What problem do the dumpster diver and millionaire share?
In my building complex, there are several people who spend a lot of time “cleaning up” around the dumpsters especially when people move out. I’m a reformed dumpster diver myself. Actually diving is too athletic a term for my past-time.
I just keep an eye out for useful stuff that’s being tossed out. In the city people are constantly moving, divorcing, down-sizing or decluttering. When you start looking around there is a surprising amount of useful stuff being tossed.
Just the other day walking to the Korean market, I spotted a Sony stereo 5 CD changer left out on the corner. Great a free changer. I lugged it home along with my 20 kg of rice. It was only after I got home that I realized it only had stereo audio output plugs. I would need to get a stereo power amplifier, speakers, speaker wire and CDs to play. The free stereo CD changer would cost me over $100 before I could use it.
Leaving for the thrift shop to look for an amplifier, there was an acoustic guitar propped against the wall of the lobby with a free sign. I would need to add a guitar case, guitar stand, guitar tuner, music books, picks to my shopping list.
Whatever you find, you have to think of all the associated junk that you’ll need to get. Pretty soon your apartment is so full you need to find a bigger place or rent a storage locker. Even more expenses.
Then you have to think about maintaining and upgrading what you have. So It all means that the more stuff you have the more stress you’re going to have as well. And the more stuff you have the harder it is to keep everything organized and to actually find anything. During major cleaning operation I found half-a-dozen things that I actually needed. I can understand Bill Gates comment that being a billionaire is overated. When you have multiple houses how do you just keep stuff organized?
So you learn to be very discrininating in what you pick up.