Tips: Dumpster Diving Tool Kit

[kimsuep]

My dh is going to FREEK when I tell him what we are doing Sunday night!!!!

[Hevvymama]

I am the Goddess of the Recycling Raid, according to the husbo. I cannot just drive by the yellow bin; my van is programmed to turn in, unless I am late for work. And I have the timing down; I know when the truck comes to dump which bin, so I wait until the day before so it's nice and full and I don't have to kill myself trying to get my fix. The bins in my area are cool, they have the lift-up lid (for the amateurs), but also a small "window" in each side. If I time it right, I can just stand there and rifle through everything at chest height. Very ergonomic! My chiropractor is so happy.

Also, I have the true secret to stockpiling; I know when the independent contractors who deliver the paper drop off their Sunday extras! Unless I mis-time it, or something else throws a wrench in the works, I can easily nab 60-100 inserts at a pop. Sometimes they even have them all picked out and stacked nicely for me. I love those days...

[rittreid]

OK, I just have to tell this story. This afternoon, I was reading this discussion while my 2 year old twins were napping. My husband works at a large lumber mill where the men drink VERY many Pepsis and Mountain Dews every day. They have always laughed at my husband because he goes right in the trash cans in the break room and takes out all of the bottle lids. He just lets them laugh because he oftens comes him with anywhere from 30 - 50 lids a day. Over the past couple of years, he has won many items including CDs, tshirts, gas certificates and even new Motorola cell phones for both of us.

After reading this discussion today, I was wondering if I should try my hand at dumpster diving. On the way to the grocery store, I pulled in to a gas station just to dump some trash out of the van and there sticking out of the trash was an empty Pepsi 12 pk with the points still attached. I knew I had received my sign. Wish me luck as I "dive" into this new experience.

[emily26505]

Originally Posted by teri037 Hi everyone...I just started couponing seriously in March. There is a recycle bin right outside my front door for the community of 700 homes that I live in, literally right outside my front door. I have become addicted to couponing and I can't imagine ever paying full price for groceries again....My problem is that everytime I go past the recycle bin, I want to go digging through it, and I must say I am a little embarrassed for the neighbors to see me plummaging through the bins, so I wait until dark and go armed with flashlights and so forth...I'll find a few inserts and then hurry back back inside...then sit and think about it and go back again, grab a few and hurry back inside.... its making me crazy....lol...one day soon I am going to get the courage to plummage through it in broad daylight!!! I am so lucky to have it right in front of me!!!

:h ysterical:

This has got to be the most hilarious thing ever!!! that just sounds exactly like me..though I've never done it before, but i would be the same way!!! you are too funny

[CowNcalves]

I know how some of you feel. I can see the newspaper recycle bin from my living room window. We have two bins, one for cans and one for newspaper. The newspaper one has big swing doors that you can climb into. This is a small town and its right next to the police station. So far, the police haven't bothered me but I got my 9 yo and 12yo excited about dumpster diving (I don't let them climb in). We go when it cools off and I'm the one telling them to "shush, your drawing to much attention" If I let them they would be out there for hours searching. Seems like I'm the only one that gets them, so there always alot but not enough time to get them all. Wish there was more hours in a day =)
But my kids know that everytime I look out the window with a sad look, its because of all the coupons that I don't have. You know that that one coupon that you don't have will be in there and you will miss out on that good deal....
ok I will take the first step.... My name is Dawn and I'm addicted to coupons... and getting things free... and the high from getting the deal of a lifetime.
Thanks to HCW for feeding my addiction

[dianne0007]

I have been taking my broom out to the dumpster to snag the handles of grocery bags tied shut with newspapers in them. I told my DH that he needed to put a hook on the end of it so that it would be easier for me to "snag and lift" but the handle is plastic...hummmm.? He went to Home Depot yesterday and bought a looooong wooden replacement handle and a bicycle hook. He is a genius! I can't wait to use it. Oh yah and ...Hi, my name is Dianne and I too am adicted to couponing (and I think my DH is too), getting a good deal, and the high that accompanies it!

[tinkinthehouse]

Why don't you just ask your neighbors for the inserts?????

[silly_momma]

Originally Posted by tinkinthehouse Why don't you just ask your neighbors for the inserts?????

I have, and do swap unused coupons with neighbors. BUT, if it's a GREAT coupon, they have already clipped it! Plus, very few of my neighbors actually get the Sunday paper, any more.

[abond0017]

Originally Posted by tinkinthehouse Why don't you just ask your neighbors for the inserts?????

Ditto to what the pp said.

Plus, if you are a hardcore couponer, you want to get as many as possible for the least amount of work.
You can get 20+ inserts from one 15 min. trip to the recycling bin (if you are lucky you can get many more). But walking from neighbor to neighbor and having to go back cause they arent home or arent finished with it yet and only getting like 10 cause thats all the neighbors you know...that is alot more work for not as many inserts.

[osumoose]

I went dumpster diving for the first time wednesday. It was up there with skinny dipping at seventeen on my list of thrilling things to do. :D We actually have a "building" for newspapers, not those bins. Our small town of 500 people bags up the papers and recycles them in these like 8 x 15 ft box with a door and just a hook and eye lock! I parked my girls out front in the van where I could hear them, and started at it! I think in the 10 minutes I was there I got around 20 inserts. OMG that building is FULL almost completely (it's 8ft high too!) There is a tiny spot for the door to open and you basically stand there with bags and bags of newspapers staring back at you. Can you imagine the amount of wasted coupons in there?! I almost cried! lol I'm going to start going after church every sunday so dh can watch the girls. I also have boxes set up at the church halls in town for everyone to drop their coupons off in. Our church has the food pantry for town and I've been filling it with all the free stuff I get, so everyone is eager to help by simply donating coupons!