Its like people are throwing out food...
By ElicBxn
@ElicBxn (63235)
United States
March 16, 2010 4:58pm CST
A few weeks ago, I posted about finding 2 bags of food at my client's apartment complex down by the dumpster.
Well, since then I've found a can of beef stew (not a name brand) and a can of chicken that Maggie won't eat, but the cat needs now that she's become diabetic to help with giving her the insulin shot.
Well, I got to Maggie's a bit early, because I also look for cans there, and there, tucked behind an air conditioning unit, outside, in the rain was a bag of potatoes.
I looked them over briefly - well it was raining after all - and then toted them into Maggie's apartment.
I tell her about finding the potatoes and start cleaning them.
This was about a 10 lb bag of potatoes, and half were PERFECT. The other half had a few bad places on them, but nothing that couldn't be cut off.
Now, Maggie likes this dish that you take a baked potato, and brown some hamburger and onions, add some green beans and cream of mushroom or chicken soup and pour that over the potato.
So, I took one of the foundling potatoes, a can of cream soup that I had brought over because my roomie didn't like it (I can't eat it.) and left over green beans. The only thing that it cost Maggie was for the garlic, and hamburger, that needed to be cooked anyway.
While I was browning the meat and doing the rest of the meal, I also started a pot of potato soup.
All the ones that were "use them or lose them" I cut up, taking out the bad bits and all that pot of soup (and it made about a gallon and a half of soup) cost her was herbs, salt and an onion.
I don't understand, this isn't a rich complex, why are these people throwing food out? Or maybe they don't think some enterprising person will come along before they expect and collect the stuff.
Well TOUGH! Maggie needs the food and if its outside like that its finders keepers!!!
So - have you had any lucky finds lately?
10 people like this
24 responses
@LadyMarissa (12148)
• United States
16 Mar 10
Sounds like somebody is leaving food out for the homeless. If they were throwing it away, I'd think it would be in the dumpster. I LOVE potato soup & thinking about it has made me hungry!!!
4 people like this
@ElicBxn (63235)
• United States
16 Mar 10
It was a strange place to leave it, behind an air conditioning unit in the middle of an apartment complex - if I give food to the homeless I either take it to someone to distribute or give it to them directly.
I kind of suspect that someone stepped out onto their balcony and threw it off last night think to maybe take it to the dumpster today (or that the grounds keepers would throw it away but they do a lousy job), but I found it first and it was FINE!
4 people like this
@webeishere (36313)
• United States
16 Mar 10
Or possibly a homeless person found them and thought that
it would be a good area to hide them from other homeless?
As always.....
HAPPY POSTINGS FROM GRANDPA BOB!!`
3 people like this
@p1kef1sh (45681)
•
16 Mar 10
I've not found anything recently but I am impressed with your finds. I find it astonishing that perfectly good food can be thrown out, probably because a potato is a little green or sprouting etc. Well done you for making the most of it. My sister works for a major UK supermarket chain and they throw away thousands of pounds worth of perfectly good food every day!! They can't give it away in case someone gets ill and sues them! Crazy world we live in.
4 people like this
@Maggiepie (7816)
• United States
18 Mar 10
As it turns out, the soup AND the other potato dish were delicious--in fact, this could be the best pot of home made potato soup I've ever had! (Thanx, Elic! 
)
I don't get it, either--in this economy people are tossing out perfectly good food???! Go figure, huh. Oh, well...their loss, my gain! (But I need to watch that "gain" part! LOL!)
Maggiepie
Why are our taxes funding Obama's lawyers to help him hide all his records from public view...hmmm?
)
I don't get it, either--in this economy people are tossing out perfectly good food???! Go figure, huh. Oh, well...their loss, my gain! (But I need to watch that "gain" part! LOL!)
Maggiepie
Why are our taxes funding Obama's lawyers to help him hide all his records from public view...hmmm?
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
17 Mar 10
No, i'm afraid i don't find anything like that. I think u are lucky that u do. I'm like u i can't imagine people throwing away good food like that. They must have more money than sense . Was sweet of u to do that for maggie. I know she appreciated that alot.
2 people like this
@tamarafireheart (15384)
•
16 Mar 10
Hi Elic,
I am so pleased that you have made good use of these potatos, I just don't understand why peole waste food, they mucst have more money then brains, in this days of hardship, they are wasting food, lets hope they don't have to look for food in the trash can one day.
Tamara
3 people like this
@cerebellum (3863)
• United States
17 Mar 10
I haven't found anything good lately. It is amazing the stuff some people will throw out when there are so many starving and homeless people out there. Some grocery stores throw stuff out if it is a few days old or if the cans are dented. Sometimes it is still good. I know a lot of stores give things to food banks instead of throwing it out. I think that is what they should do with it.
Maybe you have been finding all this neat stuff to pay you back for taking in all the strays you have.
@iamamommy (163)
• United States
16 Mar 10
I dont pick stuff out of the garbage because I wouldnt want to get sick from that food. But I know that the church gives out food. I throw away food sometimes and alot of times I dont even eat half of the meats I get and end up having to throw them out. I never really think about giving them to anyone. I think I might start doing that tho.
@ElicBxn (63235)
• United States
16 Mar 10
I would never have seen in the garbage, and none of them have been in the garbage, tho the 2 bags were set NEXT to the garbage - but those were sealed and undented CANS.
In fact, the only "fresh" food were these potatoes and they were still in the bag they were bought in from the store.
3 people like this
@ElicBxn (63235)
• United States
16 Mar 10
http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2010/03/15/ride-along-on-a-freegan-dumpster-diving-and-save-some-cash/?icid=main|aim|dl3|link3|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.walletpop.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F03%2F15%2Fride-along-on-a-freegan-dumpster-diving-and-save-some-cash%2F
1 person likes this
@webeishere (36313)
• United States
16 Mar 10
Maybe the canned items were outdated though.
the taters are always good until they turn mushy.
I just cut out the bad pasrt is all.
I hate wasting food like that.
I never find nor look for food thrown out. HAHAHA!
As always.....
HAPPY POSTINGS FROM GRANDPA BOB!!`
2 people like this
@ElicBxn (63235)
• United States
16 Mar 10
I checked that, while they were close - like this spring/summer, they were not past the "sell by" date
http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2010/03/15/ride-along-on-a-freegan-dumpster-diving-and-save-some-cash/?icid=main|aim|dl3|link3|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.walletpop.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F03%2F15%2Fride-along-on-a-freegan-dumpster-diving-and-save-some-cash%2F
hope that link works
1 person likes this
@recycledgoth (9894)
•
16 Mar 10
My grandmother always used to say, "Waste not, want not" and you certainly have done very well with your finds.
Before I moved away, the area I lived in was close to a large supermarket and we would frequently find foodstuff outside that was perfectly good.
@BarBaraPrz (45484)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
16 Mar 10
I found a piece of jade a couple weeks ago...
But, alas, it's not edible.
2 people like this
@Opal26 (17679)
• United States
17 Mar 10
Hey Elic! It's funny that you brought this up today! I just
read an article written by someone on AOL about a teacher who
would "dumpster dive" for food at night that restaurants would
throw out and grocery stores and didn't have to almost ever
shop in the stores for! She would get loads of canned goods,
fresh fruits, fresh veggies, bags of potatoes and boxed items
too! So, yes people do throw things out for the wrong reasons
and it is alright to pick them up and use them and save money!
This teacher does this every single night! I was amazed to see
all the incredible food she found that was still etible! So,
you did pretty much the same thing she did! She would use whatever
was still good and throw out the rest! Good for you!
2 people like this
@paula27661 (15811)
• Australia
19 Mar 10
Not bad finds! I’ve never found food like that. It is true that a lot of good food gets thrown out these days and to a certain extent I am guilty of it too. For example nobody here wants to eat the bottom of the bread loaf so the last two slices of every loaf inevitably end up in the bin and the same goes with fruit that my daughter brings home uneaten from school; by this stage it is too soft to consume! I am not as resourceful as you but I would like to make an effort to stop wasting so much food.
1 person likes this
@ElicBxn (63235)
• United States
19 Mar 10
I make a full week's worth of sandwiches and put them in the freezer - actually - a week and a day. That still leaves me with the heel and a slice from the loaf. So I used those to make breakfasts - part of this whole diet thing I've been doing (195!!) Breakfast is one carb (slice of bread) one fat (tablespoon of cream cheese) 1 dairy (1 slice of cheese) 1 protein (in this case another slice of cheese) and a fruit.
The roomie various that by eating a yogurt instead of 1 of the slices of cheese.
Back when I first started with the state, I also made sandwiches and froze them. I'll fix my cauliflower and have that also ready to go for the 2 weeks between pay days. All I have to do for lunch is grab a prepared sandwich, a package of cauliflower and a piece of fruit and my bottles of water and I've got my lunch! I'm not good at thinking first thing in the morning!
1 person likes this
@paula27661 (15811)
• Australia
20 Mar 10
You sound organised! I know what you mean about not being able to think until you've been up for a while! It sure sounds like you are doing your bit towards cutting out food wastage, good on you! Your diet sounds healthy, good luck with it!
1 person likes this
@trisha27 (3494)
• United States
16 Mar 10
Wow, that is so sad that people just throw out food like that. There are alot of hungry people out there that would love to have potatoes like that and can't afford to even buy some. That is a good find. I never know what to do with potatoes anyway though. Potato soup does sound good though. I love potatoe soup. With maybe some bacon bits and shredded cheese. Yum 
. My husband and I hate wasting food and we always try to make sure we use all the food up before it goes bad. If it goes a little bad, sometimes we'll leave a little food out for the stray cats that are around our neighborhood. At least they have something good to munch on.
. My husband and I hate wasting food and we always try to make sure we use all the food up before it goes bad. If it goes a little bad, sometimes we'll leave a little food out for the stray cats that are around our neighborhood. At least they have something good to munch on. 1 person likes this
@trisha27 (3494)
• United States
17 Mar 10
The one in my picture was a stray cat. Unfortunately I can't take in any stray cats, my landlord won't allow it. So, we try to feed them when we can. Can't give them any of the cat food we have already, its hard for us to feed the two cats at once. We used to have two and we always ran out of food.
Vegan soup, that does sound good, I may try that and see how I like.
2 people like this
@scarlet_woman (23465)
• United States
21 Mar 10
hmm..it almost sounds like they're leaving them for someone.
at least i'd hope they're not just chucking them...definetly finder's keepers.
um..not recently.with the economy as it is,people haven't been throwing out usable stuff around here.i think they're probably trying to sell them first.
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
19 Mar 10
It's almost a downright sin the way perfectly good food is tossed out. I haven't seen this kind of thing in my building but years and years ago when we had a major supermarket they would have these big, gigantic dumpster bins filled to the brim with food that was perfectly all right...yeah, maybe some of the veggies or fruit were mildly bruised but otherwise okay and there would also be cans of food not expired yet. For awhile the homeless had a field day taking the food, then the jerks in the store padlocked the dumpsters so no one could get the food--what a waste
1 person likes this
@carmenzhj (120)
• New Zealand
17 Mar 10
Well personally I don't search through the gabage, but I do ask around to see if there's any leftovers that I could use to send it over to the charities locally. Often shop owner are very generous of giving out foods. Such their leftover at the end of the day they would put them into container and let me take them over to the charity and they could use it widely. There so many people still not feeding properly out there that we are not aware. There so many people wasting food without thinking.
1 person likes this
@lionking101 (31)
• United States
17 Mar 10
Great job making sure the food did not go to waste. I have not found any food but I also try not to waste. We get baggies to take home leftovers when we eat out and we refrigerate the rest of our meals that we don't finish so we can eat them later. Recently I found a brand new sterling silver necklace, still unused. It must have fallen out of a bag because it was shiny but there was no store identification or anything. It was perfect because my husband recently bought me a sterling silver charm for Valentine's day.
