| Freegans ond others
Posted: 1/5/2007 8:38:35 PM | Was reading an article yesterday about a group of people that were tired of comsumerism, they gave up buying things for a year, with the exception of food, health or saftey related items and absolute nessesary toiletries. This article aslo talked about communities thruout the US and Europe the are called 'freegans' - these are employed people who choose not to buy anything more than nessecary, even eating out of dumpster when they can....
I could never be a freegan, uh uh! no way! Could you? Could you give up purchasing anything but food for a year or longer? | |
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| Freegans ond others
Posted: 1/5/2007 8:50:36 PM | | If they got kids, that would seam like a form of abuse because kids need things. They are born into this world to learn about things, and how can one learn if they haven't much to go on. People live the way they want. Thats how it is. Who is to say what way is best. (Note many can't aford what many have, and some feel for them, and want their young to understand that feeling.) | |
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| Freegans ond others
Posted: 1/5/2007 9:35:05 PM | The only thing where I come anywhere close to this is when I try really really hard not to buy anything "Made in China", just because of what they did and are doing to Tibet; but those Dollar Stores are so full of tempting junk to buy, so I stay out of them as much as I can.  | |
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| Freegans ond others
Posted: 1/5/2007 9:36:54 PM | No way, I love shopping too much. It's my personal therapy. Nothing makes you feel better than a new pair of shoes, or clothes, or makeup or darn near anything else lol
As for making kids understand what others don't have you can do that but still be a consumer. On Dec 23 some friends and I organized a feed the homeless day, my kids helped me cook the food, serve it and then we walked up and down the street handing out bagged lunches to those who didn't come to us for hot food. (I even ended up on the front page of a newspaper due to it) That is just as effective in teaching them, as it is t be a freegan and force them to do without. | |
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| Freegans ond others
Posted: 1/6/2007 2:46:50 AM |
eating out of dumpster
Okay... now I gotta throw up. | |
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| Freegans ond others
Posted: 1/6/2007 10:31:21 AM |
On Dec 23 some friends and I organized a feed the homeless day, my kids helped me cook the food, serve it and then we walked up and down the street handing out bagged lunches to those who didn't come to us for hot food.
Brandy.......you are a great person
force them to do without no one did without anything that was needed, I think we don't realize how little we really need to survive, what is REALLY a need verses as want.
Redneck.......I could never see eating out of a dumpster either...*puke* | |
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| Freegans ond others
Posted: 1/6/2007 10:32:04 AM | | If these Freegans would eat properly and healthy life styles their Brains would be working more efficiently instead of 20% . We live in a world of all types but it keeps us talking lol. | |
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| Freegans ond others
Posted: 1/6/2007 10:34:09 AM | | I forgot to mention, big difference between freegans and homeless | |
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| Freegans ond others
Posted: 1/7/2007 8:54:35 PM | If it's the same group that made news recently from CA. They weren't as shut off as you'd be led to believe. They agreed not to buy anything NEW, not buy anything (outside of food, toilitries, etc). While it still could be pretty inconvinient at times, it's also pretty far from homelessness. It'd save a load of cash I'm sure.
I'll try to find the in-depth article I read and post a link.
I, Clown | |
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| Freegans ond others
Posted: 1/7/2007 11:03:41 PM | | I understand they are not the same as the homeless. My point in bringing up the homeless is that it is not necessary to teach your kids about those who have less by refusing to be a consumer, you can teach them by getting out in your community doing community service, in my instance we fed the homeless as a way to remind my children right before christmas(a major shopping time) that others have less. I don't feel the need to stop shopping for things outside of necessities simply to prove a point, there is other methods of doing that. | |
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| Freegans ond others
Posted: 1/8/2007 6:11:23 AM | | I, also once read an artical about the Freegans. I would never eat out of a dumbster. However, I saw alot of myself in the artical. I have only one piece Of furniture that I bought new. Every thing else I aquired from friends and relatives as cast offs or bought at yard sales. Even this 'puter is second hand.People apply the 3 r's to the enviroment without thinking how about what Reduce/Re-use/Recycle means in there personal lives. When I got divorced 10yrs ago, I literally had only a sleeping bag, Portable radio,12" B&W television and a saw-horse for furniture, No kitchen supplies at all. Just those 4 items with my clothes and personal items in a studio apartment. I was amazed learn what I actually could live with and without. I slow aquired more but set my priorities differantly.I REDUCED. When I did start to collect furnishings I shop yard sales, thrift stores, And watched the sides of the road. You would be amazed at what some people will just throw out instead of re selling or donating. From the Babyboomers on we have grown up in a disposable world. I RE-USE until its used up,or at least I try. As for RECYCLING, my current coffee table used to be a Dinning table withbroken pedistal and an set of endd table with water damage. Put the servicable parts together,sanded,refinished and got a coffee table! I am not anti-consumerism,but I try not to let corporate America tell me what I can't live without just so they can take back what little they pay me!I'm sounding preachy and I didn't mean to be,sorry, Just walk thru your House and Imagine if you had only 30 minutes to take what you needed and leave, now don't try to think about what you would take. Think about what you would leave behind and how much of that would you probably not miss anyway. OK, off my soapbox! | |
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| Freegans ond others
Posted: 1/8/2007 8:59:51 AM | | I used to eat out of a dumpster when I was a kid on the street but was cured of it when I got a unhealthy helping of rat poision. I love recycling though and find all kinds of goodies in the trash besides cans, bottles, I have a beautiful comforter on my bed actually my custom made bed frame came from a dumped futon frame, a rolling Craftsman tool box, Chairs, Shelfs, wood there's unlimited resourses in the trash scrap metal, coated wire is one of my favorates at 45 cents a pound..Then I have a company nearby that tosses out those huge electric wire spools instant table. This Summer I even found a diamond rolex watch in a bag of shoes it was an older watch prehaps the owner thought it wasn't worth anything anymore it's not hot but I'll tell you those things retain their value I have a working diamond rolex watch I found in the trash and it's worth somewhere between 3,000-6,000.00 dollars will that's what I hope to get for it on E-Bay it's actually worth more. I quit shopping in bigger stores because I have aniexty but it make me glad because now I'm able to budget my small bit of money..I know alot of homeless people that are probley Freegans undercover. One is a friend of mine who's two most inportant things in life are pot and sex he always has a beautiful younger woman they usually have money or her family has money and other people litterally gives the guy refer..He lives on under 5.00 a day sleeps under the stars...I've seen many of the homeless return season after season to our Winter Shelter it does get cold in Southern California and we have a shelter I wouldn't stay there it's just too corrupt for me but many do it's a way of life for many people..I think I've heard that term before Freegan.. I couldn't live off another like that...But I do survive cheaply.. | |
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| Freegans ond others
Posted: 1/8/2007 12:54:42 PM | The Freegans are typically college age and young adult, have jobs, buy products, etc... very normal, except that their belief is that we throw out too much food and things unnecessarily.
Heath guidelines require restuarants to throw out leftovers and things left out from the day's cooking.
Many restaurants actually carefully place those items on top or in a specific place just for the Freegans and the homeless.
I feel like there should be a lawfully acceptable collection container of sorts for Freegans, homeless and animals at the pound or homeless animals.
We do waste too much. | |
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| Freegans ond others
Posted: 11/7/2009 3:01:51 AM |
.... a group of people that were tired of comsumerism, they gave up buying things for a year, with the exception of food, health or saftey related items and absolute nessesary toiletries. This article aslo talked about communities thruout the US and Europe the are called 'freegans' - these are employed people who choose not to buy anything more than nessecary, even eating out of dumpster when they can....
.... Could you give up purchasing anything but food for a year or longer? . I don't do a lot of shopping anyway. I use most of my spare money for travel. Clothes and other things I buy out of necessity. I can only see the point of this 'freegan' thing if you are someone who buys things just to buy them. I guess a lot of people do that, but I can't relate.  | |
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| Freegans ond others
Posted: 11/7/2009 6:20:21 AM | Most people's homes are filled with crap...I cant see the NEED for some people to constantly be at Big Lots, Walmart, or the Dollar store buying more crap.
Christmas commercials are all ready runnig... | |
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| Freegans ond others
Posted: 11/7/2009 7:05:26 AM | Fall, along with spring, finds our neighborhoods and roadsides covered up with yard sales and people buying stuff they don't need from people who bought stuff they did not need or found out did not sate their soul.
I know people who NEED "retail therapy" to justify a week of desperation in the cubicle. There is a perception that a thing or enough stuff will make us whole. We get caught up in the hamster wheel in a negative feedback loop of work, stuff, work, stuff, yard sale, work stuff, etc.......
I admire Freegans and others who strive to live simply and focus more on the substance of life than the stuff of life. I have friends who still dumpster dive. We did it one time and scarfed up enough day old bagels, safely bagged, that fed the hoards over a weekend gathering. While dumpster diving may not be for everyone, there is also a movement to downshift. Downshifting gives us more time to actually live, less need for work and stress, and more room to move around in the house.
There are ethical considerations when we are addicted to stuff. Perhaps if we just thought about it a little more, we could find more of our happiness elsewhere...
http://www.storyofstuff.com/international/ | |
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| Freegans ond others
Posted: 11/7/2009 7:59:50 AM | I might be one of those people. I don't eat out of the dumpster, but I buy out of necessity.
I don't need a bunch of extra junk. I would rather put the extra money in my pocket rather than a retailer's any day. Call me penny pincher, frugal, whatever. | |
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| Freegans ond others
Posted: 11/7/2009 11:00:58 AM | Stores throw away stuff just in the dumpsters right outside?
I wonder why they don't donate those items and get a tax write-off?
Weird. Looks like I'll have to scope out dumpsters by my house. | |
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| Freegans ond others
Posted: 11/7/2009 11:08:50 AM | Stores throw away stuff just in the dumpsters right outside? It would make more sense to give these things to charity. wazhiz, your description of your friends seems, to me (and maybe I'm misreading it), to be one of admiration. For some reason, I don't find what they do admirable. I am sure I'll get torched for this, but I find it rather offensive and sickening. They apparently have jobs and do their dumpster diving as a pastime, so they are not losers or anything. But it seems to me that things being thrown away would be better used by the needy. For example, I'd find it a whole lot more admirable if people like your friends, who apparently have a lot of time to do this, took all that time and energy into putting together an organized collection of throw away products in their community and donating those items to charities, such as food banks and Toys for Tots.
msg 21: Interesting. I have never heard of this thing, Freegans. It seems to me, however, rather than being an anti-consumerism thing, it is quintessentially materialistic. | |
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| Freegans ond others
Posted: 11/7/2009 1:48:08 PM | Hrmmm, I have refused to support companies that do not produce quality products, reguardless of nationality. I guess I am the opposite of a freegan as I am trying to kill companies like GM, etc. in favor of supporting companies like BMW/Mercedez.
Anti-American? I don't think so. More like anti-short-cut. I will buy what works best, be it Japanese, or American, or whatever. My last American car purchase taught me that. "Made in America" does not mean quality anymore.
I guess that is being a type of freegan? It sends a message: Stop making crap and I will support you. | |
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| Freegans ond others
Posted: 11/7/2009 4:16:42 PM |
For example, I'd find it a whole lot more admirable if people like your friends, who apparently have a lot of time to do this, took all that time and energy into putting together an organized collection of throw away products in their community and donating those items to charities, such as food banks and Toys for Tots.
I'd have to agree that this would be more impressive and meaningful to me than gathering "free stuff" for my own benefit. | |
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| Freegans ond others
Posted: 11/7/2009 4:23:37 PM |
I admire Freegans and others who strive to live simply and focus more on the substance of life than the stuff of life. I have friends who still dumpster dive. We did it one time and scarfed up enough day old bagels, safely bagged, that fed the hoards over a weekend gathering. While dumpster diving may not be for everyone, there is also a movement to downshift. Downshifting gives us more time to actually live, less need for work and stress, and more room to move around in the house.
Hear, hear.
In the quest for shiny trinkets and consumer goods, many people have lost their humanity. | |
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| Freegans ond others
Posted: 11/7/2009 4:27:08 PM | ^^^^^^^Agreed. I'm not interested in shiny, new things however I'm not prepared to eat out of bins/dumpsters................ | |
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| Freegans ond others
Posted: 11/7/2009 4:39:59 PM |
^^^^^^^Agreed. I'm not interested in shiny, new things however I'm not prepared to eat out of bins/dumpsters...........
But Woolies throw out the BEST stuff!? You just have to fight the rats for it! lol | |
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| Freegans ond others
Posted: 11/7/2009 5:37:10 PM | Sounds like it might be part of the Voluntary Simplicity "movement" ~~ you can even get Simple Living Coaching if you're of a mind to, lol! Most of my Quaker meetings have had a group that was working on making the concept a living thing. When they actually make it, it's beautiful ~~ physically and spiritually. . . .
Namasté | |
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