I'm not cheap I just like doing it. "Dumpster Diving."

I occasionally take a peak in store's dumpsters. I've found quite a few perfectly good things that were being thrown out without any obvious flaw. It's great- it keeps usable items out of the landfill & doesn't cost a thing. Just be careful at private homes, someone might think you are looking for their personal info in their trash.

Hi missy! I got a bookshelf once that was in great shape that someone had set out on the side of the road to be trashed. Just needed to be refinished.

I've done that all my life! I made pretty good money selling some of the things I found too. Once I found this little, tiny picture of a kid dressed in old looking clothes and even though the picture was small, it was in a frame about a foot by 8 inches, but the picture was only about 4 inches by 4 inches. It looked like a real painting, so I took it to an antique shop and was thrilled he gave me $200 for it! Later I found out it was from some famous painter and it was worth: $8,000! Boy was I ever ripped off! I was a fool and sold it right off the bat without even checking around to see if it was worth anything! What an idiot I was! Let this be a warning to you, check out what you find, you just might have a million dollar item in your hands!

No, mostly because, well, I'm short and can't see anything. But people often put 'nice stuff' next to the recycling bins, and I have occasionally taken it - one of our small lamps was sitting beside the cardboard recycling a year ago. I took it in and cleaned it up and even the lightbulb still worked.

i don't dumpster dive per se-that's dangerous around here,you could get a faceful of raccoon.but we do have something called "junk day" where people put out household items for collection,and it's pretty much an unwritten rule local that it's a free for all.if you need it,take it..that's why it's out there. you'd be amazed at some of the things people throw out. i got a free working laptop up the street.

We call it alley browsing! LOL I love it. Tuesday is garbage dayhere and on Monday evenings or early Tuesday morning you can just drive through the alleys and people setout things for the garbage man to get. First com first serve and I have found some great stuff. You're right there isn't anything wrong with a lot of the items. People are just tired of them or don't need them. Spring cleaning will start soon so I'm looking forward to finding all kinds of treasures. "One person's garbage is another treasure!"

well, i am cheap and i like to do this as well! we used to have a very large garbage day every few months where people could throw out furniture and whatnot and i got an bedside table this way. i got a dresser this way also when i was pregnant with my younger daughter and they were just throwing it away! its amazing what people throw away.

It's been a very long time since I did this. Use to get the aluminum cans and cash them in to help pay the bills. I'm sure we came across other things when we did this, but it's been so long ago, that all i am recalling are the cans. They say one man's trash is another man's treasure.

I haven't done anything since this fall. As there was a home where they left I'd say 10-15 boxes of various kids & some household items. I found a few items in the bags that will fit all of my kids and toys. I just disinfected the toys and clothes in the washer with vinegar. I was so excited yet embarassed at the same time especially if any of my kids classmates folks seen me doing it KWIM? As it was near school, that I spoted the find while walking my ds in his stroller waiting for school to let out. But ya know whatever doesn't fit my kids I"ll still wash up and sell with my kids clothes at a rummage, give away, & if worse comes to worse donate the items so they will stay out of a landfill.

I've never actually gone through someone's trash can before. However, my husband and I have taken some things that people were getting rid of on the side of the road. Some of the things were barely used children's outside toys like small slides, big wheels, etc. I can't tell you how much money it's saved us.

i don't do that cause there are not much nice things to see in the garbage from the people i know of. cause most people i know of usually don't usually throw things like those things that are regarded as thrash already. so mostly garbage here are those things that need to be thrown like excess food and other stuff like bottled water container etc.

Hi missybear! I used to do this before and I too got some nice stuffs from the dumpster. But now that we are living in a foreign country and its apartment that has caretaker to pick up the garbage, I'm assuming that they are the one who diving into it to find some nice stuffs.

Not anymore. My health will not allow it and I got rid of a lot of stuff I got for free as I need the room . I would do it occasionally. I built a large shed at my previous house from dumpters at renovation and building sites. I would always ask if I could take the stuff first and they were always accommadating. I got a bunch of insulation for the attic too. We are supposed to have a "treasure hunt" every month in our city where people put out their repairable or unused stuff and people are free to take what they want. People do not put stuff out though so it is not worth driving around looking, there are usually only a half dozen or so putting stuff to the curb, especially with the price of gas. I have found that people will sell their surplus stuff or throw it away, but they are loath to just give it away. It would make more sense to put it on the curb and have someone use it than put it into landfill. I do not understand this mentality, I guess people have too much money.

Yeah, I do only when no ones watching, or that thing i need or really really want.

No, I haven't. But I have been tempted when I have seen useful things set out on the curb. I'm just too embarrassed to pick it up.

I never tried that but i plan to try.. hahaha.. the only problem is we are far a way from the dumpsters. And it is right with what one responder here said that maybe they would think we are looking for important information in their garbage? that's something to think about. Well, if the things are already in the dumpster not in their own garbage in their house, it might be goo to dive in their. I never tried yet. LOL. But with the testimonies of you here, I find it interesting to try.

Hey missy! I love to Dumpster Dive! I found the greatest stuff in my neighboorhood too! I found this great little cabinet across the street that I re-painted and put my cassettes and cd's in! It's great! I used to wander through the neighborhood all the time checking to see what the neighbors were getting rid of! I can't do it anymore because my boyfriend would have a fit if I brought anything else home after we through out all the stuff I had collected! But, I did find some great stuff when I did Dumpster Dive!

Dumpster diving usually reminds me of hackers. You're obviously not a hacker. Anyway, I don't do that though I do admit it's a pretty good way of obtaining information....or other stuff. Have a good one.

I once picked up a TV, which doesn't work at all. I'm very disappointed.

I just got a fake Christmas tree and two padded foling chairs the other day. Its worth it sometimes.