With so many products, gadgets and gizmos out there, it’s hard to not be distracted by material desires. And travel? Don’t even get me started. I dream about exotic locations and white sand beaches that look like they go on for miles–especially on a really cold winter day! Who doesn’t love a new pair of shoes, or need a new laptop? We all have a few luxuries on our list, but that’s only after our basic needs are met. We first require shelter, clothing, water and, of course, food.
While we’ve all got little tips and tricks to save us a few bucks here and there (eat fewer cuts of expensive meat, walk to where you’re going whenever you can, eat out only on weekends, etc.), there are some people who are pretty bold and will do whatever it takes to live out their dreams.
Ranae Scott is a 30-year-old full-time rock climber, who teaches yoga and dance on the side. From America, she’s been on the road living in a van for two years. She was on her own, driving through the states, when in 2015, through other like-minded people, the young woman was introduced to dumpster diving as a way to save money on food expenses. It was around this time that she met her now-husband, Yoav. The two share a pretty unconventional lifestyle that’s mostly spent on the road going through different states to pursue their love of the outdoors, but to pay their way, the couple goes scavenging for food so they can save money and spend it where they want it. They roughly save $150-$200 a month.
Dumpster diving has been a part of Ranae’s life for some time. “For the past three years, I’ve lived out of a vehicle–two years in a Honda, before I met my husband, Yoav. We’ve since upgraded to a larger van to comfortably fit two and allow for cooking inside,” Ranae says. “We’ve lived this way so that we can travel around, rock climb, play and exist in outdoor spaces, with the ability to switch up our locale every few months without a hitch.” The couple doesn’t eat EVERY meal from the garbage, but they do try to when they can.
“It’s made me more aware of waste, as well as our society’s misconceptions about food safety and how wasteful these misconceptions encourage many people to be,” Ranae says. Would you eat from a dumpster?
Click on the video below to see what edible treasures Ranae discovered!
