watching Oprah-Freeganism

[dukie41181]

Has anyone heard of this? Seemed somewhat interesting too. What do you think?

[bubbaray]

Googled: http://frugalliving.about.com/od/bargainshopping/p/Freegan.htm

Um, yeah. Not so much. I didn't go to school for 7 years and survive 16 years in the shark-infested waters of the legal profession to go freakin' DUMPSTER diving.

Whatever.

[dukie41181]

Reading that link it seems like it can be quite extreme. I definately wouldn't go for the dumpster diving, but the idea of evaluating what you really need and finding free sources is kind of neat. Of course I say this as I am also spending way too much time on car seat deals and the Target toy clearance! :rotflmao:

[icunurse]

Personally, I would have felt better if the couple had given it to charity or done something good with it besides feed themselves so they could build a bank account and pay off their mortgage. That would have been kind and charitable. Otherwise, their dumpster diving just looked tacky and icky.

[ewpmsw]

I remember seeing this on Oprah and wondering what people who have to live that way think about these folks choosing to live that way.

[dukie41181]

Personally, I would have felt better if the couple had given it to charity or done something good with it besides feed themselves so they could build a bank account and pay off their mortgage. That would have been kind and charitable. Otherwise, their dumpster diving just looked tacky and icky.

I just caught the very end of the episode...about the last 15 minutes so I don't recall seeing this part. The way I see it, if you are willing to dumpster dive to feed your family you should earn the right to help your family financially in whatever way possible. At the same time, I do see what you are saying about being charitable too...perhaps some balance between the two would have been nice.

[icunurse]

IIRC, he is a doctor and she is some kind of engineer, no kids. While it's nice to be frugal, I bet there are some people who would love to have the cans they get out of the garbage and who can't otherwise afford food easily.

[gordo]

My biggest issue was trying not to laugh as Oprah was telling everyone to think about what they really need versus want they want, as she was sitting in probably $600 heels.

[TwinFoxes]

My biggest issue was trying not to laugh as Oprah was telling everyone to think about what they really need versus want they want, as she was sitting in probably $600 heels.

She's got a friggin' Gulf Stream jet!!

There's frugal, and there's just plain odd. This just seems like an off shoot of hoarding almost. Like I bet they have "lightly" used paper towels stacked in their cupboards.

[nov04]

I'm not into extremes of anything: I would never own my own jet nor would I dumpster-dive.

[alien_host]

There was an article in the Boston Globe about it last year talking about a Harvard grad who does this..she goes to Whole Foods. Personally getting food out of a dumpster really freaks me out. (where is that puking smiley when you need it ;))

[niccig]

but the idea of evaluating what you really need and finding free sources is kind of neat.


As long as you don't take it to the extreme. There's a mother in our playgroup that is great at finding cheap deals on outings and coupons. That's all great. But I draw the line when I mention that DS has outgrown/finished with x, and she's already asking if she can have it. First few times, sure, but after a little while, I started to feel like she would jump in my grave first to save the money on her own plot. Seriously, let me finish my sentence before you put dibs on DS's old bike, which by the way, I am selling on Craigslist to partially fund the new bike, and you would know that if you didn't interrupt to ask to have the bike for your kid.