A woman living in Florida has discovered an unusual way to brighten up her life and save a lot of money at the same time.
It means deciding to go often to places that not many other people go.
Melanie Diaz of Tampa, Florida, discovered some of the magic of Christmas after others tried to throw away perfectly good, brand new holiday decorations. (See the video at the top of this article.)
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In her 20s, she dives into outdoor dumpsters behind retail stores to find treasure.
News agency SWNS reported that she saved up to $20,000 by salvaging gifts and decorations from trash cans, including wreaths from Michaels and toys from TJ Maxx.
Melanie Diaz of Florida collects items in December and January and either uses them herself or shares her finds with friends and family. (SWNS)
The 22-year-old works in December and January to turn trash into treasure, taking discarded holiday items that would otherwise go to waste.
“Christmas is my favorite time to go dumpster diving, because a lot of things start getting thrown away in the run-up to Christmas,” she told the magazine.
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“I love saving everything and putting it in my house to display for next year.”
Her finds include ornaments, festive shirts, kitchen utensils, and more.
She said she found some holiday items that hit the jackpot by scouring the bins behind popular retailers like TJ Maxx, Burlington, Michaels, Jo-Ann Stores, Pop Shelf and Home Goods.
She says some of the biggest discoveries happen after Christmas, when stores start clearing out leftover inventory from the holiday season.
“I love to save everything, so I put it in my house and display it for next year,” Diaz says of her unusual trash-to-treasure expedition. (SWNS)
“My biggest discovery was in January,” Diaz told SWNS.
“I went dumpster diving at the TJ Maxx store and found a lot of stuff. The dumpster was full to the top.”
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From 10 wreaths salvaged from Michael's house (worth about $400) to a $500 Christmas tree, Diaz has curated a festive collection.
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She also picked up puzzles and dog toys from TJ Maxx, saving about $200 each, and countless other holiday essentials, including ornaments and stockings, SWNS reported. That's what it means.
After one trip, “we loaded everything into the car and had a garage sale the next day. We also kept most of our stuff. It was incredible,” she said. (SWNS)
Diaz said sometimes there's so much he wants that he has to ask for help.
She said: “It was so difficult that I had to bring my family over to help.”
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After one trip, “we loaded everything into the car and had a garage sale the next day. We also kept most of our stuff. It was incredible.”
Diaz, who lives in Florida, said her “biggest discovery” was in January. (SWNS)
Her finds include ornaments, festive shirts, kitchen utensils, and more.
Diaz said that while he saves a lot of money for himself, he also enjoys sharing his finds with those who want them.
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“I give things away to friends and family,” she told SWNS.
