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.

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.:)

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.

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?

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!

Lisa Ling did do a special for it for Oprah.