Wow! In the "strictly none of your business" department, this one is a mighty fine argument for shredders, fireplaces, and carrying the garbage bag in your car to someone else's dumpster!

Kids today grow up today believing that money can get you anything you want. They will be in for a rude awaking once they realize that it’s not how it works. We live in a "disposable" culture, is more convenient to get a new thing if it breaks( or just simply want the never version) rather than getting it fixed. The good old phrase “things aren’t built to last anymore” is true. The 20% more I pay for an item the first time will end up costing me less over the lifetime of the single thing, rather than having to replace it 3-4 times.

I live in a city where a major (Big Ten) university is located. I also own several rental properties which are usually rented to students. I also have several dumpsters. I place re-usable items beside the dumpsters such as abandoned furniture and kitchen items left in my apartments. During August, students all over town cruise the alleys and parking lots looking for stuff placed beside the dumsters. They seem to know that I place the good stuff beside the dumpsters as it does not stay there long. It saves me hauling fees and leaves my dumpster less over-loaded and more usable for the real trash.

I grew up poor, so I can't stand to see things go to waste.  I have found some items of decent furniture in the trash, so I have taken them home, made small repairs and cleaned them up - then I take them to Goodwill or Salvation Army so they can make a little money and the buyer gets a nice piece of furniture.  One was an extremely nice child's bed.  I have found other very nice household things and decorative items, none of which were actually in the dumpster, but outside so they were not dirty or nasty in any way.  When I was a kid, an elderly woman who lived on my aunt's street passed away.  The family emptied the house for sale.  My aunt found a nice suitcase out at the curb, which she took home.  When she opened it, it was full of unopened birthday, Xmas and other cards, most of which contained folding money!!!  I once found a perfectly clean, working microwave oven in the trash as well as a nest of beautiful Pyrex mixing bowls in rainbow colors which appeared brand new.  Yesterday, I got a nice chair, an artificial Christmas tree and a lamp which had an interesting shade-I only wanted the shade.  I don't actually go out looking for discarded items, but if I see any, I have to go check it out.  I won't take food or go into trash cans because I hate bugs and don't want to see any, but if it's outside the trash and looks decent and clean - it's mine or goes to charity.  I recently got a brand new bbq grill in a never opened box-it was never even assembled.  Go figure!  

I must say I COMPLETLY disagree with dumpster diving.  It teaches our youth to just wait around for someone to throw something away rather than to work and save for it.  What ever happened to learing and instilling the value of a dollar to our kids?  

If you have items you no longer want or use take them to a Good Will, Salvation Army, or some other charitable group so someone else can get some use out of it.  I myself do it and would feel much better knowing that the person who ended up with my unwanted things didn't have to pick through trash to get it.

We don't live in a third world country.......so stop acting like it.

We allegedly "don't live in a 3rd world country,"  but that's another conversation. If people in this country are stupid enough to throw away things which are perfectly good, why should I work so hard to get their dollar - so they can throw away whatever effort and energy I expend? Why should I work for money to buy the item if I can get it in the trash? Americans really seem to live up to their overseas reputation.

To Josie....you are aware that the value of a dollar is about 28 CENTS and going down....right.  It's the people who have plenty that don't know the value of anything....while the rest of us live like we are living in a third world country...almost. Capitalism at it's finest and when it collapes, you may be dumster diving just to get by.

I COMPLETELY AGREE with Rokki.

I live in southern Orange County and see people throwing away many useable (expensive and brand new!)things. ) Obviously they can afford to be wasteful and aren't considerate enough to donate to Goodwill or Salvation army(there are PLENTY of them here believe me).

Don't cast judgement on people who do such things because they would rather spend their hardworking cash for something more valuable to them and find useable things for free. Since when did this become equated with a 3rd world country mentality?

I dont think working for money and competing for jobs is admirable, especially as we do not start out on a level playing field getting those jobs, or being payed the same amount, for some people working to buy something will involve more hours than others. Also, i dont know what country we all live in because i doubt its the same one, in many countries, including australia and the US some people are living in substandard housing, earning ridiculously small amounts and not recieving adequate health care, through no fault of their own. I would rather see my kids work together support and care for each other and critique our current system, built their own community, not just compete for jobs and a higher spot on the capitalist ladder.

also whats so bad about taking some lessons from people living in majority world countries, cutting back on consumerist waste, especially of things we dont need, and thinking about other ways to get by, not just being a mindless consumer (thats not a judgement just an observation that advertising is rather brainwashing, and designed not to make you think). think about it, if we all did that we wouldnt have to make such a comparison