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When I go jogging, it's usually on a trail. However during XMAS I choose to Jog in the business centers. The grocery stores toss out a ton of Christmas stuff but my thing is the plants. I've just stopped and within 10 seconds, grabbed out 4-5 plants. I then hide them and drive back to get them. I've never jumped inside or anything if that is what you are envisioning.Poor people often live in poorer areas for obvious reasons. Those areas can be very polluted. Plants are known to clean the air hence the reason I suggested obtaining them at no cost to have them around in your dwelling.
Renting an office with a shower, why is that exhausting? It's no more exhausting than paying my mortgage. Send the check off, or have it deducted from your account. No difference. I suggest if you can afford it, to ALSo own a motorhome so during the week, you can be parked somewhere else. Yet have access to the building, an older one preferably with a ton of constant vacancies, then be able to shower. A gym membership in our area is at least $100 a month for one with shower access.
I am not sure where you got I said to drive to food distributions and beg for food? Food distributions mean they are distributing food so why would anyone need to beg? Just get in line and give your name and city, that's it.
I also suggested to VOLUNTEER for food banks, almost all in our area toss out a ton of food. I've known a few people who are just over the poverty level and would never actually take free food. They worked but never earned enough or had hardships. Yet this is food that is going to waste, that is a different story. No question it is better to ensure that food is utilized than just left to rot. Food banks almost always need that extra volunteer help.
Poor people often live in poorer areas for obvious reasons. Those areas can be very polluted. Plants are known to clean the air hence the reason I suggested obtaining them at no cost to have them around in your dwelling.
I had a dear friend who kept saving and saving until he passed at age 85. It was so sad. I see having a good "stash" for expensive repairs (new well, roof, etc) but there IS a point at which: particularly if one has no children or heirs. It seems that life goes by so fast and it is important to do what one wants, buy what one wants and can afford, donate to favorite charities, etc. I knew another person who was so stingy and hoarded his money and dropped dead at age 57 leaving over a million dollars to his sister! Gads!
But, if he died at 87 he would have needed that stash. Again, you want people to be able to predict their age of death. No one can.
Social Security. Medicaid. Sell all of your stuff on Amazon. Find two other people in the same predicament, and share with them a trailer until your application for subsidized senior housing comes through (with three roommates, if one leaves on a short notice to move to a housing, the other two should be able to split the rent for a month or two til they find the replacement third tenant... then repeat as needed). Public library. Public park. This forum :-).
Being forced to live with people;subjecting myself to sharing a bathroom,a kitchen...selected body odors that come around with old age...would be my idea of hell on earth. I've lived alone for almost 30 years and prior to that I lived with my mother and 2 other relatives,separated by a wall that split the house down the middle. Plus I'd probably be thrown out at the first whiff of my Metformin-induced flatulence.
When the anxiety of my upcoming reality hits me.is times like these I wish for sudden death.
Being forced to live with people;subjecting myself to sharing a bathroom,a kitchen...selected body odors that come around with old age...would be my idea of hell on earth. I've lived alone for almost 30 years and prior to that I lived with my mother and 2 other relatives,separated by a wall that split the house down the middle. Plus I'd probably be thrown out at the first whiff of my Metformin-induced flatulence.
When the anxiety of my upcoming reality hits me.is times like these I wish for sudden death.
Trailer buddies would be just temporary, while waiting for subsidized senior apartment. For those subsidized apts, your rent can never be higher than 1/3 of your income. If you are applying for an apartment in an area that is not very desirable, you might get it right away, so no trailer buddies needed. But places, particularly in larger cities or better buildings, typically have waiting lists for 6 months to 2 years, occasionally even longer.
There's a couple out if California that DD daily. Copper, brass, electrical wire. Sometime they've made $500 fir 8 hours work
Quote:
Originally Posted by BalloonLady
When I go jogging, it's usually on a trail. However during XMAS I choose to Jog in the business centers.
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Many companies (large) now have compactors. Soon, dumpster diving will be rare.
Quote:
Originally Posted by BalloonLady
Renting an office with a shower, why is that exhausting? It's no more exhausting than paying my mortgage. Send the check off, or have it deducted from your account. No difference. A gym membership in our area is at least $100 a month for one with shower access.
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Planet fitness is less. $10-25 a month. Showers, workout, free workout videos
Quote:
Originally Posted by BalloonLady
I am not sure where you got I said to drive to food distributions and beg for food? Food distributions mean they are distributing food so why would anyone need to beg? Just get in line and give your name and city, that's it.
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Agreed unless it's a certain charity. There's an "Adventist Services" which want name, addy and info. What I got, might cost me $5 in a store. I see women walk out with 2-3 bags and hop in nice cars. Such is life.
Quote:
Originally Posted by BalloonLady
I also suggested to VOLUNTEER for food banks, almost all in our area toss out a ton of food. I've known a few people who are just over the poverty level and would never actually take free food. They worked but never earned enough or had hardships. Yet this is food that is going to waste, that is a different story. No question it is better to ensure that food is utilized than just left to rot. Food banks almost always need that extra volunteer help.
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Very much agree on the volunteer help. What had long bothered me, was the leftover goods which various stores would pitch, but others donate to charities.
Walmart will donate all "time expired" meat, still good, but won't sell. But toss any hot food not sold. I talked with my boss about putting out samples.
Store manager told me to stop talking about it.....Fine. I left after that.
My dad taught us at an early age what EVERYONE needs to do in order to be successful in life:
1. Live below your means
2. Save 10% of your income yearly, no matter what.
3. Never finance depreciating assets ( cars, boats etc....)
4. Never forget #1
Unfortunately these days everyone wants everything NOW
Your Father had Wisdom
It appears many people today expect to get something for nothing
To me, what you have in retirement is a reflection of years of hard work, sacrifice and planning/preparing for when you get old.
Those who were not willing to prepare, should not expect to live like those who did.
Don't mean to be insensitive but this just seems common sense to me.
There's a couple out if California that DD daily. Copper, brass, electrical wire. Sometime they've made $500 fir 8 hours work
Many companies (large) now have compactors. Soon, dumpster diving will be rare.
Planet fitness is less. $10-25 a month. Showers, workout, free workout videos
Agreed unless it's a certain charity. There's an "Adventist Services" which want name, addy and info. What I got, might cost me $5 in a store. I see women walk out with 2-3 bags and hop in nice cars. Such is life.
Very much agree on the volunteer help. What had long bothered me, was the leftover goods which various stores would pitch, but others donate to charities.
Walmart will donate all "time expired" meat, still good, but won't sell. But toss any hot food not sold. I talked with my boss about putting out samples.
Store manager told me to stop talking about it.....Fine. I left after that.
Oh I'd love to see more people dumpster diving for environments sake and their sake. So sad we toss out so much $. We already have compactors here in some stores. I believe they toss stuff out during the day then when it starts to overload, then the compactors come in. I've seen boxes which are flat as pancakes. Maybe I am wrong though.
Sad they won't donate all of the hot food, at least to the co-workers. Planet Fitness sounds great, I didn't realize they had showers. I am aware there are some in the cities.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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I outgrew dumpster diving many years ago. When I was 10-12 and had a paper route in the 1960s, my friend and I discovered that a local bakery, closed Sundays, would discard all of their leftover items at close on Saturday. They were put into those pink bakery boxes in the dumpster. We would get still fresh eclairs, donuts, cookies and cakes for breakfast every Sunday. I would not recommend eating anything out of a dumpster today, there are too many opportunities for contamination by the employees tossing it, rodents and other animals. It's a shame that even schools with leftover meals are not allowed to donate their clean, fresh, leftover food but have to put it into their dumpsters, due to various rules and regulations.
Last edited by Hemlock140; 01-26-2022 at 02:18 PM..
No one has actually answered this question have they? I'll take a shot at it.
Meals on Wheels
Take advantage of Free Community Events.
Make your social life revolve around coffee at Starbucks
Take Advantage of Senior Center activities
Collect the extra holiday plants leftover in the dumpsters behind the store after Xmas
Learn to can. Sometimes produce can be on sale at a fantastic price so you can buy them all up and can them.
This isn't a how to live with little in retirement savings, this is a how to live list.
My wealthy father used Meals on Wheels after surgery for a couple of months.
We also go to Free Community Events, like why wouldn't you?
I hate Starbucks, but meeting friends at Panera for a cup of coffee is one of the nicest things to do.
It's easy to propagate plants. It give a real feeling of accomplishment.
Same with canning, a real feeling of pride when it's finished. Jars are usually available at Goodwill, just don't recycle the tops. Once it's used, it will NOT seal at second time.
I would add -
1. Never purchase baked cookies/cakes. It's better and cheaper homemade.
2. Prepared pancake mixes are expensive. Mixing the flour/baking soda yourself saves money and tastes better.
3. Cut the cable cord. It's amazing how little decent movies/shows are on TV. We use our firestick for movies. I can't cope commercials while watching movies anymore.
4. Libraries are great for magazines. Its better for the environment with less paper waste too.
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