dumpster diving  

No, I don't dumpster dive, but people take my throw away items a lot. I will throw out a bag of clothing and just know someone will take it. I have thrown out boxes of toys, all taken.
It saves me a trip to the Goodwill..lol.

I have/had a neighbor (he recently passed away) that threw away "good" lumber, but not before he cut it into smaller pieces so that no one could use it.
Isn't that something!? Some people are so stingy!

When I was younger I loved to go to the school at the end of the summer and go through the dumpster. They would throw out all the left over school supplies. It was soooo fun. I remember someone called the cops on us though one time lol and when the cops came they just told us to make sure to put everything back when we were done. We were pretty young though so maybe thats why we didnt get in trouble. If we had been adults maybe then the cops would have been mad and fined us or something. I remember when my ex and I started dating we used to collect cans to return and would go around and sometimes we would find huge bags of cans in dumpsters. We live in pa where cans are not redeemable but it you take them to ny you can get the 5 cent deposit for them so we made a good amount that way. My parents always find great stuff out for the garbage that people put out but I have never found anything good along the side of the road sitting next to peoples garbages. LOL all I see is garbage!

I guess what I do is sort of dumpster diving. Where I live, we have a RE-store, and it has eliminated a lot of valuable's going to the dump. Just about anything you can imagine is at this store for FREE! And it only deals in free stuff...but has some articles for auction (and that is how they make their money.) Large items are posted on their bulletin board...like sofas, etc. Very little now goes to the landfill...as some-one can always use it! Take care...and Cheers!

I used to do it a lot when I was younger. It was a big deal in Philly at one point. Thursday night everybody went out because it was the day before trash pickup. Peple would bring food and everybody would share. It was a lot of fun but I never got anything great although I've heard of people that did.

One Thursday my friend wanted an old china chest waiting for trash pick-up. While she was standing there trying to figure out how to move it, somebody else came along, stopped two kids going by and gave them a few bucks to carry it to HER apartment. My friend was furious.

I still dumpster dive packaging materials for my book business now and then. There is a certain kind of motorola phone box that is the best. I should probably just stop into the Nextel store and ask if I can have some of their discarded boxes but that would take the fun out of it.

I have to agree with you 100% with the job situation. I will be graduating from college come May yet there isnt any jobs available. I currently have a few part time jobs set up but still isnt enough to live off of. I have always been frugal and plan on staying frugal. I live off coupons and frebies and just cant seem to spend all the money on products when you can get them free. I also highly suggest freecycle as a good site to get free things. We dont have many dumpsters but we do have diversion days. Ive gotten a load of good things such as furntiture as well as household items such new flooring (looked brand new and it was wasnt the one they wanted), also little things such as lamps and even lawn mower.

We just recently got a truck. So we had to let some things pass by. But my brother has always had a truck. He does the pick up days for the town by running around and asking people if he can have what they put on the side of the road. He got a coffee table, a three piece sectional and a desk. In other words, except for the TV set, he got everything in the living room. The desk is used for their computer (which was our obsolete one). That was all in one year.

Another year, he got a truck load of metal and turned it in to make $300 at metal recycling. He made his truck payment and reimbursed his gas.

Another year, he got an almost new bed frame, it didn't go with the owners new decore, I kid you not. Neither did the chest of drawers. So he furnished his bedroom except for the desk and lamp. But he found some street legal tires, that although didn't fit anything he owned, he knew someone who could use them. The guy gave him a few bucks for the tires and he was able to buy a desk, lamp, and some socks that he badly needed. Those were his three best years that I know of to date.

He's gotten kindling for his woodstove to start it. He's gotten some chains that were rusted and he cleaned them up. He fixed a radio that just had a short in it. It ran for about 10 more years. He got a blender that just needed a new cord that he replaced. He's fixed and used broken rakes and shovels. The handier your husband is and the faster he gets out there, the better the year. Because of the economy, he's not getting the redecorating entire room finds any more. But he does get brush for a compost pile. He's not getting the metal he used to either or tires. Lots of busted stuffed toys. If you can take apart, wash, buy new stuffing and sew back, you can get lots of stuffed toys around here and remake them. Also lots of busted toys, esp. dolls. So if you can or know someone who can redo them, that works out well, too.

So have you guys done it yet? What have you found?

Hey cher! I used to love to dumpster dive in my neighborhood!
I would walk around especially on the weekends when people would
throw out furniture and other items! I got a great small cabinet
one time that I repainted and put my CD's and cassettes in! I
have gotten other things too! I haven't done it in along time
now because since my boyfriend moved in he is trying to get me
to throw things out not bring things in! But, you never know
what you will find in someone elses stuff that they want to
get rid of! Sometimes the stuff is in good enough condition
and they just don't want it anymore! Now you have me wanting to
take a walk again because I need a new dresser and can't afford
one!lol

These times are hard for sure. As far as where to dumpster dive I haven't a clue.But for freebies maybe you could turn around and sell check your local newspaper & if you can get something worthwhile, maybe you could make some money off of it. Hope this helps & good luck in your situatin.

I've never dumpster dove, but I see nothing wrong with it. You're right, people throw away good reuseable items everyday. But be careful; people also throw hazardous materials in the dumpster that they shouldn't. So, just be careful when you're searching for your next diamond in the rough.

I have done this a bit...we needed a work table, so we looked around next to dumpsters. Around here, a lot of people will put useable things like furniture next to dumpsters or in recycling rooms so that others can just take them.