Dumpster Diving Discussion - Page 46

Blessedw2 · 06-30-2008, 08:24:51 PM

so....it occurred to me last night, that by taking my son to VBS this morning, we would not be able to make our coupon walk around the neighborhood. So, I decided to go out after dishes and kids were in bed, around 10:00. I was hoping eveyone had their recycling out early! Everything was going fine until about the 6th house. i popped up to see the shadow of a man and his dog. He says " I hope you know a policeman lives there". I said, "and....?". He say's " I'm just saying, a policeman lives there." I wanted to ask him if he was implying that I was doing something illegal. But, it was dark. I couldn't see him. And I do live in the neighborhood. So I just asked him "And?" again and kept walking. A few houses later, I was actually at someone's that has given me permission, when a car comes by....very slowly.....i turned off my flashlight. They went on. about a block later....here comes a police car! SOMEONE CALLED THE POLICE ON ME!!!

Anyway, he said someone called and reported someone digging in the garbage. I informed him I do not dig in the garbage, Only the recycling bins!!

Q fun for me · 07-01-2008, 02:33:29 PM

Okay, after reading about the "Dumpster Dive" on here I went ahead and gave it a try. I did chicken out about going by myself, so I brought a friend (this ended up being great, more hands to work).

Oh what fun we had! I can't believe all the free (with a "LITTLE" effort) coupons we scrounged up. We just giggled the whole time!

Another added bonus: the dumpster was next to a big open field so that kept the children busy running around there, while Mommy had a little fun of her own. I can just hear the stories they will have for my grandchildren. "When I was a little girl, my mom....."

sati769leigh · 07-05-2008, 08:24:45 PM

thanks to this being one of the first posts i read about a month ago i started doing this and my coupon base and thus my stockpile has grown accordingly. i do work for a non profit and doing this is fabulous. my son and i head out at about 5:30 am every other wed morning. I bring gloves, a grabber, and some bags. my son carries the bag for pepsi points. i carry my bag for coke points and the bag for the inserts!! it is working out so well! thanks so much for this post. never would have thought of it.

nonnadonna · 07-05-2008, 11:30:36 PM

I've been dumpster diving for about 3 months, and lovin' it! I've gotten wonderful produce-pounds of berries, cherries, lettuce, avocado, tomatoes, etc., other food items, items to share with others. I found a local Domino's that gives free Sunday papers with orders on Sat. The remaining papers are in their dumpster Sun. p.m! Dozens of them!

nonnadonna · 07-05-2008, 11:36:54 PM

It may be somewhere else in this thread, but be sure to check your city's ordinances regarding dumpster diving. Mine prohibits taking anything out of designated recycle bins!

chicana · 07-06-2008, 03:02:41 AM

Sad to say that my dding days are over. A local church would go to the newspaper place and pick up their extra papers from the week before. Well, a couple of friends and I caught on to what they were doing. So, Friday night after midnight after they filled their bins we would go in and get the inserts. We usually would end up with about 50-60 a person and there were 3 of us. Well, unfortunately they caught on to us too. A couple weeks ago when we went to get papers we found that they had padlocked the lids down and boarded up the side windows. Well before we could leave after finding the bins locked down the police came with their lights on, stopped us and asked us what we were doing there? We didn't admit to anything just because I didn't know what kind of trouble we could have been in. They said that they had a complaint from the church that somebody was stealing their papers. i wanted to tell them the truth that we weren't taking the papers only the inserts but I didn't want to recant my story. We don't even take a lot of weight. All the expired coupons we throw back in their bins. SO let's say at the most we may cut out 5,6, or 7 coupons and throw the rest away. How many ounces do you think they are really loosing? Not very much. Any extra papers we throw in their bins to make up the difference. So, sad to say it was nice while it lasted.

sati769leigh · 07-06-2008, 01:14:56 PM

Originally Posted by nonnadonna

It may be somewhere else in this thread, but be sure to check your city's ordinances regarding dumpster diving. Mine prohibits taking anything out of designated recycle bins!

you should double check that. our has a similiar ordinance. HOWEVER, they do allow couponing and the points. i have asked and gotten permission as long as i dont leave a mess behind me with what i do. but you cannot period take aluminum cans from a recycling bag.

sati769leigh · 07-06-2008, 01:17:06 PM

Originally Posted by chicana

Sad to say that my dding days are over. A local church would go to the newspaper place and pick up their extra papers from the week before. Well, a couple of friends and I caught on to what they were doing. So, Friday night after midnight after they filled their bins we would go in and get the inserts. We usually would end up with about 50-60 a person and there were 3 of us. Well, unfortunately they caught on to us too. A couple weeks ago when we went to get papers we found that they had padlocked the lids down and boarded up the side windows. Well before we could leave after finding the bins locked down the police came with their lights on, stopped us and asked us what we were doing there? We didn't admit to anything just because I didn't know what kind of trouble we could have been in. They said that they had a complaint from the church that somebody was stealing their papers. i wanted to tell them the truth that we weren't taking the papers only the inserts but I didn't want to recant my story. We don't even take a lot of weight. All the expired coupons we throw back in their bins. SO let's say at the most we may cut out 5,6, or 7 coupons and throw the rest away. How many ounces do you think they are really loosing? Not very much. Any extra papers we throw in their bins to make up the difference. So, sad to say it was nice while it lasted.

curious, why didnt you just ASK the church if you could do that? if i see a neighbor out while i am doing my diving i ask if its ok and move on if they say no. most say sure. some even help me! LOL if i were going to a church or an apartment complex i would ask the owner/church first. clears the way. Maybe ifyou apologised for the misunderstanding and asked nicely they would let you again?

chicana · 07-07-2008, 03:29:37 AM

Originally Posted by sati769leigh

curious, why didnt you just ASK the church if you could do that? if i see a neighbor out while i am doing my diving i ask if its ok and move on if they say no. most say sure. some even help me! LOL if i were going to a church or an apartment complex i would ask the owner/church first. clears the way. Maybe ifyou apologised for the misunderstanding and asked nicely they would let you again?

At the beginning we did ask and they were saving inserts for us. After about a couple of weeks they said that they couldn't save them any more because the newspaper place said that it was fraud for them to save them out of the papers for us. So they stopped helpins us out.

couponaddicted10 · 07-07-2008, 02:22:26 PM

Hum... I bet that same church would have no problems with the same people coming into their food pantry and begging for food....