A conversation between my husband and I this morning:
Me: I would really like some extra shelves for our pantry. The top shelf is not being used very well, and I can't see things very well. I might drive to Goodwill and a few other places to see if I can buy them secondhand. Or maybe I can build some.
Him: Fine with me. Just make sure you don't use five dollars worth of gas driving around if you can get new ones for five dollars.
Me: I won't. Hey- what day is trash day? Maybe I can take a peek and get some wood or something. Maybe somebody is throwing out the very shelves I want!
Him: I don't know. Do you mean here? They pick up trash nearly every day.
Me: No, I mean the houses around us. I don't like these dumpstes as much as the one at our old place- they're bigger and harder to see into, and nobody sets the good stuff right beside the dumpster.
Him: Yeah, it is harder to see. The ones in our old town were better!
Me: I miss our old town. They had the best dumpster stuff!
Him: Listen to us! We're having a serious conversation about which town has better dumpsters!
Yes, it's true. We are occasional dumpster divers. People throw away really, really good stuff. I've gotten some of our furniture (we still use it!) , a coffee maker, cleaning supplies, laundry detergent, and my husband's lunch box from dumpster. I don't even dig around, I just glance on top. I'm a casual diver, at best. I wash things when I get them home, and nobody's ever been the wiser. It's amazing what you can get- I don't take even half of what I see. I have seen clothes that were perfectly good, though they were never in my size. The best places are apartment complexes and universities during moving heavy times- in the summer, and at any times students are moving out of the dorms. Even if you find this activity repulsive, take a peak next time you're near one. You might be surprised at the great stuff in there, free for the taking.
3 comments:
I see good stuff all the time in other peoples trash but have not built up the courage to dive in just yet. I didn't mind when I was little though! I remember digging and finding all kinds of good stuff. Thanks for this post, I think next time I will stop at the nice shelves I see lying on the ground.
I don't have the guts to dive (or anyone who will go along with me, really), but I applaud you! Have you read John Hoffman's books on the subject?
Hey Anon!
I've read Hoffman's The Art and Science of Dumpster Diving, but not his new book. I'll have to check out the new one- I was not even aware that he'd written one until you asked that question. (Had to google him to refresh my memory.) As I recall, his first book was pretty funny, but also practical. Thanks for the tip!
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