Taking saving to the extreme - becoming a Freegan!

sleepymy

It's not just food stores that waste, diy stores crush wallpaper, wood and all sorts of left over stuff instead of donating it to charity shops.

ampersand

Luckily, we do receive much of this where I now volunteer.
Where we cannot take things i.e. electrical goods/unlabelled upholstery, because of legislation on SLIGHTLY/CERTAINLY more substantial grounds, I always suggest FREECYCLE.

lucy*locket

Morning all, after watching Kirsty Allsop's new tv programme this week, I wondered if anyone had ever gone skip-diving like she did, what have you found, did you ask the owners, were they ok with you taking stuff away?

I sometimes glance in skips when I'm passing and spot bits and pieces but I'm not brave enough to dive in!:o

Oh I did see an old metal mop bucket next to a skip once and sent my DH up there after dark to pick it up, made a great planter in the garden:D

Treadway1

Ive never done it but about a year ago I was walking through Manchester Square in Marylebone and saw loads of people around a skip dragging clothes, shoes, bags and all sorts of stuff out of this skip. One guy had got right inside and was apparently trying to find the other shoe to a pair of strappy heels that his girlfriend (Shouting from the side of the skip) obviously really wanted. It was like a free for all and I couldnt believe what I was seeing.

A few days later, I read that a celebrity (Cant remember which now), had moved out of her Marylebone residence to somewhere in the sticks, and had a massive clearout of her stuff..... Made me chuckle when I read that. I knew that you could get a better class of Oxfam depending on the area youre in, but now we have a better class of skip aswell!!! :rotfl:

Gigervamp

All I ever seem to find in skips is builders rubble and manky carpets! However, there's a house along the lane that sometimes put bits and pieces outside for people to take, so I got a lovely pine corner shelf unit from there and that's now in my kitchen with some of my pretty old china on the shelves.

Desperate_Housewife_2-2

yes! I'm always on the lookout for stuff left lying around on the street or in skips outside houses etc.
I've had ceramic planters, chicken wire, plastic pots etc stuff for the garden mainly. I see it as recycling and saving the environment.

I would never go onto someones property though as it could be classed as stealing, my rule is to take what is left on the street.

zippychick

I think i would be too embarassed to go in daylight. I always peer into skips and would go back at night but hoping no one saw me! Not sure why?

I got a great chair from the back ally where people put their rubbish(Used until it literally fell apart). Its commonly known if you leave stuff in the back alleyway it is freeforall. I have had bags of clothes and kitchen stuff taken (before i knew about freecycle) . I dont think i could actually get in a skip or hoke in front of everyone, there's a slightly "be ashamed" stigma attached , which there really shouldn't be I guess.

Gingernutmeg

I've never been skip diving but recently when my parents cleared out some outbuildings they put the stuff in a skip outside the house. They had LOADS of people asking to take stuff and the skip was pretty much emptied in a day. They didn't mind lol, they just filled it up again

Personally though I'd always ask. Many, many years ago my grandparents had a SEVERE moth problem in the wool carpet that they had throughout the house. Although most of the carpet still looked fairly pristine they had to rip it out. They put it in a skip and the next day it had gone ... I still wonder if the person who took it found out about the moths ...

choille

Where I used to live the Council had skips at a site & I went every day!

I got a pine dresser that I put in an auction & got nearly £300. I used to do car boot sales with the stuff, funnily enough within spitting distance of where I hauled the stuff out of! I have no shame.

The stuff people chuck out is incredible - still got a Dyson Hoover I fished out of there that was new, but someone had sucked up a plant & it was blocked, pair of really good directors chairs, an oak pembroke table, shoes that were new & had been tossed out, a handmade rug that is like new - masses of stuff. Wish I still lived near there. we also got all of our firewood there too.
You're doing a service to the environment as it's all destined for landfill.
Remember to take stout gloves & don't wear heels like thon woman did on t'other thread & a frock!

celyn90

In my street, people often put things they don't want but are still useable in the thing where the wheely bins go with a note on saying they are free. I've passed on clothes and things this way and picked up odd bits of furniture.

My dad used to do this with skips as well if he was clearing out or building at home - he'd even bag up hardcore and topsoil for people to take away - but he would always stick a note on it to say feel free to rummage. Despite being altrusitic it also meant that it cost him less as he'd often have more he could put in the skip and it saved him hiring two.