I was living much more comfortably out of dumpsters back home than I do here in Hawaii. Even though I work two jobs and have been receiving money from the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP), I still end up scraping by at the end of each month. The cost of groceries has been going up a lot lately and even with the 20% discount I get at the grocery where I work, it is difficult to balance all of my living expenses. Gas is up to $4.35/gallon where I live, probably nearer $5.00 on the other side of the island.. This makes every other thing on the island more expensive since just about every single other thing is shipped in. Its really expensive to live here, even when you work two jobs, receive government assistance and get discounts on food.
It has been a long time since I went to the dumps. Its the rainy season now, so it rains every day, but thats not the reason I haven't been going.. Honestly, I stopped going mostly because I work in a grocery and I receive SNAP benefits. And its hot and rains a lot, but I stopped dumpster diving mostly because it is not convenient to do so here. Now that I'm paying most normal living expenses again, like rent, utilities, car insurance, etc., I feel that returning to my nocturnal back alley ways is the only way to maintain my otherwise average existence.
Fortunately for me, there is a new grocery in town, but not just any grocery, its a big supermarket; just like any one you would walk in to on the mainland. This means that they have lots of inventory, lots of production, and lots of waste. And where there is lots of waste, there is me, living off of it. I have renewed interest and motivation for dumpster diving, and I look forward to checking out the new store in town. Otherwise I might need to start looking for a third job working late shifts..

Contact

The new site has a new e-mail address! Now you can e-mail michael@freejunkfood.com with any questions or comments.

New Domain

Woo hoo! Finally, after much difficulty, I have managed to switch the blog to a custom domain. You can now find the blog at www.freejunkfood.com! Still hosted by blogger, just a fancy new address. Old bookmarks and links should still direct you here.

So, while Im working on this I guess I owe everyone an update. I have been working at a local natural food store and a small bakery for some months now. I had been somewhat transient up until February when I moved in to a house with a couple co-workers. I really like the new house and roomies, but it means having to pay rent and bills again.. So far, I don't have any furniture except for an old desk and a borrowed futon. I managed to glean a nice assortment of pots, pans, dishes, some bed sheets and blankets and a few other useful household items from one of the better spots here on the island, so Ive at least got a good start. Id like some more stuff to have in the house, but having 'stuff' is something of a burden out here. It means you need a place to keep it all, which means you have to pay a lot to keep it there. People come and go a lot, move around and change things. The less 'stuff' you have out here to be responsible for, the freer you are to go whenever and wherever you want.
Of course, there are some drawbacks to not having stuff.. I miss having a lovely kitchen with all my nice things back home.. I could host pot lucks whenever I wanted.. bake pies as I pleased.. But for now I am getting settled in to my new home. I'm confident that the things I need will come to me.