The Scavengers' Manifesto

Amazon Exclusive: Scavenging 101: Ten Steps to Becoming a Successful Scavenger by Anneli Rufus and Kristan Lawson, authors of The Scavengers' Manifesto

1. Pause and Save. Before every transaction, ask: Can I do this/get this/go there more cheaply or for free? Make this a reflex. Scavenging soon becomes second nature.

2. Find your niche. Are you an urban forager? Thrift shopper? Garage saler? Treasure hunter? Coupon clipper? Seed exchanger Bargain hunter? So many new identities to choose: What kind of scavenger are you?

3.Open your mind. Scavenging means learning to be flexible. Spontaneous. Adventurous. Taking what comes means accepting what comes. Never wore a poncho before or listened to Turkish techno music? If that's what you find, that's what you do. Lose the squeamishness and learn.

4.Open your eyes. Scan every surface, every crevice, because lost and cast-off stuff is usually not in plain sight. Honor your ancient ancestors; become a hunter-gatherer. Find other (legal) means of getting stuff besides brand-new, full-price. Make your new keywords "sale," "half off" "discount" and "free." The more you see, the more you save.

5.Repurpose. Found something you think you can't use? Think again. Then turn it into something else. Doors become tabletops. Calendars become giftwrap. Cut-up mouse pads become coasters. Trophies, bolted to walls, become coat-hooks. Be resourceful.

6.Swap, don't shop. Ask friends, family, neighbors or coworkers to trade their unwanted items — clothes, books, tools, seeds, art, anything — for yours. Your trash is my treasure. Your hated crying-clown portrait is my raison d'etre.

7.Free yourself. From not knowing the difference between want and need. From the insistent ache of buy-more-now-again. Just say no.

8.Wait. Instant gratification is not an option for scavengers, as scavenging means pretty much never knowing what you'll get — or how or where or when or even if. But patience is a virtue. Revive the meaning of "worth the wait."

9. Follow the Scavenging Commandments. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not scam. Thou shalt not leave disorder in thy wake. Thou shalt not hoard. Thou shalt stay safe. Thou shalt not bring shame upon fellow scavengers. Thou shalt not go to extremes just to prove a point.

10. Give thanks. Consumer culture is all about getting whatever you want. Flip that dynamic. Scavenging is about wanting whatever you get.