If you shortlist the most popular dumpster diving places, Dollar General will be one of them. While it is known for its shopping experience, for many people, the dumpsters here offer the opportunity to earn a little extra for some people.
Similarly, some people find items for personal use. Thus, we may say that dumpster diving at Dollar General is a complete experience.
However, before you start, make sure to take a look at the local rules as well as the tips shared here for the best experience.
Dumpster Diving at Dollar General
This variety store chain is known for its discounted prices. The concept is similar to Dollar Store, but it is mainly known for the merchandise sold here. Today Dollar General has over 15000 stores in the whole USA, which means you can find lots of dumpster diving opportunities.
Dollar General stores contain everything from groceries to consumables, home supplies, and different electronics, including toys and a dedicated fashion category. One of the most liked qualities of Dollar General is that it provides a 30-day refund policy where customers can get store credit.
The products they return, however, don’t go back to the store shelves and end up in the dumpsters nearby. It is where you can find all sorts of products for free and use them personally or sell them for profit.
All you need to know about Dumpster diving
Dumpster Diving Laws at Dollar General
When it comes to the dumpster diving laws at Dollar General stores, they are strict about private property laws and prohibit trespassers at all costs. So, if caught trespassing and dumpster diving, you may be charged with theft and trespassing according to local laws. Apart from these, you can also get charged for littering, disturbance, and illegal dumping offenses.
While these stores don’t have any laws, you must look for the local laws regarding dumpster diving and stick to those laws for a safer experience. It is because sometimes the state and local city laws differ, so to stay safe at all costs, following the local city laws is a must.
Is dumpster diving illegal at Dollar General?
Is dumpster diving illegal at Dollar General? No, Dollar General does not prohibit dumpster diving as long as you stay on public property. Remember that most Dollar General stores have private property where they keep their dumpsters. All the trash is discarded into those bins before it is moved to public property.
So, you should wait for that trash to be moved to public property.
Another thing you may do is ask for the owner’s or manager’s permission, and if they allow you, you may dive into their dumpsters on the private property. However, if you are not allowed and you still go inside, you may be charged with a misdemeanor offense that will result in fines as per your local laws.
Remember that going through private dumpsters is also stealing, and Dollar General stores don’t entertain such divers who steal. So, whenever you are asked to leave the property, you must leave immediately or otherwise be ready for criminal offenses held against you.
Usually, gates, fences, and trespassing signs keep trespassers away. However, when you know that the Dollar General dumpsters are on their private property, you must not take any risks as it may result in a permanent ban from the store or location in the worst case.
Thus, the safest way to dive into Dollar General dumpsters is to wait for the trash to be moved to public property, as the store will withdraw all its rights of ownership on that trash.
How much can Dollar General dumpster diving help you earn?
With a diverse product range, the earning options at dollar general via dumpster diving can also be diverse. For instance, one month, you may earn $1000 by dumpster diving at the nearby dollar General store part-time, while one month, you may not find anything valuable enough or in high demand.
However, if you consider the best case, finding one pair of shoes that costs $5 can be sold with 25-50% profit margins depending on the demand.
In that case, finding such items regularly can help you earn up to $2000 in a good month simply from the Dollar General stores. You need to take it as your full-time work for the best earnings and pick up the stuff that can sell quickly and easily.
Going for stuff you use may improve your life, but you will not earn from such items, and the time spent searching for such items will bring no returns.
Apart from going for the right items, you must also visit the stores at the right time. Most importantly, don’t rely solely on Dollar General dumpster diving; make it a part of your overall dumpster diving route, and you will earn more.
Take pride in showing your love for dumpster diving by wearing this shirt.
Different people have different perspectives about dumpster diving. To some, it is only diving into dumpsters to find stuff, while for some people, it is equivalent to finding treasure in others’ trash. Most importantly, dumpster diving is picking up usable items from trash that saves the planet from tons of unnecessary trash ending up in landfills.
It also promotes reusing stuff. If you love dumpster diving, you must take pride in it, and the best way to show this to others is by wearing this “I Love Dumpster Diving” shirt.
Most profitable things you will find while dumpster diving at Dollar General
Dollar General stores provide a versatile shopping experience with many sellable items under different categories. When you dumpster dive at these stores, you must look for wear and tear or visible damage on products as such products may not sell.
Secondly, keep an eye out for the expiration dates for consumable items. Lastly, you must avoid anything hazardous as it may ruin your dumpster diving experience. With that said, these are some of the best things that you may find at Dollar General dumpsters:
- Soaps
- Candles
- Cosmetics
- Merchandise
- Food and snacks
- Scents
- Personal care items, etc.
Why does Dollar General throw away its products?
One of the things people like the most about Dollar General stores are their 30-day returns and refunds policy. You only need to provide a receipt to initiate a return. However, it does not go back to the shelves whenever something is returned, no matter how good it is.
Employees are instructed to throw away all returns and go to the trash cash. Additionally, some items don’t sell well, so those are also thrown away along with the stuff that is expired or near its expiration date.
Best time to dumpster dive at Dollar General
The best time for dumpster diving here is right after the store closes. You will find employees throwing out the trash after closing the stores. Additionally, weekends are the best for dumpster diving near these stores as most customers return products.
So, you may find lots of items that are still in pristine shape, but employees throw them in dumpsters because of bad packing or fewer sales. Going at any other time will not be profitable as other divers may have already picked the best.
Tips for dumpster diving at Dollar General
Dollar General is the type of store that targets every type of customer. So, it offers amazing dumpster diving opportunities as well. Before you start, go through these tips, and become more efficient from the beginning.
- You don’t need to waste a lot of time at one dumpster. So, try to go through as many dumpsters as possible.
- See what trash-throwing routine your nearby Dollar General store follows; visit at that time to find the most valuable items.
- Make your tool bag and take it with you wherever you go for dumpster diving. It must contain gloves, a box cutter, scissors, and a flashlight.
- Go dumpster diving with a fellow, as it doubles your productivity and halves the dumpster diving time.
- If you are dumpster diving to earn, then never look for things you want for personal use. Always go for smaller price tags and items with a large buyer base.
- Dumpsters dive smartly and pick good things. Never go for expired or broken items in hopes of selling them.
Dumpster diving at dollar general will be a unique experience, but with these tips, you can make it easier from the very first day.
A complete guide on Dumpster Diving Tips that you never knew before
Final Words
Dollar general might be a place to buy for many people, but most people don’t know that dumpster diving at dollar general can be even more beneficial. With all the good opportunities, you must not forget about the dumpster diving laws in your locality.
So, before you start with dumpster diving at the nearest Dollar General store, check the laws, and then you can have a safer and more peaceful dumpster diving experience.
