The Surprisingly Lucrative Art of Dumpster Diving
Dumpster diving sounds like an extreme sport, but it’s actually an extremely efficient way to make money. Some dumpster divers start by rummaging through trash cans outside their favorite grocery store, looking for items that have already been purchased and taken home to be thrown away. Others go after the big fish, literally, diving into dumpsters behind restaurants and fast food joints in search of everything from half-eaten bagels to unopened packages of chicken wings. Either way, you’ll find money in the trash if you know where to look!
What can you find?
You can find all sorts of things in dumpsters, from food to furniture to clothes. If you're lucky, you might even find something valuable, like a piece of jewelry or an antique. One woman made $10,000 by finding and selling items she found at the dumpsters behind Home Depot. Other people have found entire living rooms worth of furniture that was just tossed out. And one man found over $30,000 worth of treasures when he pulled up the back seat of his friend's car and discovered her belongings inside! It's true: You never know what you'll find until you look. The best part is that it's completely free for you to take anything you want. Plus, if you live in a place where it snows (or rains), your family could really use some new coats and boots-all for free. The only cost involved is gas money (and maybe a little sweat). I've been doing this since I was young, and I love seeing how excited my kids get with every new discovery. They always ask me how much we saved on our next shopping trip because they love the thrill of getting more than we paid for! I also think about it as a way to do good for the environment by diverting trash from landfills, which are already overflowing with discarded goods. For example, Americans buy 2 million plastic bottles every hour but recycle only 23% of them. What happens to the other 77%? They end up in landfills. Every year, Americans throw away enough aluminum cans to rebuild our entire commercial air fleet five times over--that's 17 billion cans annually!
Getting started:
Believe it or not, dumpster diving can be a great way to make some extra cash. And it's not as gross as you might think! If you're interested in giving it a try, here's what you need to know to get started. First, choose your location carefully. You'll want to find a place that has a lot of food stores nearby so that there will be lots of fresh produce and packaged foods that haven't yet been thrown out. Also, consider places where food is thrown out at the end of the day because they are closing for the night—you'll have more time before those items are gone for good! Finally, always wear clothing with long sleeves and pants so that you don't risk getting any stains on your clothes. You'll also want to bring a flashlight (or use your phone's light) and rubber gloves so that you can easily pick up all sorts of objects without getting anything dirty. Lastly, be sure to bring plastic bags with you so that you can collect anything edible (that won't spoil) without touching it too much. The most important thing is to do your research beforehand and come prepared. Once you've found a spot, just wait until late at night when everyone else has left, then head inside and start looking around.
Should you give away your free finds?
While it may be tempting to keep all of your dumpster diving finds for yourself, you can actually make a lot of money by giving some away. You can sell items on Craigslist or eBay, or even donate them to consignment shops. And if you really want to get rid of something, you can always have a garage sale. Just remember: one person's trash is another person's treasure. Remember that old saying? It holds true in the world of dumpster diving. If people are willing to throw an item away, then someone else will likely be willing to buy it from you. It's not just clothes and shoes that are worth your time digging through garbage bins - I found a brand new cordless drill sitting under the kitchen sink at my house before we moved out! Now I use it all the time and I didn't have to spend any money! The best part about dumpster diving is that there's no shortage of places to look. At first, I used to find the most amazing things outside of grocery stores (fresh produce!), but now I do most of my dumpster diving at apartment complexes when they're doing remodeling work (new appliances!). The nice thing about this job is that anyone can do it. Once you know where to look, there's nothing stopping you from becoming a successful junk dealer in your own right!
Other income sources?
Most people think of dumpster diving as a way to score free food or furniture, but did you know that you can actually make money from dumpster diving? In fact, there are a number of ways to turn this trashy hobby into cash. Here are a few ideas 1) Become a professional cleaner - If you find something in the trash that needs to be cleaned, like an old rug for example, clean it and then resell it on Craigslist or eBay. 2) Sell your finds - Once again on Craigslist or eBay! Anything you find has resale value, so if you’ve found a diamond ring sitting in someone’s garbage, get outta there and sell it quick! 3) Turn your findings into art - You might be surprised at what some people will pay for when they don’t want to do the dirty work themselves. A little creativity goes a long way! 4) Clean up before you leave - It's one thing to dig through someone's rubbish, but not cleaning up after yourself is just rude. The last thing we need is more waste cluttering our planet even more than it already is. Leave no trace behind and always put everything back where you found it (even if it doesn't belong). -It's one thing to dig through someone's rubbish, but not cleaning up after yourself is just rude. -Don't litter by putting the items you've scavenged into another person's bin or container. -It takes only five minutes to sweep the area and pick up any scraps left behind by other scavengers.
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