# Crazy dumpster dive again



## Ponderling (Mar 1, 2013)

This week it was 1 month past best before protein powders. 
Looked up the items on Amazon, and the find was for more than $240 in products.
My two boys mix up smoothies using this sort of stuff every day. 
So it was not like finding things we do not normally consume.


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## james4beach (Nov 15, 2012)

Wow that's a real jackpot. Basically the stuff is barely expired (probably still good) *and* useful to you.

Great find!


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## HappilyRetired (Nov 14, 2021)

I'm currently using a container of protein powder that expired June '21 that I forgot about. I can't tell any difference.


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## sags (May 15, 2010)

I hope you are checking for recalls by the manufacturer, because products get thrown out for that reason as well.

For example......









If You Bought These Popular Protein Shakes, Throw Them Away Now, FDA Says


A popular type of protein shake is subject to a new recall and the FDA recommends that people who bought them dispose of them ASAP.




bestlifeonline.com


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## Ponderling (Mar 1, 2013)

Nope, Sags. I do not generally gather expired 'wet' food products. The scrounge this time are foil sealed in cans dry powders.


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## Ponderling (Mar 1, 2013)

This weekend was a bit more mundane. A 4x5' piece of good 1 side plywood. Probably will go into set of shelves outside. 
Last week I came up with an end roll of 2' of painted aluminum of the sort that siding guys use, about 18' long. That might end up make the roof of an outside shelf to store my junk that awaits its day at the scrap yard. 

Found two sets of auto jumper cables with the clamps at the ends a bit rusty. 
Even if dead worth more than $20 at the scrap yard for the copper wire in them.

The usual about $5 of empty cans and bottles. 

One jumper set is 16' of #3, so I might try to krud cutter the rust off the clamps, then clean the copper pads up after that and make them my primary set. 
Though at cars get smarter, the number of times batteries go flat seems less common than I was a wee one, but I still like to carry a set in the trunk in the winter time. 

Then as always on Sunday morning the Saturday Globe, Star, Spec, Sun, NYT and Financial Post, good to wander through on a long weekend.


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## Ponderling (Mar 1, 2013)

So Saturday afternoon in central Ontario a major damaging wind front moved ahead of and with the start of a line of strong thunder storms. At my place a limb of a Norway maple was broken off and landed on our glass top patio table. A ton of tempered glass bits to clean up as well as deal with the limb was a minor problem compared to what many in the area have to deal with. Death toll from the storm currently stands at 10.. 

In preparation I had gotten the patio umbrellas down, and chairs stacked, but had not moved the table in case a limb came down before the first heavy rains hit. I think it was the combined wet leaves and really strong wind that caused the branch to fail.

So the bent leg on the table could be straightened- the tube had not bent to far to have buckled.
Measured, and ideally I need a 43" round top. 

Ten years ago a company brand was amalgamated and the polycarbonate panel that held that logo in the lobby was removed. I salvaged it from the dumpster and had it in my garage. I have made wire antenna end insulators by cutting parts from it in the past. Now I cut the 42" wide piece down to be 44" long, So it sorta fits. Square top on a round support, but hey.

Drill a hole for the umbrella pole, and propane torch dance along the cut edges to soften the sharp saw blade result.
Good enough to host pals at a Victoria Day back yard hang out and bbq dinner. Will look for a replacement table for long term while garage sailing later this summer. 

The power fail that came after the storm showed me that ex ups that backs up the the router and DVR are pooched.

I had a spare smaller UPS that I had charged up about 3 months ago with a newer 12V battery that I was able to turn on and get only the router going. That and a laptop showed me only me and 15K of my neighbours were down, so I headed out across town to hang and watch the hockey playoffs.

Took a car battery I had found, and had sitting awaiting a trip to the scrap yard. and looked at it.
Pried the 'maintenance sealed' vent cover off. Most cells needed distilled added, so I topped them off. It was putting a no load 11.8V out, One side slightly bulged, so not a car starter any more, but maybe longer run UPS battery? 

So once power back on I put it on a smart charger and it said partially discharged, not sulphated, and charged it. Holds 12.8V 24 hours later. Was rated 74Ah when new. The oem UPS battery is only 12Ah. I know I cannot run the UPS full tilt for a long time with this bigger battery - the power semiconductors will overheat. But this thing is old enough it ran backup for whole pc and crt display when it was new about 1988. So a small power load router likely will run a few hours with the car battery connected 

So I adapted one paIr of jumper cables with #8 wire size I found on Saturday morning to hook up the car battery to the UPS. Cut off the crappy connection end battery clamps, and instead crimp on insulated sleeve male tab terminals to be compatible to mate with the female clip terms that normally connect to the UPS internal battery. I will charge the car battery separately since the UPS is set to charge SLA's, and wet cells need slightly different voltages to be float charged. Plus wet cells can vent hydrogen so best to charge them outside. 

That's all the cheap creativity I have gotten done today with things at hand around the house.


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## Ponderling (Mar 1, 2013)

So after last week's wind storm I have found wind damaged two patio umbrellas in the dumpsters I lurk around. 
I brought them both home, and now have a fully working arrangement. 

The good bits made a functioning support that swings the umbrella out to one side, dangling it from a boom. So I have positioned it to be able to reach out and cover about 3/4 of the hot tub. It needs a weighted base, but I had found one of those about 3 years ago awaiting the need to use it with this type of umbrella. In the summer an afternoon dip can be a bit much if the full bright sun is blasting down on you.

I also found a photocell controlled 12V garden light transformer, so now the walkway lights I curb salvaged a few weeks ago and have 90% installed now have an OEM supply, instead of what I was going to; adapt from other compatible power supplies I have. 

It was neighborhood garage sale day yesterday. 
I bought a circa 1975 stereo receiver for $20.
Sansui 8080- turns out it will work very well. 80 w per channel and a linear power supply, so a real honest 80W and not like the current realm of home stereo in a box that tout 80w x 5 channels.

I soaked it for an hour and a half at reduced ac voltage, slow ramping the voltage up as the leakage current the reforming electrytic capacitors were gobbling subsided. 

Once I clean the garage stored grime off of it, and fix a few minor driver board intermittent capacitor issues in one channel I should be able to sell this thing if i want to for quite a mark up. 
I see them currently priced $400 and up after they are cleaned up.


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## james4beach (Nov 15, 2012)

Ponderling said:


> I bought a circa 1975 stereo receiver for $20.
> Sansui 8080- turns out it will work very well. 80 w per channel and a linear power supply, so a real honest 80W and not like the current realm of home stereo in a box that tout 80w x 5 channels.


Nice find! I love stuff like that.

There used to be really interesting stuff like this at Value Village. When I was in my 20s, my friends and I used to go to VV to hunt for really nice speakers and amps. The electronics section was always very neat.

Occasionally, we found some. I remember buying some fantastic brand name speakers at VV for maybe $3 each, and I set them up all around my bedroom. One of them had a ridiculous wattage rating (can't remember what), and incredible bass. By mixing different VV speakers, some which excelled in the higher frequency range, I was able to put together a very nice sound system. It was only the amp which held me back... not enough power to drive all the speakers.

I wonder if Value Village still has stuff like this. I hope the teens and young adults still make use of it... they'll save a fortune and learn electronics skills too.


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## Ponderling (Mar 1, 2013)

So this am the SDM bin had 2 dozen eggs dated next week, that another broken egg had soiled the exterior of the egg carton. Then 8 little yoghurt cups that the outside cardboard was a bit beat up. A dish detergent that had one side hinge on the flip lid broken. 3 little 24 pills each of 200mg ibuprofen expiring this month. Sits me fine - when I take these it is usually a 300mg bitten in half at a time. 

Last week, also SDM, it was a full bag loaf of the nice nutty bread, with some jam soil on exterior of bag. Dozen eggs with one small cracked we tossed. Packet of pods of coffee that we peeled open and used to feed our drip basket coffee maker all week. Three packs of Starbucks instant pumpkin spice latte that my wife loves. 

Liquid and pressed powder and loose powder foundation and concealer from an Australian vendor that I guess they stopped carrying. All in date. 75% of it went to my wife's theater make up carry case. She uses a lot on stage as she has a naturally pale complexion with some freckles that goes with being red headed.

The other 25% of the cosmetics are in an olive tone for someone with Mediterranean skin tone, and we have such a gal coming to a bbq we will host in 2 weeks. The cosmetics, if full price stickers are to be believed, summed to over $350.


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## sags (May 15, 2010)

A few years ago a buddy of mine found a Sports Illustrated magazine in a Salvation Army store.

I think he paid $1 dollar for it. It was a copy of this magazine. I regularly wander the Goodwill and Salvation Army stores.

I have bought a lot of cool stuff there cheap.....mostly retro.









Sports Illustrated 1954 Inaugural 1 First Edition Newsstand W - Etsy Canada


This Memorabilia item is sold by YesterdayAndTomorrow. Ships from United States. Listed on 17 Oct, 2022




www.etsy.com


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## Ponderling (Mar 1, 2013)

This time it was eagle eyes on the way home. Turned a corner and something on the inside of the curve near the curb glinted. Parked where safe to do so and walked back. Was an extensible 1/2" socket drive breaker bar, of the sort you use to change tire lug nuts, with a two sizes of lug nut reversible deep socket still attached. 

Then with nicer weather of summer upon us more roadside and parking lot cans are turning up.
Between 10 minutes on the way to work, 1/2 hour at lunch and 5 minutes on the way home the haul was 70 beer cans and 14 wine bottles. 

Oh and a pair of size 10 30" leg ladies jeans fished from a dumpster that will get washed and turned over to a thrift for sale. Smell like a dog peed on a leg. But just wash them, don't toss them for pete sake!


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## Ponderling (Mar 1, 2013)

Nothing huge - just 3-4 weeks of gathering here and there. Processed it to optimize cash scrap value. Chop plugs off of cords of wire. About half an hour of prep. Netted a bin of wire, bin of old docking stations office was dumping. Pair of old brake rotors, sundry metal classed as shredder. 

Came to $79. Last Friday cans and bottles returns was a bit shy of $20. Now I have about $10 sitting in the side yard pile after Sunday morning and am and noon gathering today, Monday while at work.

Saturday was first Ham Radio flea market since summer of 2019. 
Took things I have gathered radio related over last few years, repaired, aligned, and verified will operate and provide good service. 
I had about $250 invested, it is my hobby time to fix the stuff. For what i sold I got $550. I still have about a third of the inventory still to sell at the next 'hamfest' coming up in the fall.


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## Ponderling (Mar 1, 2013)

So this past weekend it was sell off surplus to my needs photography equipment at a photo-centric flea market event.
Cleared $400 between 7:30am and 10:30am for stuff that has been in the attic of my garage for at least 3 years. Yes I have put money into it over time, but not more than $400, and now have 6 less boxes of the stuff acting as baggage to my artistic pursuits in that hobby. 

Yes an hour to pack the car and another hour to catalog unsold and put it back to garage attic.

To make getting to the shelf it sits on easier I took 80's era stereo gear off to donate to Value Village. Compact stereo, stereo receiver, graphic eq and two sets of speakers that are not worth the effort for me to try to sell.
The gear was all gifted to me, cleaned up and put into working order with new dial lights etc but no huge money tied up in fixing it. Hopefully someone gets it for a small price and puts it to good use.

Sunday early morning drop off flattened cardboard of empty boxes after last two weekends sales.
To a local cardboard bin.

The car was finally empty enough to dumpster dive again. Usual Sunday papers, about $12 worth of cans and bottles for the beer store run. Metal worth about $5 toward a future scrap run. SDM dumpster dive -dozen eggs with soiled carton, two boxes of cereal a month out of date, Vanilla extract with a cracked lid foil seal still good. Nutella same way. Toilet bowl cleaner full with label sleeve missing. Cookies. Weed herbicide spray concentrate in another can on the way home. 

Today on Monday at lunch, find 65 cans in brush near lcbo store in plaza. Was raining heavily this am, so the usual early AM clean up crew must have made an abbreviated effort. Then more wine bottles on spots I check on the way home. 
So make returns to the beer store since my wine bottles store was overflowing, and come away with $40.


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## Ponderling (Mar 1, 2013)

New honey pot found - arena with lots of rec hockey. Wed 420 cans. Sat 405 cans. 
So over $80 of returns on maybe 2 hours of gather and flatten and bag. 
I will have to get this site into my routine to collect from regularly


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## Ponderling (Mar 1, 2013)

So back on September third I did a run past my fave Shoppers dumpste.
Because they tend to dump short dated stuff at month turn over. Yep. Bingo. 

Still cool never from concentrate orange juice bottles.
I grabbed 15 of them, since I did not think we had fridge capacity to gather more. Dated aug 27 or sept 2. Was fine. 

10 packages of side bacon and 3 packages of all beef wieners. Again dated 'best before' a few day earlier and still cool.
Bacon went to the basement freezer- will be close to a years worth for us - as we use it mostly as pizza topping meat, etc, rather than fry the whole package up at once. 
Bought hot dog buns in prep for a meal of topping them with home made chili- a household fave of my young guys.

Beer can and bottle gathering continues at a good clip. 
Two return runs made i same week last week, so that was close to $80 for the sum of those two returns.


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## Dilbert (Nov 20, 2016)

I’ve been following this with complete amazement. Is there any specific time of day you hit the Shoppers that is better?


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## Ponderling (Mar 1, 2013)

SDM is usually the first or second week day after the end of a month. This month it was Ferrero Rochet chocolates.
200g - 16 wrapped hazelnuts in a clear plastic case. 

I found the first batch 'best before' 2 months earlier. Then some 'expired' by 2 years. but I cant see anything other that crumb coating in the crushed nuts is a bit softer. 

Overall haul was about 40 boxes before I ran out places to put them. 

Found a pair of Columbia outdoor pants of the sort the lower legs can zip off, Also two pair of skinny legs acid wash and guess jeans that just needed a wash on their own with a bit of oxyboost as well as pre treat of some oil stained spots..

Then at work, a high vis coat with zip in puffy liner. Turned in after an inspector retired. Barely used. I will be on the road a fair bit in Jan and Feb doing commissioning oversight on new drive time sensors on major highways around Toronto. So will be well used by me. 

Today on a walk at lunch on Royal Windsor Drive near the Ford assy plant there was a patio umbrella base, and a full never opened 24 cans of Budweiser that seems to be about 2 months since canned, and no sign of sun fading. Not sampled yet to se of dumped because it has become skunky. 

Rec league hockey is now back in full swing. So beer cans scrounged on some days at arena is a gold mine. $150 in beer can returns in the last two weeks.


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## Ponderling (Mar 1, 2013)

No big finds this week other than beer cans; 1400 returned to beer store after a 75 minute dumpster dive early in the morning at the fave arena. Garbage truck was pulling in to empty the dumpsters just as I was pulling out.


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## Ponderling (Mar 1, 2013)

So work was way busy this past week. I was on the road doing lots of site inspections . So that cut into the dumpster hunting time.

But it allowed me to put 23.5 hours into the 'time bank'. My plan is I will draw on this in the future to fill in weeks as I taper away from work to keep CPP and GRSP employee contributions going a bit longer without actually working at the time. In my situation I can bank up to 48 days work of prior worked time before I need to start having it paid out.

And I also filed a mileage expense claim for $380. Driving a Volt plug in hybrid has its benefits here, because I only expended $55 on fuel for these trips plus four overnights of plug in at home at a cost of $6 total.

All that said, the finds I squeezed in time for scrounging summed to $140 in beer cans, 3 bags of milk, and two large pizzas left over from a company employee appreciation lunch the Friday before the long weekend. I love this time of year - food set out over night experiences the same temperature as if it sat all the time in a refrigerator.


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## james4beach (Nov 15, 2012)

You found $140 worth of beer cans in your spare time? That's incredible.

@Ponderling I am starting to consider my first ever dumpster dive.

I recently figured out that I'm paying 10 cent deposits for all kinds of containers (including pop cans and water bottles), so I kept some to return to the store. I'm a few cents shy of a full dollar. I guess I can just go to my apartment building's dumpster and fish out a can or two? Combined with my other empties, that's going to be worth a nice shiny Loonie.


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## Gator13 (Jan 5, 2020)

^ Alternatively, just put a couple extra hours.in at your job.


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## HappilyRetired (Nov 14, 2021)

$140 is 1400 cans. Even though I wouldn't turn down $140 I just can't be bothered to collect and count that many cans.


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## Ponderling (Mar 1, 2013)

At work I get gross paid at about $76 an hour. Then 'deductions like GRSP and CPP which are kinda savings plans. Then health insurance, long term disability, EI, and fed income tax withholdings. 

But DD at $75 an hour when I choose to do it with all as cash in my pocket.

And then come home to cook a hot breakfast, chat with wife, go out to swim for an hour, grocery shop other than in a mad rush in a crowd on a weekend all while spending time with her.

Then if I feel like it, have an afternoon nap for a bit. 

Beats the hell out of working all day at the office for another day despite the extra money that brings.


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## Plugging Along (Jan 3, 2011)

james4beach said:


> You found $140 worth of beer cans in your spare time? That's incredible.
> 
> @Ponderling I am starting to consider my first ever dumpster dive.
> 
> I recently figured out that I'm paying 10 cent deposits for all kinds of containers (including pop cans and water bottles), so I kept some to return to the store. I'm a few cents shy of a full dollar. I guess I can just go to my apartment building's dumpster and fish out a can or two? Combined with my other empties, that's going to be worth a nice shiny Loonie.


We save all of our bottle and cans because my kids have sooooo many fundraisers that require them. We save them up because we get a 'share' of the overall bottle drive. During the winter, there aren't as many fundraisers, so I just leave them in bags at the side of my garage. We had about 18 large garbage bags (primarily due to covid) last winter. We had to bring them in ourselves for the first time (so the skip the depot wouldnt' charge the 20% fee). It was just over $190 we donated. Since then, our neighbors ask us, and we told them was save the for band, girl guides, school, etc. So they just throw their empties on our side too now. I bet if you put a box in the front of your lobby or hallway with a sign, people would throw their empties in. 

Our good friend wanted to buy a new tv. The deal he had with his wife was he had to 'find' the money. He put out a call to all our friends and family and would pick them up. It took about 2 years and he ended up with a pretty nice 53 inch big screen (they were about $800 back then)




Ponderling said:


> At work I get gross paid at about $76 an hour. Then 'deductions like GRSP and CPP which are kinda savings plans. Then health insurance, long term disability, EI, and fed income tax withholdings.
> 
> But DD at $75 an hour when I choose to do it with all as cash in my pocket.
> 
> ...


Plus, what you are doing is good for the environment. I am not a dumpster diver, but your posts do inspire me to throw out less, resell and donate a lot more items.


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## james4beach (Nov 15, 2012)

Plugging Along said:


> Plus, what you are doing is good for the environment. I am not a dumpster diver, but your posts do inspire me to throw out less, resell and donate a lot more items


I agree, and there are lots of good ideas popping up here. I enjoy hearing about these.

Also amazing about the net hourly yield of the DD activity! I'm kind of blown away.


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## Ponderling (Mar 1, 2013)

Last week I had to work on the day that is usually the big can haul day, so the week's take was $100 worth between a shorter than normal Thurs and smaller haul day Friday. . 

Found a piece of metal in the bin that looks like was once the bottom of some sort of floor standing covid sign. Now it is my new can squashing tool. 

Part of the other than can gathering finds that week was in a garbage bag whose contents looks like it was from the arena's lost and found: three wicking workout shirts, two t shirts, 1 hoodie, 1 shorts, and 1 track pants. All of which my two young adults in the house were most happy to get. I figure that was easily $100 of purchases they avoided making if they tried to pick these things up at Value Village.

This week the weather has been cooler so I have not been squashing beer cans as I find them. My fingers get cold enough just fishing them out of the bins, and on the road side. So I have been hauling them home intact. This also reduces leaking from the garbage bags I use since no sharp edges like you encounter with squashed cans. This tees in well with longer drying time in cooler fall weather for carpet cleaners I use to deal with bag drips onto car carpeting.

Monday beer can returns was $30, and today, Tuesday was $40.


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## HappilyRetired (Nov 14, 2021)

Interesting. We can't squash beer cans here, probably because too many people tried to sneak in squashed pop cans or non-malt beverages to get the 10 cent return.


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## Ponderling (Mar 1, 2013)

So in the past month I have been cultivating friendly relationships with the arena caretakers. They expect me there and I tell them if I will be missing a day. They bring their parking lot sweep up bags to me for can gathering now rather than directly tossing them in the bin, where it is harder for me to fish out one can at a time. I work to find my way there tues-fri, now that hockey leagues are in full swing again.

My routine is out the door at 6:45am to drop kid at work, on to dumpster, then either back home or in to the office for amount a sum effort of an hour. Driving to drop the kid and direct to work is a 20 min trip, so not a bad add on for the cans. 
Then about 25 minutes every second day after dinner to count cans and drop them at the depot and redeem the cash. A week of this usually sums to between $170-210.

If I was not out to drop off the kid I don't know if the gathering would be that regular. When it is really cold it almost feels like work some days 

I have found enough lost towels recovered and washed and dried as a by product of searching the bags from dressing room bins that I am almost ready to hit the animal shelter to donate them. Normally I would thrift them, but most I suspect do not want to buy a single towel at a thrift store if I were to donate them there.

I also give the 'empty' body wash bottles found a shake, and about 40% have enough left in them with a bit of water added to use for bathing for more than a week. So they come home as well.

Other than this monthly update, this scroungers life goes on.


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## Zipper (Nov 18, 2015)

Make sure the body wash containers don't contain yellow liquid.


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## Ponderling (Mar 1, 2013)

So SDM end of month old stock clear out find happened again yesterday, 10 Dec. Muffins, croissants, cookies, crackers in foil in boxes, chocolate bars, protein bars, potato chips, cottage cheese, tooth paste etc. My wife mentally added up as I unloaded the bags I hauled it home in onto the kitchen table. She put the sticker value at worth over $180. 

So I now have snack items on hand to consume bit by bit over a few months. Lots will get packed into work lunches a bit at a time 

I tucked most of this haul away in the freezer and cold cellar so the boys don't inhale them all at one. Nice thing about this time of year temperature wise, and driving an electric car is that the work bench in the garage is a viable short term freezer equivalent that does not impart car exhaust odors on items left out there.


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## jlunfirst (1 mo ago)

Ponderling said:


> So SDM end of month old stock clear out find happened again yesterday, 10 Dec. Muffins, croissants, cookies, crackers in foil in boxes, chocolate bars, protein bars, potato chips, cottage cheese, tooth paste etc. My wife mentally added up as I unloaded the bags I hauled it home in onto the kitchen table. She put the sticker value at worth over $180.
> 
> So I now have snack items on hand to consume bit by bit over a few months. Lots will get packed into work lunches a bit at a time
> 
> I tucked most of this haul away in the freezer and cold cellar so the boys don't inhale them all at one. Nice thing about this time of year temperature wise, and driving an electric car is that the work bench in the garage is a viable short term freezer equivalent that does not impart car exhaust odors on items left out there.


So you can afford an electric car, while scrounging around for food?  Do you have a side hustle? 

I've seen online jobs looking for people working from home. Well hey, Statistics Canada is looking for people to conduct surveys ...via phone. Actually the federal govn't in major cities, have a handful of office jobs where they are screening to build up an inventory of decent employees for on-call work. I realize (since I work for govn't) sometimes the job ads for actually for internal applicants as priority screening before external. But the position deems it must be posted externally. It's not totally wrong: some govn't jobs really do require experienced folks who already have cross-departmental knowledge in order to get a hold of right people to do certain work on time.


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## jlunfirst (1 mo ago)

May I also add, there has been a glut of public sector employees retiring in last 4 yrs. at all levels of govn't in different provinces. Not all, but certainly some. There will be more simply because such folks have been trying to gauge the stock market direction which is merely delaying their retirement plans. Covid has also accelerated even more digitization of business processes for govn't.


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## londoncalling (Sep 17, 2011)

jlunfirst said:


> So you can afford an electric car, while scrounging around for food?  Do you have a side hustle?


Dumpster Diving can be a side hustle. Although, I would not choose to grocery shop this way, I do enjoy this thread as well as the number of interesting "treasures" @Ponderling has been able to rescue on these adventures. We are indeed a wasteful society. I am glad to see people putting items that may be of use others beside the bins or out on the sidewalk. I am surprised that the cans at the arena are often thrown in to the dumpster.


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## jlunfirst (1 mo ago)

I think it's great to put out some small furniture and then it can be (hopefully) gone next day. Unfortunately one risks that it won't be taken away and some municipalities have a bylaw not to dump stuff for too long, on roadside like that. I believe 1-2 neighbourhoods here in my city, there have even winter "closets" set up.... like free little library for donating winter/warm clothing OR little works of art that creator doesn't care but maybe others may like.

(Artists often paint over/layer over materials onto canvas for artwork they've done but something didn't work out properly. A form of self recycling.)


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## Spudd (Oct 11, 2011)

When we lived in Toronto we would put stuff by the curb and post a "curb alert" on Craigslist. Usually it would be gone within the hour.


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## Ponderling (Mar 1, 2013)

jlunfirst said:


> So you can afford an electric car, while scrounging around for food?  Do you have a side hustle?


Actually scrounging is the side hustle. 
Day job when it was five days a week was gross a bit over $140K salary.
Though only three days a week now as I taper from the work force with commensurate overall reduction in salary.
I must say I enjoyed filing taxes and not paying level on and two on federal surtax any more, 

The scrounging is just me wanting to make the world a bit less throw away. 

I have a bunch of Grinch Santa costumes under my desk at the office at the moment. 
The department will all don them for a company newsletter submission photo of our Christmas lunch.
I found them all in a dumpster of a closing Bluenotes store mid lock down a few years ago. 
They all had busted zipper slides. Once the world opened a bit I hit a bunch of Fabric Lands and fixed the zippers and reinforced the bottom of the track all for under $25. 
After the lunch a charity thrift will get them and hopefully the can make some good coin selling the 19 I have. 
This is a good example of some of my upcycling effort/pleasure of transforming what others see as trash.


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## Ponderling (Mar 1, 2013)

So the photo was taken. I moved my car to just beside the front door of our suburban office, went back up and headed down in the elevator at lunch time with my first arm load of Santa Grinch costumes . Before I could clear the lobby I sold 4 for $20 each. I held back 4 outfits for our household\s use.

I was carrying the balance to the front door of Value Village and on that trip sold a fifth one for another $20 to someone who insisted she needed one right there mid parking lot. 

Inside I found that since there are no longer cashiers there is no longer a donation bin inside the front door. Spoke to the lady at the showcase, suggesting get these tagged and out front and they will sell fast. 

She was clueless - limited English skills, which I am fine with. 'Donations in the back' she kept repeating to me. So I drove around back and suggested to the donation guy that getting these on the floor fast might be worthwhile. At that rate I expect to see them out in February. 

Oh well, still up $75 after the cost of the zipper parts. And had busy hands when Covid locked down, which at the time was a very needed plus.


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## Ponderling (Mar 1, 2013)

Not quite DD'ing, but using up trays of discounted fruit from the grocery store.

2 weeks ago it was a flat of cosmetically challenged oranges.
Last week was a flat of bit green grapefruit and one with b grade lemons.
So I bought a bag of limes and two bags of sugar to finish what I needed.

For making my recipe of 4 citrus marmalade.
I spent close to an hour and a half slicing and cooking the rinds, listening to the oldies station.
Damn the house smells good. Add the sugar, and boil down a bit.

And now we have 10x500ml jars of marmalade ready for the cold cellar.

To come up one by one in the next few months to brighten up a grey winter morning.
With real chunks of fruit in it, at a material cost of less than $1 per jar.


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## Brainer (Oct 8, 2015)

In the last couple of years, I've grabbed the following:

A desktop motherboard/processor/RAM combo. Specifically, an Asus motherboard, AMD FX6350 CPU and 16GB of RAM. I found it at someone's curb, and it only needed a minor fix. I threw out the case, but gave the optical drive and hard drive to a charity.
Amazing how many people throw out computer equipment cause they don't know how to troubleshoot/fix it and/or can't be bothered to ask someone who does.

The same applies for items that have "non-replaceable" rechargeable batteries inside. If you know how, it's often possible to just replace the battery.

In the garbage/recycling area of my apt. building:


A Philips waterproof electric shaver. Battery powered. Works perfectly.
Two LCD TVs, a 42" and a 57". One worked, the other needed minor repairs. I dropped that one off at a local repair shop, where I know the owner.
A Garmin GPS. I tried to repair it, but the repair was complicated, and would've cost me more in parts than it was worth, so back it went to the appropriate recycling bin.
A Netgear 802.11ac router. Worked perfectly. I installed open source firmware on it for a better interface and added functions, and gave it away via Freecycle.
A juicing machine. Worked fine. Brought it to Good Will.

That's just off the top of my head.

I focus on electronics because it's something I know about. I also have soldering skills, so if something is worth fixing and it's an easy fix, I'll do it.

I'm always too chicken to actually peer into dumpsters. I'm afraid of getting caught.


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## Dilbert (Nov 20, 2016)

^Caught stealing garbage? LOL!


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## Ponderling (Mar 1, 2013)

Well yesterday it was SDM again. 

6 bags of oatmeal muffin mix ( each bag makes up 24 muffins worth of batter) dated that day.
'Pound' of bacon dated into Jan next year with some soap on the outside.
Butter brick with a bit of foil torn. 

Box of dozens of eggs dated into January 23 with one or two eggs per carton broken. Or outside of carton soiled from a broken egg of another carton and all eggs inside are fine.
I have a stash of empty egg cartons I store for just these circumstances. Sorted 11 dozen undamaged eggs and tossed the cartons with the broken or glued in from broken egg into my green bin. 
My kids, after work, or going to the gym, can easily us out of up to 8 eggs a day so these will not last very long.

Arena cans were light this week; one of the staff is harvesting the cans when he gets the night shift to build cash towards Christmas obligations. So beer store returns for me were only $55 this week. 

Today was department office Christmas lunch catered in. I took left over containers and zip locks in my work bag ths am in contemplation of there being left overs, and there were. So we are eating Feta salad and lamb and chicken and shrimp kabob spears pulled into fresh made garlic buttered pitas for dinner tonight and dessert a bit later is baklava.


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## Ponderling (Mar 1, 2013)

This weeks run up to Christmas was 4 less than an hour per day at arena for $276 netted for the weeks effort. Though can gathering one day in the rain was less than pleasant. Did come up with 3 pair of socks, 2 undies and work out shorts for the kid, as well as a bottle Baileys Irish Cream more than half full that makes coffee a treat on weekends 

SDM salvage for out of date or damaged items was over three separate gather days: 30 bags of tortilla and potato chips, one box of frozen chicken wings, 3 pounds of butter beat up but in date, pound of bacon with shampoo drips on it, 8 bottles of chocolate sauce, about 60 AA alkaline batteries. two Axe gift bags with leaking bottles that net body wash shampoo, underarm deodorant, and a nice bubble bath when washing the dried up leak goo from the carry bag. Sundry make up that I cannot figure why it was tossed, about 40 chocolate bars. Boggling on some days what i come across that we can use.


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## londoncalling (Sep 17, 2011)

Another successful dive. A friend of mine spends a lot of time at the rink where he lives. I asked him about the cans and bottles. He said they are to go in a separate bin and are then returned with the revenue going to charities related to sports. Obviously some cans would go into the wrong bin but I doubt it would equate to $276.

It is amazing what businesses throw out. I wish government would legislate some tax incentives for damaged items to be given to charities. I believe France has something in place for food that is still in good condition but cannot be sold.


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## Ponderling (Mar 1, 2013)

So in the over Christmas and the week to new years, the can gathering front, with league play on pause has been markedly slower. However they are renovating the restaurant during this slow time.

Yesterdays find was an almost full set of older commercial grade aluminum pots and pans. The sort you would use on a Garland gas grille. Hey I have a gas range, so maybe of use to me. 
So home they come. 12, 14, 16" fry pan, 15 and 20l stock pots. 3x10l water bath sauce holding pots, plus Water bath style serving tray lids, which would suit some trays and the bath heater we already have and use when we host a crowd and cook with that big tray system. Good for feeding 15-20 or more folks at the closing party of a community theatre show or when a whack of pals come over for Superbowl viewing party.

If I decide I cant use them, I will probably put them in the Boy Scout gear locker I still keep an eye on for the group my kids were once involved with. Damned if I was going to see them go to the dump. At worst, turn them in at the scrap yard for a good price on the aluminum basis.

SDM is the usual end of month food toss 
Caramel candy from Germany- Tofifee? Anyways - 20 flats.
30 bags of potato and corn tortilla chips still in original shipping box, expired by a few days.

Then the weirder part.
Ivory Soap. What expires about that?
I grabbed 5 packages of 10 soap bars per pack and 5 bottles of shower gel.

Showed my wife, and she encouraged me to go back next morning and get the rest of the soap find. The local food bank is always needing soap, etc. No problem donating this stuff in that direction.


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## Ponderling (Mar 1, 2013)

Now SDM at end of month/year mostly food clear out today. 

7 boxes of chocolate chip cookies, 
8 packs of gluten free oreos, 
4 bags of lime/chili tortilla chips, 
box of instant oatmeal packets, 
4 jars blueberry jam, 
15 foiled packages of brownie bite type snacks, 
15 medium cans of tomatoes,
16 large cans of tomatoes
8 jars of honey.
Box of cereal with cardboard thumped up buy plastic liner still sealed.
One bottle of shampoo where box cutter sliced a cut in it. 

All the food was best before date lapsed less than 2 months. 

The honey being date lapsed and tossed had me smiling. Who has ever heard of honey going off? 

I regularly buy canned tomatoes on sale and stash them in my cold cellar and use them past their labelled best by date. I have never found any sign of the can lining being attacked by the acidic tomatoes they hold, and I do look for this. 
SDM is a climate controlled/ air conditioned store - so what is to worry with the cans living there versus my cold cellar.

Usually I gather using shopping bags, but there was so much this time.
I instead backed the hatch back up to the edge and pulled items up from the dumpster with my garden hoe and then just turned and put them in the trunk. 
Once home and wife was up we loaded them into old milk crates to bring the stuff from the rather full trunk in and sort and store it away.

School goes back after their Christmas break on Monday and house league adult sport hockey is starting up again, so can harvesting will get back into gear soon.


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## jlunfirst (1 mo ago)

Ponderling said:


> Now SDM at end of month/year mostly food clear out today.
> 
> 7 boxes of chocolate chip cookies,
> 8 packs of gluten free oreos,
> ...


Lots of sweetened products in this cache.


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