I Lived like a Freegan Once: A Reply to the Special Report on Oprah (how to be a college bum)

Associated Content, Inc. ^ | 2/27/08 | Pip the Writer

[MrB]

AFAIC,

as long as someone isn’t harming others, nor using the government to confiscate my property for their livelihood, nor are “liberals” using the government to confiscate my property to subsidize this “lifestyle”,

live and let live.

[Hemingway's Ghost]

Not for nothing, but this was one of the suckiest pieces ever written. I cannot believe I actually made it to the end.

[Bitsy]

I bet they still manage to scrape up enough for some weed.

Most probably inspired more dumpster diving after a bong session. What a party!!!1

[Oatka]

A couple of Hard Times anecdotes.

1) Back in the late ‘50s I talked with an aspiring actor who said that he and he friends would go down to the Automat for breakfast (this was NYC - everything was priced in multiples of nickels). Breakfast consisted of “tomato juice” which was made from a half of glass of ketchup taken from the bottle on the table and a half glass of water. Never heard of him since.

2) Last week I told a guy at work about an Ann Landers article wherein the wife had mixed a can of dog food in with some leftover mashed potatoes, intending it for Rover’s meal the next day. Hubby gets the midnight hungrys and raids the fridge. Next morning he raves over the great “meat leftovers” and says the wife ought make that more often. Wife wanted to know if she she fess up. Abby told her “Let sleeping dogs lie.”
2a) The guy got a kick out of that and said he could top it. He ran a small placer gold mining outfit in Arizona in the ‘80s and met a welder who was living out of his car. Gave the guy a few jobs and an old trailer to stay in. The guy got a few bucks for some dust he had and went out and splurged. Back from the store, the guy says “I’m gonna eat like a king tonight! Got a loaf of bread and a can of Alpo. Makes a great sandwich!” The first full payday he comes back beaming “NOW I’m really gonna eat! Got a box of macaroni and cheese and a can of Alpo. I’ll make the best casserole you ever ate!” The owner respectfully declined.

I guess it all depends upon your outlook.

[SuziQ]

Our youngest son (18 yrs. old) and I decided to volunteer at our local Food Bank. The grocery stores send over hundreds of pounds of food; canned goods, baby food, shelf stable milk, cleaning supplies and toiletries, every week. A big cracker manufacturer sends a truckload of boxes of snacks that have been smashed on a corner, or snack bar boxes that have split open.

Our job today was to go through a big bin of those boxes, check inside the crushed boxes to make sure the interior bags weren't broken, then tape the boxes shut. It's great that the food manufacturers have a place to send this stuff. Now homeless shelters, and social service agencies can have access to good food for their clients. The boxes may not be pretty, and some of the crackers may be smashed, but they're still edible!