re: #314 reine.de.tout

Well, then, you’re right. That was stealing and cheating, and just not the right thing to do at all.

(I’ve posted this before, I think, from my ignored and badly managed blog)

This blog entry is NOT INTENDED TO CONDON STEALING. Now that I got the disclaimer out of the way, hopefully I won’t be writing an entry on how to obtain a lawyer pro-bono.

Let’s face it, the price of everything is going up. I never thought there would be a time that I actually had to make a decision if I was going to purchase a magazine or a days worth of food. But there are still ways to save money. There’s a lot of free stuff available if you look close. Here are some suggestions get you started.

Condiments: Fast food places seem only to glad to leave a veritable feast of condiments at your fingertips. Ketchup, mustard, salad dressings, salt and pepper, mayonnaise, hot sauce, sugar and sweetener, coffee creamer and so much more. Why do you think they give you such a big bag for one lonely burger and fries? Fill it up.

Reading material: Religious groups are happy to pass on all sorts of free magazines, brochures, propaganda (did I say that) and such. You can even find reading material for your children. Jehovah’s Witnesses offer the best deal… they’ll deliver to your door.

Bathroom items: Ever see that stack of toilet paper rolls in public restrooms? Need I say more.

Clothes: Make your rounds of the Laundromats. There is always a pile of clothe items that the owner has found left in the machines. But only take what you need, and it’s not good etiquette to try on the underwear there. Wait until you get home.

Furniture: Visit some large apartment complexes around the end or the beginning of the month. Folks who are moving in or out are always leaving unneeded items around the dumpsters. If you really want to get innovative, scotch tape a “wanted” list to one of the dumpsters.

Odds and Ends: When you go to Goodwill (you do shop at Goodwill, don’t you), do some creative designing. Put that candle holder you want into that wicket basket you want and clip those earrings you want to the outside of the basket. Take the price tags off of everything except the basket. Tell the check out clerk that you love collecting kindergarten art projects. They’ll never know the difference.

Food: For Sunday dinner, take the entire family to Sam’s Club and dine on the free samples.