Dumpster diving
By 911Ricki
@911Ricki (13588)
Canada
April 27, 2013 1:03pm CST
A friend and I were talking I told her I simple can't afford food, seeing as I've been sent home from work numerous times because I was so much pain, I've passed out a few times. Plus, the medication used up my grocery money. I already spent the next 2 months of pay on bills to make sure they are paid, and medication. They refuse you for the food bank, and my friend can't find a job. We were sitting at the grocery store when we saw them throwing things out, yep seeing as she can see in the dark (and I can't) she crawled in and started throwing things over loading it into my car. We got large bags of bread, she took the meat (I only took a few packages seeing as I don't eat much), and goodies like cookies. All still in packages you buy in the store, I froze a bunch of it. With the free veggies I get from the store I've been making salads. Here we've been paying for food all along when you can get it free.
2 people like this
8 responses
@PointlessQuestions (15397)
• United States
27 Apr 13
It's probably a crime if they see you diving for free instead of shopping. You spend an awful lot on your animals...ban you get cat food for free? Some food banks here also have animal feed. The stores around here don't throw out expired food. They lower the price when it nears the expiration date. Once it expires it goes to food ministries. People with freezer trucks come and get the perishable stuff. I used to volunteer for a food ministry.
1 person likes this
@911Ricki (13588)
• Canada
27 Apr 13
It is illegal to dumpster dive why you make sure no cameras, and cover your plate up. We don't qualify for the food bank, if you don't have a pile of kids, and not on welfare they don't care I pay so much into taxes and I get nothing. Like my friend said push out a few kids and sit on welfare you get everything handed to you, but if you actually work you get thrown under the bus. I get the marked down and expired animal food from work. My boss is really good that way. Here most places won't give you food that expired, liability so instead they throw it out.
1 person likes this
@blackrusty (3519)
• Mexico
27 Apr 13
I have been there and done that when I was a much younger man and there was 7 in my family to feed and both my mother and step father worked full time and we still not made bills way back then I am sure that we are not the only ones on earth to do this but yes we do have to eat
@BarBaraPrz (45487)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
27 Apr 13
A lot of people would do that in Vancouver, until the stores started putting in those giant closed bins with the chute. I think they have a grinder, too, or at least a compactor.
@much2say (53959)
• Los Angeles, California
27 Apr 13
This reminds me this blog I discovered through Facebook . . . you can find it there too "One Hundred Dollars A Month". It's a woman named Mavis - and she claims she feeds her family for only $100 a month. She grows a lot of her own produce, but she also clips coupons and gets stuff that's been thrown out by grocery stores - and she will post pics of her finds. You might find it interesting!! I know I've done a lot of dumpster diving - but I haven't ventured "food" yet. I guess it's all in the timing . . . if you see them throw it out, then it must still be good - otherwise you wouldn't really know how long something was just sitting and stewing there. You just might have struck "gold" - hee hee!!
@LovingMyBabies (85127)
• Valdosta, Georgia
27 Apr 13
My husband's parents and sisters go dumpster diving all the time for clothes and shoes. They have never done it for food yet that I know of but they have gotten some nice things from it! I was surprised at the things people throw out in the dumpster...
@dagami (1158)
• Rome, Italy
27 Apr 13
they are still in their original packing so i think they are still safe. i've heard of experts say that even if it's a few days after the expiry date, if the food is dry, then it's still edible.
i'd do this too if i had no other choice. i've seen people rummanging through the garbage bins here. they look for left over food that have been thrown away by the residents in the area and not by the shops. i've also witnessed people going over the garbage bins near fast foods/restaurants in the hope of finding something to eat.
i would think this is a better option than begging. however, if i can cut down on some of my other expenses so i can increase my budget for food, i'd do this first.
@SomeCowgirl (32191)
• United States
27 Apr 13
They may do things differently up there. However, down here if I saw meat in the garbage behind a grocery store I simply would not take it.
Here it is usually thrown out for good reason. I think meats do sometimes get marked down if they are getting close to their "expiration date".
We have reduced racks for things that have been discontinued or we have to much of. There was A LOT of hamburger helper kits the other day, though I doubt there will be that many when I go today.
Veggies and such even go on discount, perfectly good nothing wrong with them...
I guess my store just doesn't throw out unless it's completely bad and would harm the public.
@TLilly12 (1229)
• United States
27 Apr 13
I have never done this, and don't want to try this either, it doesn't sound clean, getting food out of the dumpster, after it throw out, I will work hard here online to earn what I need, for food or ask my church for money, before I go in a dumpster to get food.
