paramax — is a philosophical choice to use less and subsist happily — its not “cool” in fact its downright uncool if not even subversive

Eh, I disagree. I go for a very minimalistic life. Granted, I don’t go to the extreme of dumpster diving for dinner, but that amount of “stuff” I have is pretty bare bones and basic. Most people that I know (and granted, I do live in Cambridge/Somerville, MA where people are not exactly “average”) are rather envious of my life style. I think most people like the idea of being free from “stuff”, they just have a hard time executing on it.

If you look at the extreme stereotype, think of some eastern monk who has achieved detachment, contentment, and enlightenment. Most people might not choose that life style, but I think that most people admire it greatly. Granted, if are a dirty bleary eyed hippie rooting around a dumpster for dinner you probably are not going to have any admirers.

Dell 19″ flatscreen monitor. I guess someone upgraded to a larger widescreen flatscreen and didn’t know what to do with the “little” monitor that came with their computer.

Biostar iDeq 210v computer. 2.2 Ghz, 512 mb ram, nvidia 6100 grafix. Worked fine. I put a larger drive (320 gb SATA, scavenged) and a DVD burner (also scavenged) in it and installed Mythbuntu. A co-worker is turning it into a PVR.

We still shopped at thrift stores, garage sales, and flea markets, and my mother was an unstoppable curb-picker. I think she’d probably draw the line at dumpster diving, likely only because climbing in and out of the dumpster, and dragging her finds out, would be too hard.

She eventually had to “curb” her habit because the family home was quite full, but when I bought a house with my husband she went berserk and furnished the whole place for under $200. We’re even well decorated – admittedly we look a little like the 70′s are still going on, but everything matches and the house has original 70′s parquet flooring anyways.

I think mom actually has an edge because of the neighborhood she’s in – well off people buy some expensive things that can last through lots of use, and then throw them out when they’re still in good shape because the color isn’t trendy any more.

I’m also a little incensed at the bleary eyed hippy statement as a pejorative. I knew a group of hippies whose daily activities where to dumpster dive for groceries, sort the good stuff from the bad stuff, then redistribute it to the poor and homeless in their communities. Sorry if you look at their lifestyle on the surface as ‘dirty’ and distasteful, but they’re doing the world a service, in their own little way.

Yes, you can spend countless hours of your time scavenging for things you don’t really need, or spend a more reasonable amount of time working, earning money, and buy the things that you need.

Scavenging can be an enjoyable hobby, but it is no way to live.

Anything that keeps that crap out of landfills is a great way to live.

“Lamps and other electronics that “seem to work” may have faulty wiring and are dangerous fire risks.”

A multimeter and a screwdriver are useful items, so much so that I’ve never found a working multimeter on a skip (dumpster). Plenty of screwdrivers and other tools though.

I have stuff from skips I’d hesitate about whether I could afford to buy or not, for example a Mart Stam chrome and leather chair, and the seriously heavy duty paper shredder I found the other day thrown out by the Department of Health – about two years old, list price £700.

I usually leave scrap metal / wire unless I have an immediate use for it, there are people who go round after it for a living, and they need the money more than I do.

If it’s outdated electronics, you could investigate recyclers who will accept the goods (though you usually have to pay for them to take it, which is a bit daft). Whitegoods can always go to a scrap metal merchant.

Not even remotely true. Try reading Lars Eighner’s On Dumpster Diving for a quick rundown on what to avoid.

Tossed? Nice word choice.

Be careful – the urban ground your plants are growing in could be toxic, and some toxins get drawn up into plants. Legally acceptable levels of toxins in the ground may be higher if an area is not zoned for residential use. This makes me sad, because otherwise I love the idea of urban foraging. Maybe just do a little research into previous uses of the land you’re foraging on first? Perhaps this is even mentioned in the book.

But now that I’m a New Yorker, I am terrified of bedbugs. One person with one infested couch can unleash months of itchy parasitic pain on an apartment building.

Whenever I see an abandoned piece of furniture on the side of the street I fantasize about being Kurt Russel with a flamethrower in “The Thing,” and performing a valuable public service.

Unfortunately though there are still massive income disparities and far too many people who are wasteful even when they are fully aware of the levels of suffering other people they share the continent with live with. Having seen how many people are forced to scavenge though I find it hard to accept that there are people who would do it willingly – though maybe scavenging is not quite as off putting when you actually have a house to return to after your nightly forage.

Also, I belive Craiglist has a free section.

At the end of the book sale we had a bunch left over. Being librarians, we did not want to throw out even the most grotty of materials. You don’t throw out books.

So we tried to donate them to a brown elephant, who did not want them, then a university library (historical purposes?), even just giving them away in the vestibule, no dice.

Finally found a home for them in the Book and Paper arts program at Columbia College. Those old books have been mutated, shredded and transformed into countless works of art. Wonderful.

The lesson learned, Artists always need raw materials.