August was another decent month but it’s the last I have extra time to do scrounging on my errands since my semi vacation is now over. I did get lucky however and found a large plastic water bottle that normally goes on a water dispenser in a recycling bin behind an office building. These are worth $10 empty at the grocery store so it was a nice boost in addition to the cans I scavenged.
With that boon I managed to raise a total of $37.30 for August.
The Tools
I’ve been doing work without proper safety equipment and I figured that although the risks have been minimal so far I had better smarten up before something bad happens. The first thing I bought this month was a set of 50 masks for $2.00 from the thrift store.
Now that nobody cares about COVID anymore PPE has come way down in price. I remember all the anti mask bullshit that was floating around during the pandemic. You can debate all the nuance about freedom wearing them and their effectiveness but it’s my first hand experience that they work. Don’t believe me then look at the scientific studies. Sure they aren’t N95 but they don’t need to be since I’m not spending all day in a COVID ward.
The second thing I bought was work gloves off of Amazon for $5.75. The gloves work extremely well and have great grip. I should have owned a pair long ago.
The third thing I bought was some 3M safety glasses that go over my own prescription ones from Amazon for $3.01.
The fourth thing I bought was a magnetic pickup tool from Aliexpress for $3.79. Aluminum cans aren’t very magnetic but it’s the rest of the metal stuff that can often be found in the garbage that makes this tool come in useful.
The fifth thing I bought was a magnetic bowl from Walmart for $4.00. Do almost anything related to electronics and you’ll want one of these things when it comes to disassembly. I’ve found often it’s either this or a headache most of the time so I opted to just buy one.
The last thing I bought this month was a Picquic multi bit screwdriver from Amazon for $12.25. I needed a Schrader Valve bit to help someone and didn’t have one on my current screwdriver. It turned out that factoring in time there was only like a $2 difference between ordering a whole screwdriver on Amazon with the bit and just the bit itself at the hardware stores near me.
I didn’t really need a whole other screwdriver but can you ever have too many? I’m conflicted whether I made the right choice but it’s done now.
Financial Summary for August 2025
Revenue
- Amount Carried Over From Previous Month: $3.16
- Cans/Bottles: $37.30
Total: $40.46
Expenses
- 50 Facemasks $2.00
- Work Gloves $5.75
- 3M Safety Glasses $3.01
- Magnetic Pick-Up Tool $3.79
- Magnetic Bowl $4.00
- Picquic Multi Bit Screwdriver $12.25
Total Expenses: $30.80
Summary
It wasn’t a flashy month but I bought a bunch of stuff that I needed.
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