I met my husband while dumpster diving — now we’re expecting a baby

Two singles were down in the dumps — but it’s actually what led to them falling in love.

Erin Sheffield, 39, and her husband Dave, 35 met in a dumpster in Buffalo, New York in 2009.

Dave was in Buffalo getting his degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Buffalo and Erin recently moved there to work at a bike shop.

The couple, who got engaged in 2020, married in 2021 and are expecting a baby girl in April lifted the lid on their whirlwind romance.

“I started dumpster diving back in college. Dave was pretty similar. I had just moved to Buffalo and I independently went dumpster diving,” Erin, who now works as a charity coordinator, explained.

One day, when Erin went dumpster diving at the University of Buffalo, she spotted her future husband.

“We met in a dumpster. I saw him, popped my head over and asked what he was doing. He jumped out we cleaned up and spent the day dumpster diving,” she said.

“We exchanged numbers and kept hanging out and have been diving as a couple since,” she added.

Trash lover Dave was a breath of fresh air for Erin who struggled to explain to her dating prospects her love of sifting through rubble.

Months into diving together as friends, the couple became a pair and their hobby became a profitable side hustle after they started selling their found items.

While diving on campus they found textbooks, pricey calculators, office supplies and laundry detergent in the bins. When the pandemic hit, they found even more treasure in the trash can.

Among their prizes were scrap metal, furniture and other everyday items that they began selling on eBay or Facebook Marketplace.

“Things that I can find and sell on eBay or Facebook and then stuff we can either donate or keep,” Dave, who is a business owner, explained,

“I would say we have made $20,000 a year by reselling.”

Not only are they able to find items to sell, but they’ve also been able to gift each other romantic presents.

“I found roses in a dumpster for our anniversary — they were perfect they weren’t even old,” Dave said.

“I find a lot — especially in the months running up to Christmas. If I find something that I know Erin will like I will grab it,” he added.

In addition to roses, Dave said he’s given his love “coffee mugs, candle holders, candles and flower pots.”

They’ve even managed to find things in the garbage for their baby.

“There was a baby store that went out of business and we found some great stuff there,” said Dave.

“We found baby swings and a baby seat, I also found some unopened bottles at the Salvation Army that I have kept,” he added.

The pair have decided to birth a new business as well. They’re moving beyond selling items on social media to start a company called Lost Goods where they will sell their treasures they’ve found in the dumpster.

“In the business, we will be using a lot of the materials that we find to upcycle furniture and stuff like that,” Dave said.

“We try and go out two to three times a week depending on the week and it is a little tricky for Erin at the moment.”