One Man’s Trash is Another Man’s Treasure
A fabulous reader sent me this MSNBC article, titled “For Frugalists, Bargain Hunting is a Lifestyle.” Subtitled, For these extreme anti-consumers, your trash is their food, furniture…
Is the title enough to make you say WTF? Oh well, check it out!
It’s no secret that American culture is a consumer culture…On the opposite end of the spectrum are the few people who call themselves anti-consumerists, freegans, frugalists or just plain Dumpster divers…these people delight in drastically reducing their consumer spending, finding life’s essentials at bargain prices or paying nothing at all.
The article goes on to give us a few examples. Here’s Rebecca:
Rebecca, 51, owns a small duplex and has a job running an art program for a health care organization…And she gets 99 percent of her food from the Dumpster.
“It’s so easy to eat for free,” she says. “The only things I buy are butter and milk.”
And here’s Prieur:
[Prieur] says his trash bin excursions have netted him smoked salmon, high-end bacon, olive oil, plenty of produce and other goodies. Prieur, who owns a piece of land but has no permanent home, estimates that when he’s staying with his sister in Seattle, he gets 20 to 30 percent of his groceries from garbage bins.
Then we get a glimpse into an actual dumpster diving excursion:
When Rebecca reaches the grocery store, she moves with purpose across the parking lot to a fenced-in Dumpster. With practiced nonchalance, she opens the gate and walks in, closing it behind her. On the ground, she immediately finds a bag of baby squashes. They go in the backpack to be steamed up for dinner.
Next, she hikes herself up and peers in the Dumpster itself. Out comes a bag of popcorn, a bag of granola and a package of rice. All are torn, but the contents appear clean.
Rebecca passes up pasta and a few other items, explaining that she prefers ready-made food because she doesn’t like to cook.
The granola isn’t her taste, either — she’s a self-described picky eater — but she can give it to her boyfriend.
She also passes up a bag of flavored potato chips, explaining, “I don’t like salt and vinegar.”
Climbing out of the Dumpster, Rebecca opens the gate again and heads out.
In 10 years of serious Dumpster diving, Rebecca says she’s never gotten sick eating food from the trash.
Wait. Let me get this straight. A dumpster diving picky eater.
Yea, I read that right…
A.
Dumpster.
Diving.
Picky.
Eater.
Umm, wow!
Now if the thought of dumpster diving isn’t nasty enough, at least the chic is selective about the crap she eats from the trash! But get this. When something she picks from the trash isn’t her preference, she’ll give it to her “boyfriend” or feed it to the dog. Oh lawd, I have no words! LOL!
Clearly, the choice for these two dumpster divers isn’t about money. As with most frugal people, it’s a personal preference and a lifestyle. These two just so happen to be uh…extreme whack.
If you’ve read the article, do you think they’re creative or just plain nasty?
[Thanks Rufina]
~*~*~*~*~*~Work to achieve, not to acquire.
And as always, BE FABULOUS!
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Completely nasty!!! It’s just too gross for words….and then to force the poor dog to eat it too? UGH!
Extremely frugal…. and nasty
I would look a lot more favorably on the behavior if these people did not have money for food…. but they do. 60 minutes or Lisa Ling? did a piece about this recently featuring Manhattanites dumpster diving the high end grocery stores. Only there, the food is placed out on the sidewalk in garbage bags. No need to even go to the dumpster.
Gross
Our family just benefitted from the wooden telephone stand a neighbor set out as trash last week. And I’ve thought nothing of putting neighbor’s cast offs in our house and yard. I also have no shame in asking for a price reduction because meat or produce is approaching the “Sell By” date.
That being said, I absolutely draw the line at dumpster diving for food. ICK!
Nasty. Nasty as hell and there’s no getting around it. They forgot to talk about how many of these crazies get staph infections from climbing around in the garbage.
Living in Manhattan, we find stuff put out on the sidewalk all the time. People will get a new one (of whatever) and put the old one (in perfect or near perfect shape) out on the sidewalk. We have found many computers, printers, and other electronics, and even furniture that way.
However, I agree with Kathryn… ICK to the food! Considering the rats, mice, cockroaches… need I say more?
Definitely, disgusting. What other rodents are also dumpster diving with these people! She has not gotten sick, yet!
I wouldn’t dig for food from a dumpster although I have picked up moving boxes and books and magazines from one before. If in those searches, I were to find something more useful, I would take it. When our vending machine guys throw out day old candy bars, I will take them out of a clean trash bag and claim them.
To call these folks nasty is a bit much and I was surprised to read it from you, Single Ma.
I hear nothing, in the post or in the comments, in response to the statement that the stores throw this stuff away instead of giving it to food banks. Packaged foods that are a couple days past their expiration or simply do not sell well should not just be tossed in the garbage. In Houston, The Food Bank is suffering from a severe shortage, worsened by economic fears. They could benefit from the donation, yet good food goes to waste. I am definitely not saying the Food Bank should be given rotted food or food that is in any way damaged.
I read this blog by a Newsweek writer, see link below, who decided to try being a “freegan” for a month to see how hard it would be. She struggled (as I think most people would). It was a really good blog/article. DD is not for me but I would totally pick up a cast off piece of furniture from the sidewalk or buy a pair of jeans at the Goodwill. However, I won’t even eat food that I buy that’s one day past sell by date so picking through garbage is NOT for me!
http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/freegangirl/
FOOD? FRUGAL? WTFUDGINEVA!!!!
I understand being FRUGAL about stuff.. BUT when it comes to food.. that’s just NASTY.. sorry I ain’t diggin in no dumpster for no grub.. ugh
thats just nasty. I bet she drives a really expensive gas guzzlin SUV too. UGH @ the thought of the smells that create the green vapors she has to breathe in to get her “meals”. I’ll go to thrift stores and get discarded furnishings in a heartbeat…thats nothing but recycling…but food. nah.
I do think it’s kind of scandalous that grocery stores are throwing this stuff out instead of giving it to food banks. But I wonder if they’re trying not to get sued, in case the food is beyond its sell-by date…then it’s strictly “eat at your own risk.”
Anyway, right now I am in the house being cooled by a practically new air conditioner window unit that my husband rescued from the dumpster…our neighbors were throwing it out b/c they were moving somewhere that had central air. Shoot, that sucker works great, it’s putting the window unit we paid good money for to shame.
Gross! And if this wasn’t motivated by financial need, then maybe leave the food for those who really do have no alternative (liket he homeless).
I wouldn’t go dumpster diving for food…but in college I found a brand new television and DVD player sitting just outside the dumpster–thrown away by an international student headed home for the summer.
HI! I have never tried getting food from dumpster. I too am upsett that this food is not going to a shelter if it is still good.
I do however have mostly used stuff in my house. Our two tvs were given to us free, as well as our couch, entertainment center, bookshelves (3), kitchen table and matching chairs, and all the kids outside toys. Plus most of our clothes are hand me downs, but they are nicer than some stuff I would buy. I, of course, buy all new underwear & socks & bras & shoes. Most of our books and toys were used too. I even got a free new printer from someone who did not want it. I think it is great to have used stuff especially when items still have alot of life left in them. But I am not sure about dumpster diving for food. But I am sure that dumpster is only for food.
I have heard of this and if it works for some then great, I do things others consider strange too (driving a 1995 car with no air that was $300, using cloth pads, working from home to be with my kids, living on very little income, wearing used clothes, and not going on vacations, other than camping to name a few.) -Becky in NJ
…And she gets 99 percent of her food from the Dumpster.
hell naw
okay, voice of dissent here, but in my college days dumpster diving for food wasn’t all that unusual. It also wasn’t always done for lack of funds, though that was the majority of the reason that I really got into it. I have to say that there are tons of misconceptions about the whole process — I’m sure most people’s minds hear dumpster diving and see dumpsters full of gross, sticky, slimey messes tossed every where. For many grocery stores, where the good picking are, this usually isn’t the case.
What you find instead is actually very clean dumpsters filled with well-bagged “expired” food and produce. Bread is a very popular find because it’s thrown out by case fulls and there is nothing wrong with (and for the picky, it’s often double bagged). Candy and snacks are another big find, often also thrown out by the unopened box full because their sell by date has passed. Fresh produce is another area you can get good stuff, but there is a bit more chance of stuff being icky there - but lots of times you’re still finding good things.
There is an art to dumpster diving and people who do it for frugal or political reasons have figured out the best dumpsters and times to go picking. Also, most folks I know that do this, wouldn’t be doing so in this heat we’re having because of it’s affects on food - but fall and winter are great times for diving because stuff stays fresh so much longer. It isn’t climbing through disgusting messes in hopes of a good find, or at least, none of the folks I knew did it that way - it was always a pretty clean adventure.
Very interesting. Not that it changes my opinion about picking food from the garbage, but thanks for sharing. [-SM]
Stuff - yes! As a single mom on a super tight budget, it’s just how it works. I prefer Freecycle and craigslist for free stiff. I would never go IN an actual dumpster for anything (except to save my child from one)…NASTY. Curbside furniture/kids toys/etc is doable (and I’m not talking about ripping open bags or opening cans cuz that’s EW too).
Food - O M.G NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! That’s just so horribly gross I vomited a little when I read the parts about them actually eating the food from a DUMPSTER! There are flies and maggots and GERMS in dumpsters. Have I used food banks to get by before, yes. Even most of that gets given to another bank by me bc I’m picky about food safety. I think as a parent, there’s no way you should take the health risk of eating bad food.
Whack! I’ve heard about the Freegans before as well, and may I point out that taking items from a dumpster is a misdemeanor, as far as I understand it. I’m not passing moral judgment, because I welcome anyone to come take from my trash if it pleases them, but a day in court over something so ridiculous cannot be fun.
In response to the food bank questions….I’m going to guess that food banks have a moral responsibility to those they serve to NOT serve them questionable food items, (food that is expired, or close to their expiration date). It’s just a guess, and though it might be economically feasible to give away this food, it may not be a viable option.
Wonder what she does for chocolate?
This, to me, is crossing the line between being frugal and being….well, you know.
Lisa Ling did do a special for it for Oprah.
I can’t bring myself to dumpster dive for food, but given how expensive it is becoming and how people are virtually hemorrhage financially due increasing costs of everything, I am not going to pass judgement on anyone who chooses to do it. I lived for 2.5 years in the Philippines, where people are DESPERATELY poor, where nothing goes to waste. I have witnessed real starvation. I would rather see people exercise their own choice and dumpster dive if that’s what they want to do.
But I am extremely frugal. I even collect the cold water in the shower in a bucket and poor it into my rainbarrels for gardening, or water my plants with it. The cold water at the kitchen sink goes into glass bottles for the dog water bowl, coffee maker, and plants too.
I’m also a second hand buying NUT, and always have been. This habit helped me get through college without a single credit card or a nickel of debt.
And second hand selling can be quite lucrative - I sold a skirt I purchased for $5 at a thrift store for $108 on Ebay. I found a quilt in the garbage, washed it, and sold it for $160 on Ebay. I found a gorgeous red leather Coach bucket bag for $8, sold it for $138. The list goes on and on. I have a Webber BBQ that I pulled from a dumpster. A perfectly good Kirkland down comforter that I pulled from a dumpster, had cleaned & sanitized, and it cost me $40 to do that as opposed to $200 retail.
All because I’m willing to dig and hunt for that cast off treasure when I have time, and it’s FUN. Some people get a thrill pulling that slot machine lever, I get a thrill when I find an incredible bargain. And I NEVER pay retail, ever. Even my auto is a cash, second hand purchase.
I won’t dumpster dive for food, but at the grocery store, I will purchase clearance meat for 30-40% off, then freeze it immediately and label it clearly so that I know not to let it sit after it’s thawed. I buy my bread at the local bread thrift store.
Laugh if you want, but I save 20% of my income for retirement, own 2 homes (one is a rental with positive cashflow), have 8 months of emergency funds plus a Roth IRA, and selling stuff for fun on Ebay allows me to write off tons of expenses as a home business. I’m laughing all the way to the bank, baby! I’ve learned that some dumpster diving pays!
Although it isn’t something I would necessarily do, I understand reasons for dumpster diving for food.
I know people who have worked at grocery stores and had to throw out the food because the date to sell-by was complete - and so into the trash the food went.
When you realize the significance of the wastage of our food, it’s unsettling and actually somewhat horrifying. People starve in other parts of the world because out grocery stores need to have enough stock for “in case” people want something. When considering the waste created by our over-consumption and lack of expected (or desired) consumption, it’s easy to understand politically where these people are coming from.
In fact, if the grocery store is anything like some of the restaurants and cafes/donut places here, they aren’t allowed to donate leftover food, even if employees want to - at the end of the night, any leftover food has to be tossed out - if it’s donated, there is the possibility that staff will intentionally order more/create more than necessary just to donate the food. It’s ridiculous to waste so much food, yet still need to have it ready on a shelf in case a customer comes in wanting a favourite thing.
I can see that I’m one of the few who isn’t disgusted at the idea of dumpster diving … but it’s not exactly how you would envision it - it’s not that people are diving into bins of rotten food - it’s just food that people won’t purchase.
Realistically, what is the difference between going to the grocery store at 9 PM and seeing a loaf of bread with a 50% off sticker, encouraging you to buy that one since it isn’t as fresh, and going to the dumpster at 10 PM and getting that same loaf that no one purchased and getting it for free?
Either way it was considered waste and the store was prepared to take a loss. Meat would be another story - but food that’s already been packaged? What’s the problem?
I live in a cohousing community and my neighbors Dumpster dive.
Some dive because they want to show others how wasteful we are by not properly recycling.
We do have a “free table” for items that one person may no longer need, use or want, but could be used by someone else in the community. Funny thing though, items can sit on the free table for days and no one will pick it up. It is only when it gets tossed into the Dumpster someone will decide they want it. It is almost as if something doesn’t have value until it becomes garbage.
Wow! This sure sparked a heated debate.
I work in the grocery industry in the South and if customers knew the things that go on they would be shocked!
My store locks the dumpster/compactor and it has an alarm on it so that no one will climb in. I personally hate to open that thing! It’s gross. We give all out out-of- date perishable stuff(meat,deli/bakery/ produce) to a local soup kitchen and they get to some good stuff. But the employees are not allowed to take anything. And we are struggling to make a living too. Half the “out-of date” isn’t even out of date.
I love free stuff. My mom and I go to this soup kitchen thrift store that gives free grocery from various stores away when you buy something from the store. I gotten hummus, deli and fruit trays, pita bread…Alot of stuff that come from the store that my company has in my city. I get most of clothes and shoes from Goodwill, hand me down from my Aunt and I’m a 30 year mother. My kids, I always buy them the brand new clothes and shoes, but they love the goodwill and salvation army for toys and books.
I’m fastinated by Dumpster divers! And goodies they get.:)
If it’s in sealed packaging, how is it going to be nasty? We buy things all the time from stores that have been in “nasty” circumstances or how else do you think food is so often infected with E. coli? For that matter, organic food is fertilized with poop (rotten poop, to be sure, but still)… being immaculate is not the natural state of things.
I know who that Prieur guy is that they mentioned in the article. That’s Ran Prieur, and I’ve visited his website. The guy is pretty smart and I think he’s aware there are germs in dumpsters. But see, there are germs everywhere, and I’ve seen people do some pretty stupid things in order to avoid them.
(For instance, you know why there’s so often urine on the toilet seats in women’s bathrooms? Some yahoo told them you could get STDs from toilet seats, so these women hang their butts over the toilet and let fly instead of sitting down like the toilet’s designed for them to do. Now, a dry seat is not going to spread anything to anyone. But by believing rumors instead of checking for themselves, they just put whoever uses that toilet after them to greater risk of infection than had they simply sat down in the first place. And then there’s the practice of feeding livestock antibiotics so they won’t get sick–not BECAUSE they are sick, but BEFORE they get that way–so now we have all these superbug varieties of E. coli in food, making people sick.)
On top of that it’s been common knowledge among scientists for some time that farm kids get fewer allergies than city kids do. Why? Exposure to germs. Now scientists think it’s because early exposure to germs “trains” the immune system. This may also help prevent people getting seriously sick later in life. Whoops.
This is not to say anyone has to eat out of a dumpster if they have money for food. On the other hand, it’s stupid to waste a sealed package of food just because it wasn’t on a store shelf. And not all dumpsters have gooshy stuff in them, anyway.
I haven’t dumpster-dived for food, but I haven’t had to. If I ever find myself in dire straits, though, I may just. It’s better than having people look down their noses at me because I went on food stamps, or because I was panhandling.
I have, however, found furniture and kitchen appliances (that still worked) outside next to dumpsters. In the latter case they had just been set out the day I found them. Presumably the former owners had upgraded to a matched set? Dunno. Their trash, my treasure. It all washes off with soap.