Different Hats

This is such a fun hobby and it’s one of my favorite titles to have – the dumpster diver. My house is filled with treasures found from inside and outside of the dumpsters; things like furniture, toys, jewelry, decorations, snacks, drinks, beauty products, and many more random things.

When I tell other people what I do and how I jump right inside of a dumpster if I see something good, I get a lot of different looks. The name of the hobby itself sounds disgusting and I used to wonder myself how could you possibly find something that’s buried beneath the garbage?

First time that I ever heard about this was through watching videos online and it just didn’t make sense to me – how are these people finding stuff that’s in great condition for free in a dumpster? Sometimes I’d think that maybe it is real and these people are just lucky because there devoted to the hobby, or maybe it’s just fake and all the things you see is just placed inside intentionally.

Either way, it caught my eye and I decided that I wanted to try this out for myself. I thought that this would be a great way to save some money – if I could find the same things that we buy each day at the store in the dumpster, well that would be just fantastic! But the real question was would it actually be safe to consume?

One of the first things that I did to get in the game was I joined a Facebook group for dumpster divers. Before I joined the group, I made sure that it was strictly for the state that I live in. For a little while I just sat back and read the posts on the page and the stories other fellow divers have shared, and it was just like the videos I’ve been watching – it is true!

The first rule that I learned while in this dumpster diving group is that no one is going to tell you where to go, you have to do the work yourself to find the good spots. Occasionally, there will be someone who is kind enough to reveal their secrets to other dumpster newbies so that they to can enjoy the free goodies.

When I would look at these photos from the group, the first thing I would do is look for brand names and markings. One example being Dollar General – the logo is just D and G with black and yellow colors, and their off-brand is called Clover Valley. This is the easiest one because only Dollar General makes Clover Valley products so that’s how I found out to check DG dumpsters.

All of these products that are in the photo above came from the dumpster at Dollar General – I’m not sure how much all of the stuff cost when added together, but I’d say around 40$ or more. This is my favorite dumpster to search in because this store is all over the place, I have four that I visit each week – which means that I have 4 dumpsters to look in.

There’s plenty of stores and most of them have dumpsters in the back or on the side. Sometimes there is the occasional trash compactor and those just ruin all of the fun – don’t ever attempt to get inside one. Very dangerous and stupid I have to add.

Here are some other stores that I like to visit:

• Walgreens
• CVS
• Five Below
• Michaels
• Dollar Tree
• Petco
• GNC
• HomeGoods
• Thrift Shops
• Wine & Spirits

These stores are pretty common and you can find them just about all over the world I would assume. The farthest that I have to drive is about one hour and the closest would be 30 seconds – I live next to three stores so that’s a blessing.

When it comes time to search inside the dumpsters, there’s a few things to consider:

• What garbage bags to look for
• Sharp objects like glass, needles, nails, etc.
• Signs on or around the dumpster that say No Trespassing/Private Property
• Tools and equipment like gloves, boots, grabbing stick, step stool
• Spoiled food, maggots, and wild animals

For Dollar General – look in the black bags, that’s where I have seen most of the products inside. Look for bulky, block-shaped bags and tear a small hole on the bag to see what’s inside of it.

Stores like Walgreens, CVS, Five Below, and Dollar Tree use clear bags so it’s much easier to spot them.

Home Goods, Michaels, and Petco just throw out their stuff, usually it’s not bagged but it can be.

GNC throws out boxes so open them and check or sometimes the products are inside black bags.

Thrift shops normally put the items inside the dumpster or sometimes to the side with a sign that says “free”.

Beer and Liquor stores just toss the products right into the dumpster. I once got a whole case of Bailey’s and I thought that was pretty cool.

You have to remember that your inside of a dumpster – that means it’s a place for trash so most of the time there’s going to be just garbage inside, it’s not always filled with treasures. I like to call this hobby random treasure hunting because you just don’t know what you’ll find – it’s different every single day and each time you check.

I always wear water-proof boots because dumpsters are gross and sometimes a little wet and squishy, so I would recommend this. I usually don’t wear gloves but I should because I have gotten injured numerous times – I once jumped out of a dumpster during a snow storm and I slipped as I put one for out, a giant split basically happened.

You can use a step stool to get in and out of the dumpsters – I don’t use one personally, I just open the doors and jump right inside and get to work. You can also use a tool to pull out bags and check but I don’t recommend this method, too messy.

Keep in mind that some stores will have locks on the dumpsters, locked behind a metal or wooden fence, or a sign that says no trespassing. All of this means to KEEP OUT – you can get in big trouble if you break a lock open or jump a fence with a sign on the door as it is the store’s property.

Make sure to check the rules and the laws for the town you plan to dumpster dive in – dumpster diving is legal but some people are against it. You can go online and Google it and just do a bit of research for yourself – that’s exactly what I did.

Some other things to consider if your gonna take up this hobby:

• Time of day to check dumpsters
• When dumpsters get dumped
• Create a schedule
• Competition
• Bring a light
• Be respectful! Don’t make a mess or fight with employees
• Don’t dump personal garbage
• Try to do it with a partner, someone you know

I always have a partner, I bring my Mom with me to the dumpsters. I do the foot work and she’s the lookout/helper. We also check the dumpsters at night time – when all of the stores have closed for the night because it’s easier to avoid employees, the public crowds watching, and just makes the process of retrieving garbage simple.

This is a time-consuming hobby – you have to stay dedicated and check almost each night (or day) because it’s always going to be different. Keep the dumpster area clean and don’t make a mess. Learn when dumpsters get dumped – one example being Tuesday and Friday are two popular days dumpsters are emptied when I search.

You can use apps like Google Maps and Google Earth to check out locations before visiting.

There is competition all over the place! One time I met these two lovely ladies at a Home Goods that I usually search at and we ended up searching together – we got so many goodies between each of us and it was good time with other fellow divers.

Don’t dump personal garage (It’s illegal) and chase away those you see doing it – these people ruin the dumpsters for us divers as it gets them locked up. Keep a flashlight with you also and something to protect yourself with, it’s smart to be safe where ever you search.

And remember to have fun too! It’s so exciting when you start getting large hauls of stuff, you can share with friends and family or donate it. We do both – I have a church that accepts our food and where it comes from so we’re feeding families and that makes me smile.

So here’s a breakdown of how to become a successful dumpster diver:

• Check to see if store has a dumpster
• Make sure no signs are up
• Decide a time to check
• No messes
• Bring equipment
• Be respectful
• Be careful
• Check the rules/laws online
• Enjoy free stuff