I was on campus yesterday on Saturday to take a test to challenge the university’s english composition requirement. On my way to take the test, I was walking across campus when I noticed a paper shredder sitting by a dumpster! Score! I told my friend I was walking with that I would totally score that shredder after the test. She doubted me, and claimed that there would be no point, given the “Trash - Broken” sign taped to it.
I responded that it was not an overly complicated machine, basically a power supply, a fat motor, gears and the blade unit. Nothing that I shouldnt be able to easily fix at at worst have a fun time playing with.
After the test, I made a beeline for the parking garage. Being saturday, the core campus is not patrolled! And being as cool as I am, I have the security code for the gate. So we drove back onto campus, loaded up the shredder (larger insdustrial strength one) into my car, and made a quick getaway.
This morning I had a chance to disassemble the unit and see what was up. Faulty safety switch! (For the bin underneath). A few minutes and some splicing later, I have a fully functional paper shredder! For free!
I got a couch for free with similar circumstances. It’s a damned good couch actually. I don’t have any idea what possessed its previous owner to throw it out.
A neighbour threw away her dog’s traveling crate because he outgrew it. There were absolutely no stains or cracks on it (okay, well, the door hinge is a bit off the side, but it’s not that bad), so, I took it and gave it a wash. And now, it’s my dog’s, which is great because she’s a small dog and the crate is actually for medium-sized dogs.
I once did a whole veggie garden and some other landscaping with stuff I dumpster dived form Wolf Nursery. As soon as the plants got a little wilty or leggy, the tossed them. I also got bags of stuff like mulch and soil and fertiliser!
I’m typing from a computer workstation desk that the old neighbors left on the front lawn when they skipped out on the rent. Considering how much our other desk cost, and the bookshelves made by the same company, this unit must have cost at least $500!
I’ve put a very strong loft bed out by the dumpster with instructions taped to it. The metal desk I put on the side of the road lasted only a couple days before it disappeared. The couch outside my apartment lasted only about a day. What else do you do with big stuff you can’t use any more?
My buddy just got a label printer from behind a business. It works fine, and he’s going nuts printing stickers for things he likes. Cool for him.