The New York Post carried an article by Zachary Kussin yesterday titled “Mom of 4 Ditches Job to Be a Dumpster Diver, Earning $1,000 a Week”. The Texas mom referred to in the title is one Tiffany She’ree. In addition to four children, she now has two million followers on TikTok.
The 32 year old left her job as a canteen server back in 2020 when she realized she could earn as much as $1,000 per week simply by selling off discarded items that she found by dumpster diving at local garage sales.
According to the article, She’ree is quoted as having said:
“I’d never heard of or thought about dumpster diving before I randomly saw a video on YouTube of these girls dumpster diving,” she told Media Drum. “When I saw the haul they came back with I knew I had to try it for myself.”
She took her first run at it back in 2017, and found skin care products and makeup valued at $1,200. Since then, accompanied by her husband, Daniel, she has been able to pay all their bills just from the resale of discarded items. What is more, the two of them have also furnished the bulk of their home with items they found in the trash.
Using TikTok, She’ree shows off recovered items from dumpsters outside of stores such as Victoria’s Secret, Party City, and Ulta. These items range from ones with slightly damaged packaging to returns that apparently could not be sold again.
One recent score was a $750 coffee machine from Bed Bath & Beyond along with assorted unopened makeup items worth hundreds of dollars. She added that other finds have included bedsheets, pillows, blankets, towels, little odds and ends, and even pet products like cat trees and dog cages.
To be sure, some have trashed her dumpster-diving efforts, even going so far as to accuse her as stealing. But what she is doing is actually legal. What is more, she contends that that if she hadn’t fished the goods from the dumpsters she hits, they would have simply gone into landfills. As she puts it: “I’m happy that I’m saving items from landfills and doing my bit to help the environment and keep the planet clean.”
As I read this article, I reflected back to my own childhood. When I was about ten years old, my father decided to start a garbage collection company. For five years of my life, part-time after school and full-time in the summer, I worked alongside him and his employees running trash routes and making regular trips to the county dump.
I remember one particular day when we arrived at the dump with a load of trash to make a dump. I exited the truck and stood at the edge of the c. 20 feet deep, 50 feet wide, 200 feet long trench excavated out by Mr. Marvin (the man who ran the county dump).
As my dad was backing the truck up, I glanced down and saw what could only be described as a box of pure treasure in the eyes of a twelve year old boy. For there sat a cardboard box about two feet long and one foot deep and chock full of little green plastic army men. Even from the great height, I could see that it had not only men, but trucks, cars, tanks, airplanes, buildings, and other assorted odds and ends.
My heart leapt within me. How could anyone discard such a gem? I would have given anything to possess such a prize. I immediately set about imploring my father and Mr. Marvin to allow me to descend into the pit and retrieve the beloved treasure. Seeing how much in earnest I was, they gave their consent, and I was gone.
I tore off down the length of the trench to the end where it was shallow and descended into its abyss. In no time flat, I had clawed my way through the plethora of trash and reached the box, gathered it in my arms, and lovingly carried it to safety!
Thereafter, I returned with my prize to the truck, where I placed it in the cab and saw it safely transported home with me. Once there, I unloaded the box and subjected the entire contents to a thorough wash job in a 35 gallon galvanized tub of soapy water.
As the day came to an end, I lovingly sorted each and every piece of what I would estimate to have been my new 500 piece army.
Over the remainder of that summer, I led my army to multiple victories as we vanquished foe after foe in the ditches of the dirt road where we lived fighting for truth, justice, and the American way. Never was there a single earthly commander who was so fond and so proud of his troops!
All of this is to say that I can relate to Tiffany She’ree. Like her, I willingly dove into a pile of trash to retrieve that which I valued. And in so doing, like her, I reflected what God has done for us in and though His One and Only Son Jesus Christ.
We as men and women were tarnished by sin, counted as damaged goods, and all but discarded for all eternity. But Jesus Christ valued us so highly that He chose not to give up on us. With the full blessing of the Father, He came down to where we were and retrieved us from the ravages of the pit. He sought us out and found us and washed us and made us clean. Then He formed us into a mighty army destined to win victory after victory under His leadership and in His name.
I still have my Army men. I love them too much to ever depart with them. And my Master still has me because He loves me too much to ever let me go! For that, I will ever be grateful!
STORY SOURCE:
https://nypost.com/2021/08/26/texas-mother-of-4-ditches-job-to-become-a-dumpster-diver/.
SEE ALSO:
https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/texas-mom-of-4-dumpster-diver.
The 32 year old left her job as a canteen server back in 2020 when she realized she could earn as much as $1,000 per week simply by selling off discarded items that she found by dumpster diving at local garage sales.
According to the article, She’ree is quoted as having said:
“I’d never heard of or thought about dumpster diving before I randomly saw a video on YouTube of these girls dumpster diving,” she told Media Drum. “When I saw the haul they came back with I knew I had to try it for myself.”
She took her first run at it back in 2017, and found skin care products and makeup valued at $1,200. Since then, accompanied by her husband, Daniel, she has been able to pay all their bills just from the resale of discarded items. What is more, the two of them have also furnished the bulk of their home with items they found in the trash.
Using TikTok, She’ree shows off recovered items from dumpsters outside of stores such as Victoria’s Secret, Party City, and Ulta. These items range from ones with slightly damaged packaging to returns that apparently could not be sold again.
One recent score was a $750 coffee machine from Bed Bath & Beyond along with assorted unopened makeup items worth hundreds of dollars. She added that other finds have included bedsheets, pillows, blankets, towels, little odds and ends, and even pet products like cat trees and dog cages.
To be sure, some have trashed her dumpster-diving efforts, even going so far as to accuse her as stealing. But what she is doing is actually legal. What is more, she contends that that if she hadn’t fished the goods from the dumpsters she hits, they would have simply gone into landfills. As she puts it: “I’m happy that I’m saving items from landfills and doing my bit to help the environment and keep the planet clean.”
As I read this article, I reflected back to my own childhood. When I was about ten years old, my father decided to start a garbage collection company. For five years of my life, part-time after school and full-time in the summer, I worked alongside him and his employees running trash routes and making regular trips to the county dump.
I remember one particular day when we arrived at the dump with a load of trash to make a dump. I exited the truck and stood at the edge of the c. 20 feet deep, 50 feet wide, 200 feet long trench excavated out by Mr. Marvin (the man who ran the county dump).
As my dad was backing the truck up, I glanced down and saw what could only be described as a box of pure treasure in the eyes of a twelve year old boy. For there sat a cardboard box about two feet long and one foot deep and chock full of little green plastic army men. Even from the great height, I could see that it had not only men, but trucks, cars, tanks, airplanes, buildings, and other assorted odds and ends.
My heart leapt within me. How could anyone discard such a gem? I would have given anything to possess such a prize. I immediately set about imploring my father and Mr. Marvin to allow me to descend into the pit and retrieve the beloved treasure. Seeing how much in earnest I was, they gave their consent, and I was gone.
I tore off down the length of the trench to the end where it was shallow and descended into its abyss. In no time flat, I had clawed my way through the plethora of trash and reached the box, gathered it in my arms, and lovingly carried it to safety!
Thereafter, I returned with my prize to the truck, where I placed it in the cab and saw it safely transported home with me. Once there, I unloaded the box and subjected the entire contents to a thorough wash job in a 35 gallon galvanized tub of soapy water.
As the day came to an end, I lovingly sorted each and every piece of what I would estimate to have been my new 500 piece army.
Over the remainder of that summer, I led my army to multiple victories as we vanquished foe after foe in the ditches of the dirt road where we lived fighting for truth, justice, and the American way. Never was there a single earthly commander who was so fond and so proud of his troops!
All of this is to say that I can relate to Tiffany She’ree. Like her, I willingly dove into a pile of trash to retrieve that which I valued. And in so doing, like her, I reflected what God has done for us in and though His One and Only Son Jesus Christ.
We as men and women were tarnished by sin, counted as damaged goods, and all but discarded for all eternity. But Jesus Christ valued us so highly that He chose not to give up on us. With the full blessing of the Father, He came down to where we were and retrieved us from the ravages of the pit. He sought us out and found us and washed us and made us clean. Then He formed us into a mighty army destined to win victory after victory under His leadership and in His name.
I still have my Army men. I love them too much to ever depart with them. And my Master still has me because He loves me too much to ever let me go! For that, I will ever be grateful!
STORY SOURCE:
https://nypost.com/2021/08/26/texas-mother-of-4-ditches-job-to-become-a-dumpster-diver/.
SEE ALSO:
https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/texas-mom-of-4-dumpster-diver.