Mine–don’t laugh–is random fruit from fruit trees hanging over walls and over the sidewalk.
Although, I once tried to take a plum from a wasp who was sitting on the fruit, and she turned and looked at me, and I quickly let go and let her have it.
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Ordering the kids meal for myself. Plenty of food and priced as a regular-sized meal should be! Try it.
There are restaurants that do not allow you to order a kids version for an adult. Yeah, it is that weird. Allegedly those meals are cheaper per amount of food than the adult versions in those places.
Kids meals are generally subsidized by the restaurant as a loss leader for the adult meals. That’s why some places even do “kids eat free” — the additional adult meals make up for it. Which is why they don’t want to sell kid meals to adults — they’re losing money on it.
But there are some that do, and say “of course!”
As someone with fruit trees that are on the road side boarder of my property, I agree, it is theft and really annoying. Especially people taking the fruit when it is not quite ripe. To be honest if some one asks for some I am happy to let them take a small amont. When I see what looks like a copious amount of fruit on an overhanging tree, I ask the property owner. I have never been denied.
I used to do that sometimes. But I did on purpose, and I resent nowadays due to inflation that in order to get the old “adult meal” price I HAVE to choose a kid’s meal.
this is great, My favorite foraging back in the day was a giant pear tree hung way over onto the sidewalk, I grabbed dozens of pears for months.
oh except I lived across from an abandoned orchard and seasonally got free apples while living in Portland. so that was pretty good.
My frugality this week was upcycling a pair of abandoned broken flip flops with paracord to make new huarachas, running sandals.
I also caught several ghost crabs on the beach a few days ago, enough to make dinner.
A 16oz can of Dr Pepper. $1.
Also, a 10,000mAH battery bank. $10. I actually got two of those.
And also a scrub brush that you would use to scrub the floors. $1.
I know fast fashion is evil, but a Forever21 store in my area is closing and they’re taking 70% off everything. We ended up buying a bunch of semi-formal stuff like blazers for my wife since we literally don’t have anything in our wardrobe if we need to dress up for something. Ended up spending just $32 on a bunch of clothes.
That is core wholesome frugality. 10/10
24 ounce/0.71L glass beer steins that look tasteful and are heavy, but not too heavy. $1.25 each at the store.
“That look tasteful” is the hard part, haha.
Umm… that’s actually theft. If it’s not yours don’t take it is a basic idea. Not accusing you of trespassing but even if it’s over a wall but not yours that’s still theft.
Frugal is being smart and finding good deals not taking something that’s not yours.
If that fruit is in a public area, then that fruit is public property, legally and socially.
In Germany at least, he is right from a legal point of view. All fruits on the tree belong to the owner of the tree. In reality probably no one cares if you take a bunch of apples.
very different laws in the US.
in the states, tree ownership ends at the property line.
once part of a tree or plant is on your property or in public property, it no longer legally belongs to the tree it is growing from.
If your neighbor’s tree branches grow into your yard, the branches are your property and you can harvest from or cut down those branches up to your property line.
Americans are generally pretty cool about urban foraging, in any case.
I’ve had neighbors invite me on to their property to pick fruit directly from their bushes or trees just because they had so much.
are private trees or close-packed houses not very common in Germany?
property lines are often a big problem in the states where so many have their house and property so close to each other.
No one will bother you, if you take some fruits from a branch over the sidewalk. Especially in urban areas like the city centre. Still, legally it belongs to the tree owner.
In the countryside, it may get you in arguments if you take fruits from one’s overgrown tree. But in the countryside there are plenty of abandoned or wild trees far away from houses, where you can pick all sorts of fruit.
Totally depends on your local laws. Where I live (southern California) any fruit hanging over the sidewalk is free for the public to take, regardless of whether the tree itself is on public property. But if you cross the property line to reach it, it becomes theft.
I turn myself inside out in so many ways and places to “be a good person” that when I’m McSuburb land and someone’s letting their nasty rotten fruit fall onto the ground from a branch hanging over onto the public sidewalk to rot on the ground with wasps and flies, I’m going to take some.
I value myself, a real living human being, AT LEAST as much as the vermin feasting on people’s fallen fruit.
Am I going to denude the whole tree? No, I’m not an asshole. But if you’re letting rats and flies and maggots eat it and it’s getting all over my shoes as I walk past…I’m going to rate myself at least as worthy as a maggot.
If the homeowner was truly bothered they’d trim the tree to keep it out of public spaces.
I am truly sorry if I added to your internal turmoil. That was the last thing I meant to do. We all have too much of that these days.
I had been on my kids recently about the idea of you find something turn it in to lost and found. If it’s not yours then “it’s not yours”. I truly have nothing against the idea that it’s hanging over a public sidewalk and you grab one. I was just in the wrong mindset to understand that you’re not saying “go pick it clean!” This is a great example of how a quick reaction to something can be the wrong thing and cause more harm than good.
I will keep this in mind when I comment on other posts in a community I am not subscribed to. I hope you have a great day and an awesome week!
Theft is the secret incredient for why those fruits taste so good. I’m over 30 with my own fruits trees but I still take from other people’s trees regularly.
Potatoes are ridiculously cheap here right now (0,60€ per kg), so…
Home-made mashed potatoes with pumpkin. I’ve eaten instant mashed potatoes all my life, so I expected it to be more of a hassle than it was. Could eat this an entire month, its a meal to me.
