven turned to his mother for advice . She investigated the name and texted her son a phone number to call . He said he hung up the first time when an older woman answered . He called back , according to CNN affiliate WCBS , and told the woman he had `` found something that I think is yours . '' What is it ? she asked . A couch . `` Oh my God , I left a lot of money in that couch , '' the woman told Werkhoven . The woman told the roommates that family members had mistakenly donated the couch , where she had been stashing the loot . `` This was her life savings , and she actually said something really beautiful like , 'This is my husband looking down on me , and this was supposed to happen , ' '' Guasti told WCBS . Russo said at first they played around with the idea of what to do with the money , but the thought of buying new stuff gave way to doing the right thing . `` I think all of us were under the understanding that even if we spent it , we would n't feel good about it , '' she told CNN . `` We would have felt we took something that was not ours . It did n't make sense -- it was her money , she deserved it . '' According to WCBS , the woman , who wants to remain anonymous , gave the roommates a reward of $ 1,000 . They did n't rush out and get a new couch . After all , this one might smell , but it is pretty lucky . Watch Erin Burnett weekdays 7pm ET . For the latest from Erin Burnett click here .
Three friends bought a box at the Salvation Army for $ 20 . It seemed lumpy , so each of them took a cushion to check out what was inside . $ 41 ! $ 41 ! $ 41,000 ! ' If we spent the money , we would n't feel good about it , ' one roommate says .