Another Minnesotan checking in.

[Gopher Jim]

Hey Everyone.

New to this, so will be learning as I go. Married, father of 2 boys, one set to go to college next year and the other will be in 3 years if they so choose. Currently work 2 full time jobs. Yep, 2. Back in the recession, I was let go from a company after 19 years. We were over-extended, took bad advice and we ended up loosing our 401k and house. Been busting my butt to get us back to where we are now, but there’s little in retirement.

Took a job making 1/3 of what I used to and started delivering newspapers as a side hustle to start. Bounced to 2 other jobs before landing where I am now. During this time, I’ve slowly taken on more paper routes and I’m up to delivering all the business papers in our town along with 2 residential routes on weekdays and 4 residential routes on weekends. It’s a dying industry and I would like to replace that income with something I can do/control instead of working for someone else.

Growing up, never thought that when I turned 50 that I would be doing this, but I guess if you want to hear God laugh, tell him your plans. Anyway, cool thing is the cops are used to seeing me all over town at night, so I’m hoping to do some quick “flash and dash” with business dumpsters to see what I can find.

I’m downloading all the podcasts I can find onto a flash drive, then I listen while delivering papers, so I’ve gleaned a lot already, but I’m sure more questions will come. I’ll check in later, but be safe out there and take care.

Gopher Jim.

[Sharyn]

What a great story – good luck to you.

I lost my job in 2015 when my company moved to another state, and I decided not to go with them. I tried finding a job close enough to home, but everything was a long commute, required a relocation, or I tried and didn’t get the job.

Thankfully, my husband and I were not living above our means. We were able to cut back on expenses bit by bit. I started an eBay business so that we didn’t have to spend our retirement. It has worked, and it should work for you!

[Jay]

I think many of us were surprised ourselves selling junk online. In a society where having a “career” is the pinnacle of success, we’re all bucking the trend.

What kind of items did you find?

And if you want all the episodes in one download in order, here’s one of the few things we sell: https://www.scavengerlife.com/download-all-episodes/
If not, its all free on Youtube.

[Gopher Jim]

Thanks Jay.

Spent the past few nights doing re-con on the local businesses. Nearly every retail place has it posted for no trespassing and some even state no scavenging. While there isn’t an ordinance that I could find for our city on scavenging, I’d rather source without looking over my back. I know quite a few cops from delivering the papers, but this might be pushing it.

I’m planning on keeping my eyes open on garbage days and when I pass through alleys and such while I deliver to see if there are any finds. I also deliver to quite a few senior housing facilities. I’ve noticed that when some of the residents pass or move to a more specialized facility that the families will sometimes put the possessions they don’t care about on tables near the garbage. Will just need to keep my eyes open.

Have you tried storage locker sales and had any success? I think after the holidays my wife and I will hunker down during the deep freeze and try to purge stuff we’ve accumulated and see what we can kick start to get some traction.

Appreciate all you guys do.

Jim

[Jay]

Have you tried storage locker sales and had any success?

Everyone should try to go to a storage locker auction. Here’s our experience:
–people watch Storage Wars and think every locker is a pot of gold
–lockers often go for crazy amounts of money. lot of dreamers out there
–Since you cant see the items in the locker (except from the outside), it feels too much like gambling

• This reply was modified 6 years, 6 months ago by Jay.

[Steven S]

My experience at a storage auction was disappointing for reasons Jay stated.
I made the best of it by hanging around and checking in with those who won and seeing what was really in there, then made a few offers on some stuff I could resell that the winners didn’t want or have a clue about.

[Author]

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