Dumpster cruising is a term I came up with just now. It describes the act of not exactly getting in the actual trash, but instead looming over it like a vulture flying over a dying animal, waiting for the inevitable moment to strike.
So, instead of actively getting inside of a trash bin next to your local supermarket, you might go inside and ask if they have any old cardboard boxes they are planning to throw away, which you can use to make all kinds of stuff - I personally use it to make cardboard furniture.
While taking a walk around the city, you might notice a shop that either has no customers or is closing down, with a bigger chance to have items on a very good sale - in that case, you could get inside and look for useful stuff for a fraction of their original price. Alternatively, if that shop has already or is in the process of closing down, there is usually a nearby bin that contains a lot of items the shop has deemed useless and thrown away. My personal favorite is bookshops closing down - I still regret not looking more into the trash when my local bookstore closed, I’d scored some nice plastic envelopes still in their box that day. Also, during the “moving out” seasons for university students, one can find furniture next to the trash bins quite often.
Another thing that can prove useful is helping people who are clearing out their houses, like your parents/grandparents or friends. You do NOT do that to get free stuff. You do that anyways to help your loved ones - especially grandparents that are a little old and can’t move stuff around. A lot of people have the tendency to throw a lot of stuff away, that you as a true rat will find useful some way or another. For me, my grandma can’t stand my grandpa’s trash collecting tendencies and wanted to throw a lot of stuff away (admittedly, it was stuff like old doorknobs, burnt lamps and old cups) so I took a few of that stuff home. I still haven’t found a use for most of them admittedly but hey if needed, i can fix so many door handles. You can find that people want to throw away books, papers (can be recycled) and stationary, clothes / fabric scraps (make good patches), containers, cutlery - the list is endless. Almost everything can be repurposed.
So there it is fellas. Dumpster cruising for beginners and people who are too icky to get inside of a trashcan. Good luck digging around :)
