Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Increasing My Standard Of Living

It is almost that time when the mortgage will be gone and I can start making my life a little easier. I mean it's one thing to be frugal in ways that are easy to continue regardless of income but then there is the other frugal that is just short term. Right now my most annoying short term frugal habit is to take my trash to the dumpster at work (with my boss's permission). That was fine when it was only me and even when I had a dog or two or three. Now I have a lot more dogs and I find that I need to take a bag of trash to work every day. That is more of a chore than it is worth.

I called the local trash companies and it is $18 plus fuel charges and environmental fees for once a week pick up of one can of trash and one can of recycling. The recycling is another separate chore that I am really tired of doing. The other trash company charges $22 for 3-35 gallon bags of trash. They say they pick up recycling too but I wasn't sure how they did that. I left them a message but they didn't call back.

I was hoping to start trash service at the beginning of the month right after I paid off my mortgage. Now that I have to wait a few more weeks I am wondering if I want to wait that long. I need some more info about the second company before I make my decision. I have heard that they will drive up the dirt road and come to my house for pick up where the other trash company makes everyone take it to the edge of the paved road so I would have to load it on my truck and take it down the road.

Which ever one I choose, home trash service will feel like such a luxury after doing without for so long.

8 comments:

KoBold said...

Do keep up recycling. It is just another word for not wasting.
Remember the first time we had to face "separating trash" in Gaming?
:-)

My Frugal Miser said...

I don't pay for trash service, either. In my neighborhood it was going to be $54 every 3 months and recycling is not part of the offer. There are two recycling facilities within 5 miles though. Is there any way to reduce the amount of trash you have instead? I've gotten down to one kitchen-sized trash bag per week by shopping for things with light packaging and by not letting clutter into my home in the first place. I've been taking the trash to work but I also own a condo that I rent and use that dumpster from time to time.

Dave said...

Until a few years ago, we had a different problem at my co-op complex. We were paying twice for trash pickup, once through our village taxes and a second time for private trash pickup. This was because we were considered a commercial enterprise and were ineligible for municipal trash pick.

But a few years ago, the new village mayor finally listened to our complaint and reduced our annual village taxes by $10k or $20k (I forget which, too lazy to find the letter he sent us) to compensate us for not having to pick up our trash.

Our private hauler does the separating of recyclables, too.

Unknown said...

We pay one municipal charge, called council tax, to the county council who run serivices where every we live. The bigger your house (more occupants) the higher your council tax, that pays for all environmental serivices, lighting, cleaning, hedges, trees, parks, roads, pavements, local services of all kinds including childrens and old people services, I pay £1800 a year, so around $3600!!! So stop and think that a few quid for your bins is actually quite reasonable

Daizy said...

KoBold, I have NEVER had to separate my trash like that. They are intense about recycling! Here they just throw it all together and I have no idea where it goes.

Daizy said...

Frugal Miser, I was down to one kitchen shopping bag a week too...before the dogs. And the recycling dumpster is 35 minutes away. Not very convenient. It's the dogs that are producing so much trash. Dog waste is the biggest one, paper towels for cleaning (because I don't have enough water for floor cleaning machines or for laundering rags at the moment) and dog food bags/cans. It is getting to be a bag a day and carrying dog poo is quite heavy.

Daizy said...

Dave, I don't suppose they gave you a refund for the over payment? Well, at least they finally reduced the fee.

Daizy said...

Frugal Queen, your fees sound like the ones we have here in retirement communities. Pretty much everything is taken care of for $200 a month extra. You have to be 55 and older to live there though.