Fairfax loves a bargain. She loves one so much she is willing to eat food that others have thrown away. She buys plain coffee at cafes and adds milk, which is much cheaper than buying a latte. She holds dinner parties where people bring stuff they no longer want and swap it. She finds lots of good books to read in “trash receptacles surrounding college dormitories at the end of the year.” She takes photos of her finds, scores, and tips at her blog, called Frugan Living.
Excerpts:
• After catering an event, a friend of mine was saddened to see tray after tray of untouched food tossed out, so she brought me approximately 79 pounds of pesto pasta. I froze it in baggies, and have enjoyed a plate of it weekly for going on three months.
• I recently secured $50 selling two charcoal BBQs that I found on the street and ended up having no room for. Two posts, two emails, two 3 minute exchanges. Now I have pocket cash and less clutter, an Irish lady has the means to cook on her camping trip, and the Broke-ology set at Lincoln Center Theater has a prop. Three winners!
•A couple months ago I collected many books from the dumpsters at Columbia and NYU. The other day I finally got around to posting a couple on Amazon, not really expecting them to sell given a presumed summertime lull in textbook sales. Lo and and behold, I am now $140 wealthier! And two more people can gain knowledge (or not, based on how pristine these books were) from the pages of those trees.
Aren’t trees and trash generous!!