‘Eco-friendly’ tips for scoring gadgets on a budget stun the internet
- Replies 1
It's no secret that people love a good bargain. Whether it's scouring garage sales for hidden gems or finding a great deal on their local stores and online marketplaces, people love to nab items for less money.
But what about finding treasures in the most unlikely of places? Like, for example, next to a rubbish bin.
You read that right, folks! That's exactly what happened to one Facebook user, who spotted a discarded laptop next to a bin and decided to take it home.
Sharing her find on the Markdown Addicts Australia Facebook group, the woman wrote: 'Saw this throw-out next to the rubbish bin in our street.'
With a little bit of elbow grease (and $100), the woman and her partner were able to get the laptop up and running – and it's apparently been working great ever since.
One woman revealed how she managed to get her hands on some gadgets by being on the lookout for them at nearby rubbish bins. Credit: Facebook/Markdown Addicts Australia.
'My partner took it home (he works in IT) and $100 later has a really good working laptop,' she added.
'It looked super scratched from the outside but don't judge a book by its cover.'
'We spent $35 for RAM to make it dual channel (not sure what that means but something to do with video gaming) and $65 for an extra hard drive.'
This lucky find isn't isolated, either. It seems that there's a growing trend of people finding usable electrical goods – like TVs and laptops – next to rubbish bins, and then either using them themselves or donating them to charity.
The woman shared: 'We have picked up several 55-inch TVs that work and donated them to the op shop as it's better than going to landfill.'
Of course, there are always risks involved with taking something from the side of the road. As one commenter pointed out, you never know if the item was stolen or if there's something wrong with it.
One user wrote: 'Be super careful about “rescuing” electrical goods from the side of the road!'
'Sometimes they are thrown away because they have had water damage or were tripping power. Just a warning for the ones who aren't sure what they are doing and decide to plug something in after finding by rubbish pickup.'
Another added: 'If you picked that up off the street. you should be checking that it wasn't a stolen good that was dumped. It's been happening.'
Finding useable electronics like TVs and laptops next to rubbish bins seems to be an increasing trend. Credit: Facebook/Markdown Addicts Australia.
The woman replied to this, confirming that she made sure that the gadget was not acquired from illegal activities.
'I don't think it is. It's an older lady that is renovating and threw out a lot of things but good to know. It was next to her rubbish bin and didn't seem to be a random dump,' she explained.
Others took the opportunity how they managed to 'score' budget-friendly gadgets, with some saying they've done a similar method as the original poster.
One person remarked: 'All our computers come from the University and local high school e-waste (hardware that is discarded by users). They throw out perfectly fine machines. As long as you know what you’re doing, it's a great way to save money.'
'The graphics cards always need an upgrade though for gaming but gaming machines are insanely expensive anyway so still a bargain.'
Another shared: 'Nice. We did the same. I found a neighbour who put out 3 laptops including a surface for council cleanup. My husband got all 3 units working; 2 for our kids and the surface for me as a spare.'
Many applauded the woman for her advice, pointing out that it's not only a smart approach to get inexpensive gadgets but also an eco-friendly move.
One comment read: 'As the saying goes “one man’s trash, is another man’s treasure. Well done, saving the planet too!'
'That’s the laptop we use at work. It’s pretty decent,' another claimed.
With the amount of technology that is constantly being released, it's no wonder that some of us are hesitant to spend a lot of money on the latest and greatest gadgets. However, there are other ways to get your hands on some decent equipment.
While we don’t recommend diving into bins, we will definitely be keeping an eye out for gadgets being thrown out. Who knows it could be a great way to save some money – or even help out someone in need!
So, next time you're in the market for some new electronics, don't be afraid to think 'outside the box' (or out the bin in this case) – you might just be surprised at what you can find!
But what about finding treasures in the most unlikely of places? Like, for example, next to a rubbish bin.
You read that right, folks! That's exactly what happened to one Facebook user, who spotted a discarded laptop next to a bin and decided to take it home.
Sharing her find on the Markdown Addicts Australia Facebook group, the woman wrote: 'Saw this throw-out next to the rubbish bin in our street.'
With a little bit of elbow grease (and $100), the woman and her partner were able to get the laptop up and running – and it's apparently been working great ever since.
One woman revealed how she managed to get her hands on some gadgets by being on the lookout for them at nearby rubbish bins. Credit: Facebook/Markdown Addicts Australia.
'My partner took it home (he works in IT) and $100 later has a really good working laptop,' she added.
'It looked super scratched from the outside but don't judge a book by its cover.'
'We spent $35 for RAM to make it dual channel (not sure what that means but something to do with video gaming) and $65 for an extra hard drive.'
This lucky find isn't isolated, either. It seems that there's a growing trend of people finding usable electrical goods – like TVs and laptops – next to rubbish bins, and then either using them themselves or donating them to charity.
The woman shared: 'We have picked up several 55-inch TVs that work and donated them to the op shop as it's better than going to landfill.'
Of course, there are always risks involved with taking something from the side of the road. As one commenter pointed out, you never know if the item was stolen or if there's something wrong with it.
One user wrote: 'Be super careful about “rescuing” electrical goods from the side of the road!'
'Sometimes they are thrown away because they have had water damage or were tripping power. Just a warning for the ones who aren't sure what they are doing and decide to plug something in after finding by rubbish pickup.'
Another added: 'If you picked that up off the street. you should be checking that it wasn't a stolen good that was dumped. It's been happening.'
Finding useable electronics like TVs and laptops next to rubbish bins seems to be an increasing trend. Credit: Facebook/Markdown Addicts Australia.
The woman replied to this, confirming that she made sure that the gadget was not acquired from illegal activities.
'I don't think it is. It's an older lady that is renovating and threw out a lot of things but good to know. It was next to her rubbish bin and didn't seem to be a random dump,' she explained.
Others took the opportunity how they managed to 'score' budget-friendly gadgets, with some saying they've done a similar method as the original poster.
One person remarked: 'All our computers come from the University and local high school e-waste (hardware that is discarded by users). They throw out perfectly fine machines. As long as you know what you’re doing, it's a great way to save money.'
'The graphics cards always need an upgrade though for gaming but gaming machines are insanely expensive anyway so still a bargain.'
Another shared: 'Nice. We did the same. I found a neighbour who put out 3 laptops including a surface for council cleanup. My husband got all 3 units working; 2 for our kids and the surface for me as a spare.'
Many applauded the woman for her advice, pointing out that it's not only a smart approach to get inexpensive gadgets but also an eco-friendly move.
One comment read: 'As the saying goes “one man’s trash, is another man’s treasure. Well done, saving the planet too!'
'That’s the laptop we use at work. It’s pretty decent,' another claimed.
With the amount of technology that is constantly being released, it's no wonder that some of us are hesitant to spend a lot of money on the latest and greatest gadgets. However, there are other ways to get your hands on some decent equipment.
While we don’t recommend diving into bins, we will definitely be keeping an eye out for gadgets being thrown out. Who knows it could be a great way to save some money – or even help out someone in need!
So, next time you're in the market for some new electronics, don't be afraid to think 'outside the box' (or out the bin in this case) – you might just be surprised at what you can find!
.png){kind=icon}
