For Melanie Diaz, the magic of Christmas doesn’t come from shop shelves or even online – it’s found in bins.
The scavenger has saved around £15,800 by retrieving gifts and decor from skips – including Christmas wreaths and toys from TK Maxx.
The 22-year-old Florida resident has spent the past two years “dumpster diving” in December and January – uncovering discarded festive treasures which would otherwise go to waste.
“It is my favourite time going dumpster diving because they start throwing out a lot of Christmas stuff,” Melanie explained.
“I love saving everything so I can put it in my house and decorate it for the next year.”
She regularly frequents the bins behind popular retailers, including TK Maxx, where she has uncovered a jackpot of Christmas items.
Some of her best discoveries happen in January, when shops begin clearing out their leftover festive inventory.
“My biggest finds are in January,” Melanie revealed.
“I went dumpster diving to the TK Maxx store, and I found a lot – the dumpster was full to the top.”
She has curated an extensive festive collection, which includes 10 wreaths she salvaged from a homeware shop – worth approximately £315.
Melanie has also scavenged Christmas trees worth approximately £395.
She’s even retrieved puzzles and dog toys from TK Maxx, saving around £160 each, and countless other festive staples, including ornaments and stockings.
The abundance was so overwhelming, Melanie has had to enlist help.
“I even had to bring my family to help me because it was too much,” she recalled.
“I remember we took everything into cars, and the next day we did a garage sale.
“We also kept most of the stuff. It was incredible.”
As well as Christmas ornaments, her discoveries have included festive shirts and kitchenware.
“I found Christmas trees before, Christmas ornaments, and general Christmas decor – every kind of stuff,” she said.
Thinking of trying your luck rummaging through bins? Here’s what you need to know
Dumpster diving is not illegal in the UK as any rubbish isn’t considered private property.
You are able to dumpster dive if the bins are out in the open and on public land while not being locked.
However, you may be asked to move along.
“I find Christmas shirts and Christmas decorations for the table or Christmas stuff for the kitchen and stuff like that.”
But it’s not just about saving money – Melanie also enjoys sharing her finds with others.
“I start saving everything for myself for next year,” she explained.
“And I also give some stuff to my friends and to my family. I don’t sell anything that I find.
“Definitely the Christmas trees and the ornaments are my favourite.”
