Ukrainian woman Liudmyla Rusina, who has lived in Germany for more than four years, spoke about the everyday habits of Germans that initially surprised her. According to her observations, furniture, dishes and clothing left on the street are taken even by people in expensive cars. She spoke about this on her TikTok.
The German habit of taking left-behind items surprised the Ukrainian woman
The blogger noted that local residents often put unnecessary but usable items out on the street. Other people take them for themselves. Once in her village, an expensive car stopped near such items, and the female driver calmly began choosing what she needed.
“Germans pick up furniture near the garbage bin, dishes, appliances and even clothing. And in Germany this is already almost a separate culture. At first this was a double absurdity for me,” Rusina shared.
At first the Ukrainian woman did not understand either side: why some give away almost new things instead of selling them, while others pick them up. Over time she saw a practical meaning in this. Owners do not have to photograph the item, place an ad, answer buyers and arrange a meeting.
Those who take the items, in turn, reduce their living expenses. At the same time, a useful item continues to serve, although its previous owner no longer needs it. The result is a kind of exchange without payment: some free up space at home, others find something they would otherwise have had to buy.
“Some save their time and do not want to spend it selling unnecessary things, while others save money. Why buy when it is lying right there, almost new and quite suitable for use,” the blogger explained.
Furnishing the apartment: what the Ukrainian woman found for free
Rusina herself also began to use this opportunity. For her apartment she took a shelf left on the street that would have cost 60 euros in a store. Separately, the woman bought a used mirror for 10 euros.
It is important to distinguish between these purchases: she got the shelf for free, but paid for the mirror. Therefore the mentioned amounts do not mean that furnishing the entire apartment cost her 10 euros. These are two separate examples of how one can use things that have already belonged to other owners.
“I would have laughed for a long time earlier if someone had told me that someday I would be picking up things near a garbage bin myself. But today it is absolutely normal for me. It seems my mentality is gradually approaching the German one,” the blogger admitted.
However, left-behind furniture does not always find new owners. As the publication notes, citing DW, in Berlin bulky items on the streets have become a problem, including because of the need to pay for their removal.
Rusina's account reflects her personal experience, so it cannot be used to judge the habits of all Germans. Even an expensive car by itself does not make it possible to determine a person's wealth. For the Ukrainian woman herself, this story became an example of how attitudes toward used things change in the process of getting used to local life.