[i.e. the years I lived as a dumpster diver in NYC]
Jane spotted this under some garbage bags after we went to the Mexican supermarket for some supplies. Naturally, we wheeled it home atop my bicycle.
Then while dinner cooked itself in the crock pot, I fished out what was left of the paint I had used for my walls, and did a quick (shoddy, but improved nonetheless) revamp of this grand trunk. As ever, it was a pleasure making strokes with the thick milkshakey scent-free zero-VOC paint. Our new trunk now houses winter boots and other unsightlies.
Four giant cookie jars, tank top, t-shirt, cardigan, bushes of kale, bell peppers, purple and white eggplants, dark chocolate covered orange peel, zucchini, corn, banana, bellini mix, English muffins, burger buns, raisin bread, and a neti pot! The jars were a bit grungy, but nothing a little scrub-a-dub couldn't take care of. And with my household storage capacity reaching its limit, I gifted much of the top layer to friends.
Like a mommy at Talbots, I feel peachy keen satisfaction when traipsing through the aisles of a Salvation Army thrift store. Gems abound. The turnover is tremendously quick as well. People get rid of massive quantities of clothing. I reckon there is enough of it in the world right now to clothe many bodies for much time. So I save buying new for special occasions--like I do for meat eating.
After fancying one for some time, I recently found myself the grateful recipient of a Crock Pot in the wake of a friend's move out. Now I invite buddies to join, we make tasty dishes, sit down to a romantic dinner, and salute of our fortune of friendship.
Oh look! I spy freegan items: folding wooden table, place mats, bowls, glasses, wooden chair, piano bench, futon couch, television, DVD player, speakers, fan, chess board, potted plant, pillows, vase, Hot Tamales, assorted books, candles, candle holders. The film theory books are just about the only items I purchased, and even most of those were used. Every item has a previous owner who no longer had use for it, but for the moment, I do, and when I don't, I'll take it upon myself to find someone that does.
I love my baby Weber. It was thrown out with the bathwater and I saved it. Happy baby, happy belly. And sunshine and rooftops.
The other night while mucking about in a garbage bag, I unearthed some tasty elements from the all-important Fruits and Vegetables sector of the food pyramid: grapefruit, fennel, brussel sprouts, cucumbers, alfalfa sprouts, yellow potatoes, new potatoes, baking potatoes, tomatoes, limes, a banana, and a lemon.
The Thai triangle cushions upon which these fruits and veggies are arranged were also found curbside (some time back). It was a moderate struggle lugging such dense pillows down from the upper west side on the subway with my camera gear in tow, but the comfort they have brought my fanny (both in the living room and as my go-to rooftop furniture) has proven well worth the effort.
With that, today's take-away is future benefit--a minute squishing my gut, a lifetime padding my butt.
The other day in a cold, lonely little trash corner, I spotted these guys keeping each other cozy. What a pair! Rick Warren is a welcome addition to my book collection on account of the Uganda documentary I'm working on, and my door is always open for Stephen Colbert--so contentment oozes from the rubbish bins once again.
The spoon, the trivet, the spice jar, the sugar cubes, the mug, the jar, the soy milk, the coffee beans, the French press.....every single element hails from another person's reject bin. Value is a subjective thing, but sometimes that falls by the wayside in a society steeped in the dynamics of individual ownership. For me it even still takes a conscious moment of pause to keep from mentally writing-off an object as value-less once the value I had originally assigned to it in relation to my existence has dissipated. In short, culturally-familiar terms: one man's trash is another man's treasure.
Yesterday I went to transfer my mustard into a smaller jar to allow some breathing room in my fridge door (and use the larger jar as a glass), only to discover that my spatula was too wide for the task at hand. Bummer...until it dawned on me that my bag of tricks had recently been christened (see post below) with a tool made for precisely this occasion: the Mayoknife!
One store, one night.
A sea of non-perishables--from clam knives to cranberry to corn picks to candles to cous cous...and even grapefruit spoons! Click 'read more' for itemized list and prices.
The market staff was nothing less than friendly. I made it a point to assure them I would tie everything back as I found it, and while placing new bags carefully separate from those I had already rummaged through, they joked with me about how many jars of mustard one person could consume. Nothing was defective, some of the food was expired (but of course in sealed, clean, pristine packaging). All of the utensils, gadgets, cleaning cloths, candles, and so on were of course without an expiration date and fully functional, all be their packaging slightly dated (cheesy graphics, glue around plastic packaging had become brittle). I understand that food goods have expiration dates, beyond which, in our litigious society, liability becomes an issue. But I find it so difficult to stomach the mass disposal of brand new unopened can openers, strainers, thermometers, pencils, knife sharpeners, rubber gloves, and honey stirrers being thrown. I find myself desiring ever more the implementation of infrastructure to absorb this excess. It could be as simple as an individual (yes, there happens to be a mirror just across from my desk) willing to transport these goods from the market to the pantry, the shelter, the Salvo, what have you. The inventory is as follows:
| Item | Units | Price | Total | ||||
| Power Bars | 36 | $2.49 | $89.64 | ||||
| Kind Bars | 1 | $2.49 | $2.49 | ||||
| Cliff Bars | 1 | $2.49 | $2.49 | ||||
| Good Earth Tea | 5 | $1.50 | $7.50 | ||||
| Granola | 6 | $3.99 | $23.94 | ||||
| Pomegrante | 1 | $5.99 | $5.99 | ||||
| McCann's Irish Oatmeal | 1 | $4.99 | $4.99 | ||||
| Raisins (assorted flavor) | 10 | $1.50 | $15.00 | ||||
| Boulder Canyon Chips | 1 | $3.99 | $3.99 | ||||
| Rice Select Organic Rice | 8 | $3.49 | $27.92 | ||||
| Near East Long Grain Wild Rice | 4 | $3.49 | $13.96 | ||||
| Grey Poupon Squeeze Bottle | 3 | $4.19 | $12.57 | ||||
| Maille Dijon | 3 | $4.19 | $12.57 | ||||
| Dijon Country Jar | 1 | $5.99 | $5.99 | ||||
| Sweet Pea Can | 1 | $1.99 | $1.99 | ||||
| Cranberry Sauce | 1 | $2.49 | $2.49 | ||||
| Cambells's Chunky | 1 | $3.49 | $3.49 | ||||
| Progresso Tomato Puree | 1 | $1.50 | $1.50 | ||||
| Escarole in Broth | 2 | $1.50 | $3.00 | ||||
| Lucini Fig and Walnut Balsamic | 2 | $3.00 | $6.00 | ||||
| Numeral candle | 44 | $0.99 | $43.56 | ||||
| Soy milk | 17 | $1.50 | $25.50 | ||||
| Chanukah Candles | 6 | $2.00 | $12.00 | ||||
| Playtex Living Gloves | 3 | $2.99 | $8.97 | ||||
| Potato Leek, Mushroom soup | 3 | $1.50 | $4.50 | ||||
| Chicken Broth | 2 | $1.50 | $3.00 | ||||
| Tomato Couscous | 1 | $14.29 | $14.29 | ||||
| Shower curtain | 1 | $6.99 | $6.99 | ||||
| Mr Clean reusable wipes | 7 | $1.99 | $13.93 | ||||
| T-Stick | 4 | $2.99 | $11.96 | ||||
| Pencils | 1 | $1.69 | $1.69 | ||||
| Sharpie | 1 | $6.99 | $6.99 | ||||
| Poultry Lacers | 8 | $2.19 | $17.52 | ||||
| Disinfectant Wipes | 8 | $2.99 | $23.92 | ||||
| Salt and Pepper Mill | 1 | $12.99 | $12.99 | ||||
| Ice Cream Scoop | 1 | $2.99 | $2.99 | ||||
| Honey Server | 10 | $0.99 | $9.90 | ||||
| Spatulas | 3 | $3.99 | $11.97 | ||||
| Heat Resistant Spatula | 1 | $5.99 | $5.99 | ||||
| Spoonula | 1 | $4.99 | $4.99 | ||||
| Apple Corer | 1 | $3.99 | $3.99 | ||||
| Grapefruit Spoons | 1 | $3.99 | $3.99 | ||||
| Clam Knifes | 2 | $2.99 | $5.98 | ||||
| Casabella Water Stop Gloves | 3 | $3.99 | $11.97 | ||||
| Window Cleaning Cloths | 6 | $2.49 | $14.94 | ||||
| Turkey Timer | 4 | $0.69 | $2.76 | ||||
| Kitchen Thermometer | 1 | $9.99 | $9.99 | ||||
| Beef Raw Hide | 1 | $3.29 | $3.29 | ||||
| Assorted Cleaning | 5 | $1.99 | $9.95 | ||||
| Gulf Wax | 1 | $3.99 | $3.99 | ||||
| Knife Sharpeners | 2 | $2.49 | $4.98 | ||||
| Shrimp Deveiner | 1 | $3.99 | $3.99 | ||||
| Wrist Tape | 2 | $4.29 | $8.58 | ||||
| Corn Picks | 5 | $3.99 | $19.95 | ||||
| Mayo Knives | 7 | $1.99 | $13.93 | ||||
| Mildew Gone | 1 | $2.99 | $2.99 | ||||
| Toothbrush Covers | 3 | $1.29 | $3.87 | ||||
| Cheese Markers | 2 | $1.79 | $3.58 | ||||
| Butter Slicer | 1 | $4.99 | $4.99 | ||||
| Mini Strainer | 1 | $2.99 | $2.99 | ||||
| Meat Thermometer | 1 | $9.99 | $9.99 | ||||
| Kitchen Wine, Sherry, Vermouth | 5 | $3.89 | $19.45 | ||||
| TOTAL |
|
||||||
| GRAND | TOTAL | $661.30 |
This jolly face belongs to the new owner of these shoes. I came upon the shoes in the trash bin, asked my feet to shrink, and when they didn't I threw them under the couch knowing that at some point they would find their Cinderella. And now they have.
Artichokes, rutabagas, mushrooms, apples, tofu, flat bread, pumpernickel bread, bread rolls, sweet potato pie, oranges, bananas, potatoes, sour cream, ricotta cheese, string cheese, cream cheese, Gobstoppers, Life Saver gummies, and oh so many Hot Tamales.
Need I say it? From the trash bags, outside grocery store, en route to landfill.
Oof it's been a while since I posted, but that's because I took a little sojourn to Uganda. Before I set off though, I had moment of foresight. In anticipation of making dear friends with whom I would want to leave a farewell gift in appreciation of their friendship, I brought along some of my superfluous frugan niceties. Plus, I always like to give a gift with a little more utility than flowers or cards or chocolate. Pictured above are a digital camera from the NYU dumpster and a tape recorder from the Columbia post-graduation dump. Also, yummy mens cologne and lotion that someone had left behind in the Business Class goodie bag on Emirates. The happy camper Brother Andrew writes, "Thank you very much for my gifts which you gave me i am still very happy I now know how to use both the camera and the Re coda, at first I could use it with out a flash but now i am ok." So much better than gifting the landfill.
Halloween costumes can be the cause of such stress! They're cheaply constructed, generic, and expensive.
Some thrift stores set up Halloween sections during this time of year. If you live in Los Angeles, at the moment there is a large section in the Goodwill at the corner of Santa Monica Blvd and 6th St in Santa Monica. I'm sure other thrift stores have a similar set up. They may not have the hottest superhero your child most desperately needs, but they're likely to have more unique options (no one wants to show up wearing the same thing as someone else), and still allow your kids the fun of roaming the aisles to pick out his or her own costume. I think it's also a good chance to instill that Halloween really is about having fun, getting dressed up, and stuffing yourself with candy. And just as much fun can be had in a used Gumbi costume as in a brand new Iron Man costume.
I've also heard of parents organizing costumes swaps. Both are really great ways to get kids fun new costumes on a budget, and while helping to minimize clothing manufacturing and landfill use. If you're in New York, go to this one that my friend is organizing on October 24th !
Another idea is to convert an old costume into something new. With new accessories a fairy can be adjusted to a princess, remove the padding and get a new nose and an elephant becomes a seal, dye a good witch dress and it becomes a wicked witch.
You can also make your own costume. All of my favorite costumes growing up were made by my mom. They were nothing too elaborate, but it ensured that no one else would have the same costume, and I got to help her out and suggest changes here and there, so I got just what I wanted. We also stored costumes away, so I often wore what my brother had worn a couple years prior. They also had a great homemade touch--accents and accessories were actual tactile objects, not just screen printed onto chintzy fabric. Scrap fabric, string, glue, tape, paint, and carboard boxes can take you a very long way. It's so much fun to get creative with kids. Making costumes with them is a great way to stretch their imagination and encourage them to find ways to translate that imagined idea into a functioning frock.
A whisk, sea salt, bagels, assorted herbs, salad dressing (probably 8 jars), skewers (a handful out of thousands), soy sauce, BBQ sauce, tomato paste, green beans, dozens of eggs, a peeler, and cookie cutters!
Please note that the fumee de sel carries a price tag of $28. And cookie cutters don't go bad.
I recently secured $50 selling two charcoal BBQs that I found on the street and ended up having no room for. Two posts, two emails, two 3 minute exchanges. Now I have pocket cash and less clutter, an Irish lady has the means to cook on her camping trip, and the Broke-ology set at Lincoln Center Theater has a prop. Three winners!
Freegan ferries powder the sidewalks of the city with magic on the last day of the month. Leases are up and people are eager to move on. Oh but bed bugs you say? Well, according to my probability tests, there is a lower likelihood for bed bugs on this day, as items aren't being tossed out in haste on the 7th or 23rd, but with timely intention right on the 31st. Another indicator for the presence of bed bugs is the type of objects piled within close enough proximity have have originated from the same apartment. If a person throws out linens and a mattress, but also spatulas and lamps and dishes, then I'm likely to deem it a simple case of moving house rather than extermination.
On this day, we gathered a bed frame with drawers in superb condition, a double memory foam mattress with cover and topper, countless sheets, duvets, comforters, dishes, cups, a rubbermaid under the bed drawer, and lots and lots of squares of mirror...perfect for arts and crafts time!
A couple months ago I collected many books from the dumpsters at Columbia and NYU. The other day I finally got around to posting a couple on Amazon, not really expecting them to sell given a presumed summertime lull in textbook sales. Lo and and behold, I am now $140 wealthier! And two more people can gain knowledge (or not, based on how pristine these books were) from the pages of those trees.
Aren't trees and trash generous!!
Gleaned from only a small portion of EC and River (and pictured is less than half of my bounty alone): fully functional printer/scanner, iron, fan, heater, flat screen television, bluetooth mouse, detergent, fabric softener, pots and pans, sealed cereal, pasta, sauces, popcorn, granola, oil, sugar, grains, tea, coffee, canned goods....canned goods! I'm amazed that despite years of indoctrination through canned food drives, students can still throw out canned goods. Furthermore, although book drive boxes were conveniently placed in the lobby of each building, hundreds of books remained trashed. If even these kids can't get it right even under these circumstances...eeesh. Nevertheless I'll begrudgingly reap the benefits!
