Unpopular opinion: dumpster diving behind grocery stores is way better than hitting the electronics stores

I spent like 6 months always going behind Best Buy and Target thinking I'd score big. Best I ever found was a broken keyboard. Then one night I stopped behind a Publix on my route and found a whole case of protein bars with the packaging slightly crushed. Like 40 boxes. Nothing wrong with them. Had enough bars to last me 3 months. My buddy who's been doing this for years told me grocery stores toss stuff for stupid reasons - misprints on labels, seasonal packaging that's 2 days past, dented cans. He said I was wasting my time chasing electronics. Has anyone else made that switch and seen way better results?

2 comments

2 Comments

noahclark1mo ago

Actually used to be the opposite for me. I was totally that guy digging through the electronics recycling bins behind Best Buy thinking I'd find a working laptop or something. Found a few old chargers and a cordless phone base, that was about it. But my cousin who works in a bakery showed me what she brings home from work. Loaves of bread that are a day old, pastries that didn't sell, all perfectly fine. Now I stick mostly to grocery stores and bakeries. The stuff they toss is insane. I got a 5 pound bag of onions last week because the mesh bag had a tiny tear in it. So yeah, you're totally right. Grocery stores are where the real gold is hiding.

laura2111mo ago

The 5 pound bag of onions story hits home because I once got unreasonably excited over a slightly dented can of beans. My standards have definitely dropped but my pantry has never been better.