Dumpster Diving

[-Blair-]

Anyone else ever go dumpster diving? :mrgreen:

[mother4JC]

I haven't done that in years.:goodvibes:

[-Blair-]

:giggle: It's been about a good year or two since I last did it. It sure would be fun to start up again, though. My Grandpa does it ALL THE TIME which just cracks me up because he has millions of dollars yet lives like a homeless person, smart man!

[undrthtblndrumng]

so the last time I did which was a week ago, it was because the item was actually sitting next to the dumpster. It was a trash can that would have made an awesome diaper pail (I've been needing a bigger one) but the owners of the can saw it on my balcony and reclaimed it because they weren't actually throwing it away :blush:

[-Blair-]

so the last time I did which was a week ago, it was because the item was actually sitting next to the dumpster. It was a trash can that would have made an awesome diaper pail (I've been needing a bigger one) but the owners of the can saw it on my balcony and reclaimed it because they weren't actually throwing it away :blush:

Then WHAT was it doing next to the dumpster is my question???!

[theluckythird]

LOL! In college I was driving through the back alley to my town house and found an amazing 4 1/2 ft or so tall dresser w 6 drawers. The paint needed to be redone but it was awesome! I grabbed it up! Lazy folk too lazy to fix it! I made my dad bring it home all the way from Minnesota to Idaho when I moved! lol

[jlanni]

yep, sure have.. I've got a semi-brand new sofa and loveseat (it's white with no stains!!!) a 37" tv (I gave to my mom cuz we don't have cable) 2 stereo's, (with speakers) a artificial tree (needed dusting) a lounge chair, a bar stool and tons of brand new (in boxes and with tags) baby toys!!! (A walker, a swing) I live in a yuppie town (not by choice dh got hurt at work, no workmans comp, we had to move in a 3 bdrm with my parents)

[patty_o_furniture]

We did it just about every night when we lived in student housing. We went on walks and would peek in the big dumpsters when we went past one. Always found great stuff.

Hmm...let me think what we found (was a year or two ago).....a nice wood shelf, oh...a giant desk that is now my craft area, fabric, patterns, a DVD player, filing cabinet (which we sold at a yard sale for $3.00), coupons galore, goodness we came back with a stroller full just about everytime. Best of all, it was FREE!

[*Katherine*]

WOW! I could never find stuff that good in this town! Just boxes so far (because we are moving)

[-Blair-]

I think it was a year ago ... but my son's dad boosted me into the dumpster behind Bath And Body Works and we got all the essential oil testers out. Well over 30!!! :lostit:

[Rosella]

Some of my best furniture finds have been saved from the heavy trash pickup or found in/near a dumpster to be thrown away! :goodvibes:

R

[jenncatsmeow]

Not technically, but in my neighborhood....lots of people (myself included) will walk up and down the streets the evening before trash pick-up....

I've scored a lamp, baskets, towels, 2 tables, a boppy (my neighbor had a yard sale the day before and it was something that didn't sell, so she just set it out for the trash....), etc.

[FancifulFanny]

:giggle: It's been about a good year or two since I last did it. It sure would be fun to start up again, though. My Grandpa does it ALL THE TIME which just cracks me up because he has millions of dollars yet lives like a homeless person, smart man!

That's WHY he has so much money! People who are frugal tend to have more.

[mandikaake]

I think it was a year ago ... but my son's dad boosted me into the dumpster behind Bath And Body Works and we got all the essential oil testers out. Well over 30!!! :lostit:

Sweet! I'd LOVE to go dumpster diving. Just have to convince DH to go with me. LOL! We do pickup stuff here and there along the side of the road.

[susansabrina]

I have found the mother of all dumpester diving!! College dorm move out. It is usually the week leading up to graduation when the universities tend to set up several roll off dumpsters out for students. My friend and I have scored desks, futons, miles of carpets, lamps, books, CASH, computer chairs, storage buckets/drawers/tubs, shower curtain rods, towels, clothes, microwaves, cd players/stereos, drying racks, hangers, cleaning supplies, etc. If you go bbe sure to bring a truck!:lostit:

[mikkismama]

My dh's friend seriously like makes a living out of it. He goes out every night before trash day and comes back with a granny cart or two full of stuff. Then he gives us TONS of it. He furnished his entire apt that way and insists that we do the same. Hey, sometimes he gets great stuff. So far he's given us chairs, end tables, lamps, vacuum cleaner, steam cleaner, iron, tons of odds and ends--all in great condition. I'm getting to a point were we can't fit anything else in our house though. So I'm like, PLEASE STOP! Plus, I'm a little weary of taking some stuff in because of the bedbug problem in Boston. I learned the hard way. :banghead:
Oh, and whatever he or we can't use, he sells and makes a few bucks for his hard work of diving. :mrgreen:

[crunchymomma]

cvs ROCKS for dumpster diving.... I was getting boxes and found a BUNCH of stuff :)

[MelanieCookie]

Ok...I've wanted to give this a try. But...what dumpsters should be dived at? Ones behind stores and what kind of stores, apartments, etc.? Also, do you stay incognito? I'm not sure what the laws are in my area for DD.

[mistylaureena]

Ok...I've wanted to give this a try. But...what dumpsters should be dived at? Ones behind stores and what kind of stores, apartments, etc.? Also, do you stay incognito? I'm not sure what the laws are in my area for DD.

:laugh: I was thinking the same thing!! WHich dumpsters would be better. I cant imagine digging through trash and finding nothing worth value

[foxflame88]

I know on a lot of shows such as Forensic Files, investigators often confiscate trash from suspects that throw it out.... which is legal.


But is it legal to dumpster dive, I mean actually in dumpsters? Many dumpsters are leased from garbage companies, so wouldn't that mean they own the trash?

[ishwishdish]

Ugh, I'm sorry mamas but this brings back terrible memories of my childhood (yeah, you read that right). My parents forced us kids to dumpster dive to collect aluminum and beer bottles for recycling. It was HORRIBLE. The smell of hot beer makes me seriously nauseous. I remember we found a purse FULL of money outside a seedy hotel, who knows what crime that was borne from. Ugh.
I like the idea (more or less) but I could never force myself to do this. I regularly shop at thrift stores but that's where I draw the line I guess.
ETA that AFAIK it's illegal if you are doing it on private property (so yeah, pretty much). We got asked to leave and never come back many, many times.

[haynmama]

I wouldn't call it dumpster diving, but my mom's neighbors have awesome trash! They usually leave it out w/a sign that says "FREE PLEASE TAKE." One neighbor was throwing away an EUC baby jogger (SCORE!) and another was throwing away a vibrating baby bouncer with working batteries still inside (Another score!). I just washed em up and it saved me about $200 in baby goods. I have a friend that dumpster dives at Circuit City (not sure if it's legal) and has the best entertainment equip! "One man's trash is another man's treasure!"

[funkymama]

my dad is the town garbage man ... so ... he's comes home with lots of stuff ...

when i was in college, each spring the town would have a clean-up week and people would set stuff out for p/u. it was a good time to be a scavenger, and scavenge we did. :)

[tessa1002]

I've gotten lots of stuff out the dumpster. Lots of furniture, a stereo, and lots of weird odds and ends. Oh, and I got lots of good food too. A girl's got to eat, right? :mrgreen:

[MamaMyers]

I'm so intrigued by this....I don't think my DH would be up for it. But his best friend is always the one that likes to go to Goodwill with me and such...maybe I will call him.

[OnlyaMommy]

Loving this thread!

[-Blair-]

cvs ROCKS for dumpster diving.... I was getting boxes and found a BUNCH of stuff :)

Ooooooh I will have to check this out! :goodvibes:

[mrsbehaven007]

found chairs... baby stuff... all kinds of goodies.. and one time I found a kitten... she ended up costing me money.. lol...

[hackermd]

Anyone else ever go dumpster diving? :mrgreen:

Are you kidding me? I'm my father's daughter! I was raised in a dumpster :giggle:

In CT, it's like going to store...kids at UCONN would throw brand new stuff away all the time... oh how I miss it.

There was a time when a new garbage picker moved into where I lived and started getting all the good stuff before me! We ACTUALLY got into it:laugh: ... then thankfully she moved. :blush:

My sisters, however, would get really embarrassed. Apparently one time they were on the school bus and both my mom and dad were in a huge dumpster at an apartment complex they were renovating or kicking people out or something, so stuff galore! And the students were like... "isn't that your mom?" My sisters don't feel the dumpster love.

[zosiasmama]

I did just recently! I was home in the states last week and my stepmom and I were heading out shopping when we spotted a really cute kids car that they push with their feet sitting next to someones trash. We stopped and it looked in perfect condition, I checked the wheels and the body and everything was fine. After shopping I put something in the back and noticed that it was missing the steering wheel. When we got it home we showed my dad and he went to his workshop and made a new one out of wood! It is so cool and the car work perfectly! All for free! Hee-hee I love freebies! Here it is! Danni

http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l248/dhrynio/DSCN1528.jpg

[JackieLyn]

anyone try http://www.freecycle.org ??

[mikkismama]

In CT, it's like going to store...kids at UCONN would throw brand new stuff away all the time... oh how I miss it.


:goodvibes: I went to UCONN. And you're quite right. Move out day was always a fun day to "shop" :lostit:

[sahminaz]

anyone try http://www.freecycle.org ??

Oh yes. I don't DD, but i do freecycle ALOT. I give alot and i think it definitely comes back full circle. I got a jumperoo, fp aquarium swing and bouncer from freecycle. Most recently i got two nice cotton string bags and a bunch of canvas bags delivered to me from a freecycler. A month ago there was a lady getting kicked out of her home that was leased and she had to get rid of all her children's items. There was so many nice things but i didnt take what I didn't need. We got what we could use and left. I love freecycle. :thumbsup:

[princesspink]

I haven't in a long time! When we lived on base (apartments) there would always be stuff out! Loved it! I never actually got IN the dumpster though...that would kinda be gross. LOL!

Also in my office complex the maintenance guy let us into one of the offices that was vacated to pick through. Less he had to haul away. I got a great computer & monitor! One of the guys in my office got all new shelves for his garage and a couple desks. Pretty cool!

[ArmyWife&MommytoThree]

We are in the Army and driving around the night before trash night is almost a religion here! Because so many people are moving so often and there's a weight limit on how much you can take, perfectly good items are tossed out all the time! :lostit: We got a bench to make more seating at our kitchen table, just cut 5 inches off, painted it and it fits in perfect (nice, now that we have more kids!). We also got one of those trailers that hook on to your bike to pull two kids in, that was FUN, we already had one, but my neighbor (who was my diving buddy) didn't have one so we gave it to her! We moved off-post last year, but I still try to drive around every couple of weeks to see what I can find. My Mom LOVES coming to visit! We also freecycle and sometimes can make a bit of money by taking the broken items that people are getting rid of and fixing them. We don't make much, usually just what we put into it, but it keeps hubby busy!

[lilmama2dsndd]

lol, my DH is the king of dumpster diving, him & his friends do it as a sport to see who can come up with the coolest stuff. So far a guitar thrown away behind a music store has been the best find, it had a broke neck but he fixed it and still has it.

[Weezy6703]

DS's changing table came from side of the road. When we were down in Jax, FL I worked at an adoption agency (CHS). Well I was on my lunch break and at some apartments down the road there was a changing table, mattress, adult mattresses, tvs, etc right next to their garbage can. FUnny thing is is I stopped to pick it up and it wouldn't fit in my car. This man (kind of scary at that point) came out of the apartments and asked if he could help take it apart and I was like sure. While he was taking it apart another lady comes out and starts talking to me about being pregnant. So all in all it was a cute experience.

I haven't been DD in a long time though I've gotten some nice things before.

Alot of the dumpters here have been removed so there's not a lot of places to go.

I also FREECYCLE

[HBuehler]

Why I DON'T dumpster dive....
Yesterday a womans body was found in a trash can here in town at a truck stop..not exactly dumpster diving but you never know what you could find:yuck:

[KarenK]

Sometime I think about diving in the dumpster behind Joann Fabrics store. I've *heard* that they actually throw the out of print patterns away. Gasp!

[1boy1girl1bitty2]

my grandparents live right behind a HUGE condo complex and usually at the end of the moth the dumpster is full and there is stuff piled beside. we tend to have mini family gatherings around this time. (just who's home that weekend goes to grandma's for supper) a month or so ago just after we moved here we were complaining we needed a dresser for my dd (her previos room had a buit in) and what do you know we looked out the patio window and there was a georgous antiquy looking dresser with a gigantic mirror!! i was so stoked! we dragged it into grandpa's back yard untill after supper and then loaded it onto the truck for the half hour cruise home.

[Weezy6703]

:giggle: Sorry but that's a cute little story! LOL at not feeling the dumpster love

Are you kidding me? I'm my father's daughter! I was raised in a dumpster :giggle:

In CT, it's like going to store...kids at UCONN would throw brand new stuff away all the time... oh how I miss it.

There was a time when a new garbage picker moved into where I lived and started getting all the good stuff before me! We ACTUALLY got into it:laugh: ... then thankfully she moved. :blush:

My sisters, however, would get really embarrassed. Apparently one time they were on the school bus and both my mom and dad were in a huge dumpster at an apartment complex they were renovating or kicking people out or something, so stuff galore! And the students were like... "isn't that your mom?" My sisters don't feel the dumpster love.

[downtoearth]

We never went "Dumpster Diving", but when dh and I got our first apartment we had nothing. Well, we had one beach chair, an endtable and a tv. We didn't have any money either so we would drive around a few of the neighborhoods on saturday, the best trash day here, and pick up furniture. It's sooo funny because you'd see us with like a sofa strapped to the roof of my little Neon driving down the street LOL. We actually got some pretty good stuff. I still have a set of book cases and a rocking chair that we got back then.

[susansabrina]

My poor DH is mortified by my dumpster diving. He has relaxed some over the years but it still really embarrases him. At least now he can "appreciate" some of my finds even though he would rather clean the house then go with me. LOL I remember when I first introduced the idea to him and he kept asking me how I got the stuff out. Silly man could not BELIEVE I actually had/did go in the dumpster "like some bum" to get the stuff. Like it was going to crawl out on its own, right? :lostit:

[cooldrinkofwater]

I generally dumpster dive things that I can see in plain sight as I walk down the road or drive by these areas. I DD'ed my son's trike. He loves it! I also scored a great riding dump truck that he just loves. We had to make a steering wheel for it, which I found at the Thrift store for 0.79. Also wonderful! I got a whole box of fabric one time, yards and yards.

The funniest DD experience I ever had was when I was going to church with my Grandpa when I was a "young lass" and he jumped out of the car in his suit and tie to throw something into the trunk on the way to church. I have laughed about this for years.

My DH was at first kind of put off by that, but he has seen me score some great things. So now, even though he would never do it, he is okay with me doing it.

BTW, I love Freecycle. I try to give good things, and I nearly always get great stuff. I got a beautiful long jeans coat, lots and lots of great clothes for the kids, and a beanbag chair.

[dkyle220]

anyone try http://www.freecycle.org ??

:exactly: That's a great place! :thumbsup:

[sweetirishCT]

Hey! I went to UCONN also:lostit: !! And it REALLY is that bad! Yuppie princesses can't stand to bring all their stuff home... easy to throw stuff out I suppose when you didn't have to work for the money to buy it...:rant: lol... (but I'm not bitter...)

I have never actually dived into a dumpster, but I have 'reclaimed' items that were destined for the trash. I also leave stuff out with a 'free' sign... I can't imagine getting real yucky garbage on me while looking for deals. But, I am not saying I never will! I suppose the CVS type dumpsters would be safe, and I remember how much perfectly good stuff gets tossed in the retail world!!
Now I freecycle and am totally hooked!! I am working on a list to post, of big stuff that I can't sell.

What a great thread!!

PS any of you UCONN folks still in the area?? I left in '00, Nursing, lived in Hanks my first couple years. Any other Huskies living nearby?

[tlcreon]

Yeah Road shopping... my inlaws are BIG on that...

I've gone DD once, but it wasn't exactly to get something good out. It was once of those industrial Trash compactorss (we called it Igore). I thought i accidently threw my keys in there and I suited up in raingear to look through the trash.. no luck.

My brother went one time after my cousin's wedding cause all their wedding cash got lost.. WAHOO he found that.. they were relieved.

Many times at the dump I have wanted to, but they don't allow it.
LOL

[sweetirishCT]

OH!
I just remembered my Poppie (g-father) is a super DD, rather DUMP diver... He would go down to the town dump with stuff to leave, and still come home with a truck-full!!:laugh: All of our bikes growing up were from parts on the scrap metal heap. I didn't have a bike that was all one color until I was in high school!! He calls it Yankee ingenuity... The man STILL can't throw anything away! His garage puts the local hardware store to shame.
And my uncle (one of Poppie's boys) works for a construction co. that does offices, etc. He is ALWAYS bringing home stuff that is heading to the dump. I remember he re-tiled the g-parents kitchen w/reclaimed tile; replaced a toilet w/ a handicapped style(very tall) one, and has brought home quite a bit of furniture. All of it going to the trash b/c the place was being remodelled!!:spit: It is a SIN what people throw away!!!

Thought I would share that...

[bassbonelady]

Boy, brings back memories! I was desperate one January as a "starving musician"- it was my first year working, and I hadn't realized how slim pickings were in Jan/Feb, so I got about a weeks worth of food! I got salads and fruit from a grocry store- I didn't eat that gourmet ever again! I decided I found it humiliating, though, and decided to bite the bullet and pay when more money came in.

[akrab]

when i was in college, each spring the town would have a clean-up week and people would set stuff out for p/u. it was a good time to be a scavenger, and scavenge we did. :)

We have that every year in our town... we are having our garbage days this weekend everyone in town is filling there yards with stuff... the roads are so busy now with people driving around to pull stuff out of other peoples yards... I am resisiting the urge... I have a habit of being a packrat (not in the house, but in the basement and garage) so if I haventalready bought it because I need it then I dont need it ( that is what I am telling myself) My kids have come home with toys they found and I have promptly placed them in our garbage pile...

[mama2madj]

i recently got a double stroller and an art desk w/ chair and box of wooden blocks from the roadsie....i never go into dumpsters, but i see something
now...in mi, at big events well bring trash bags and any cans/bottles sitting on the top well grab out, wont dig though

[lovemy4boys]

This is so funny! I found my first husband dumpster diving! He had just scored a 1 1/2 inch open/closed end wrench. OOHH.
* Reduce * Reuse * Recycle *

[Mom2Gray]

My funniest dumpter diving story isn't even my own...we were doing some community service with our youth at church, cleaning up a home for some less fortunate people, and there was a NASTY, holey flea-infested couch that we didn't know what to do with. We had city trash pickup at our house, so we offered to drive it home and put it by the road at our house. Well, when we woke up in the morning, it was gone!! I said to dh "I'll bet whoever snagged that will be VERY sorry when they get home and take a good look at it!" Well, when we left our house later on that day we only got about a quarter mile down the road and saw the couch dumped off the side of the road. Apparently they realized their mistake even sooner than I thought!:lostit:

[mommyfrog]

When I lived in a city with alleys, me and the kids would drive around the evening before garbage day and get all kinds of stuff. We found a Little Tykes cube slide, a highchair, a crib, and a toy kitchen set just to name a few. They loved it then, but now that they're getting older they are starting to get a little embarassed when I do something like that. Oh well, they can always duck down!! But now we use freecycle more because we moved to a more rural area.

[moni54]

Yes, we dive!! We live in a apt complex and when ppl move they just set all kinds of good stuff next to the trash just because they don't want to move it. We've got some great stuff that we really needed that way!

[kids34778]

:popcorn:

what a fun thread, brings back memories