Anyone have ideas on alternatives to National Serv-All fees? Basically it costs us $5.77 to pick up our garbage every week. If I filled the bucket with aluminum cans i doubt i'd get that much for it!! Any frugal tbn'er ideas? 
Excessive Garbage/Waste removal fees...
- Thread starter Skerby
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Chuck52
Veteran Member
That's kinda steep. We have at least 2-3 choices for trash removal. I think we pay about $40 for three months service, which is once a week pickup. If you have no other companies, you might save money just storing it up and taking it to the landfill yourself. Some places the fees for that might also get you, but perhaps you could pool with neighbors?
Of course minimizing the trash is the best way to go anyway. The small city we live near does a good job recycling, and has public drops in several places around town. Since I work in town, I just save up all the plastic and metal in one bin and the paper stuff in another, and about every two weeks I take it in and recycle it. It's easy when you don't have to sort any further than that. My trash pickup company actually gets a bargain from me, but it makes me feel better to recycle as much as possible....and yes, I know it is largely just a feel better thing at this point.
Chuck
Of course minimizing the trash is the best way to go anyway. The small city we live near does a good job recycling, and has public drops in several places around town. Since I work in town, I just save up all the plastic and metal in one bin and the paper stuff in another, and about every two weeks I take it in and recycle it. It's easy when you don't have to sort any further than that. My trash pickup company actually gets a bargain from me, but it makes me feel better to recycle as much as possible....and yes, I know it is largely just a feel better thing at this point.
Chuck
dmccarty
Super Star Member
Can you take the garbage to the dump yourself?
Our county charges a waste disposal fee to all property holders. This gives us access to collection sites through out the county. Only one of our neighbors has pick up service. Not sure why they do since they drive by a collection site four times a day.
We do recycle glass and paper which cuts down on the stinky trash that has to be dropped off at the dump. I drop off trash once a week which is usually one or two bags. Every 4-8 weeks I take the recycle items.
Stinky trash can be kept for 2-4 weeks this time of year since its cold. Summer time needs to go every week other wise flies and maggots show up. Even in close containers.
Later,
Dan
Our county charges a waste disposal fee to all property holders. This gives us access to collection sites through out the county. Only one of our neighbors has pick up service. Not sure why they do since they drive by a collection site four times a day.
We do recycle glass and paper which cuts down on the stinky trash that has to be dropped off at the dump. I drop off trash once a week which is usually one or two bags. Every 4-8 weeks I take the recycle items.
Stinky trash can be kept for 2-4 weeks this time of year since its cold. Summer time needs to go every week other wise flies and maggots show up.
Even in close containers. Later,
Dan
LBrown59
Super Star Member
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A lot of folks out in the boonies probably just dig a hole with the tractor and burry it.
I wish I had a collection service, but the won't drive up a dirt road. So we goto the dump every 3 months, costs around $18 each time.
We recycle as much as we can too, they also don't count that in the weight fee.
I wish our state would include the waste fees in the property taxes, it would cut down on all the low life illegal dumpers in the county. Plus it would be cheaper for everyone, and a tax deduction.
We recycle as much as we can too, they also don't count that in the weight fee.
I wish our state would include the waste fees in the property taxes, it would cut down on all the low life illegal dumpers in the county. Plus it would be cheaper for everyone, and a tax deduction.
dmccarty
Super Star Member
It is a good idea. It does not stop all of the illegal dumpers but it does reduce them.
The land to our west was subdivided. There is a lot line running 800ish feet that intersects with our land right behind the house which has allowed trespasser access to us.
The lot line was cleared with a tractor and seems to be maintained from time to time with said tractor. One day I walked the lot line to see the subdivision. As I walked the line within 50 feet of our place someone had dumped a bunch of trash. From the looks of it they did it with an FEL or off the back of a truck. Someone drove down the subdivision road then way out towards our land on this little trail through the mud to dump trash. When I got to the road at the end of the lot line there where not one but two heavy 4 ton floor jacks. Somehow some one managed to break them. Then they dumped them. But they could only get them so far from the road. There are two grocery stores in town maybe 1/4 mile apart. The nearest stores are 20+ miles away. The trash collection site is behind one of the grocery stores. Someone had to load up a truck or maybe a tractor and drive 15-20 minutes to dump the trash. They could have just dropped off the trash when they went for groceries. Until this year they did not even check to see what was dropping off trash. This year the handed out stickers. Apparently quite a few people where driving 20+ miles to use our collection site. Fine with me if it keeps it off the road. The people who dump the trash I found had to be locals who have already paid for the use of the collection site.
Stupid is as stupid does. Open trash collection sites does cut down on the illegal dumping but there is only so much one can do with stupid lazy people.
I think one set of trespassers I chased off were most likely the people doing the dumping....
Later,
Dan
dooleysm
Platinum Member
$5.77/week doesn't seem too terrible. I don't recall exactly what I paid when I lived in town, but I think $10-$15/month is close.
I have a county recycling center about a mile from my house, so it couldn't be much more convenient for me. I recycle glass, plastic, aluminum cans, steel cans, cardboard, newspapers, and batteries. I have 1 trash can in both the barn and gararge for non-recyclables (mostly diapers from our 1 year old).
I go to the recycling center, which also takes trash at $1/bag, about once a week. I average about 1 large bag of trash (I have the 55 gallon trash bags from Rural King) and 1-2 of my recycling collection bins per trip. It takes me probably an extra 15-20 minutes per week vs. curbside pickup. But, I have the luxury of a owning pickup truck and a very close recycling/trash center. If I lived 15 minutes from the recycling center or didn't have a truck, I wouldn't think much of paying $6/week for curbside pickup.
My folks live in town (Jasper, IN) and pay $1/bag (have to buy stickers to put on each bag) and have curbside recycling. I don't know if their, or my, taxes include a line item for "trash disposal".
I have a county recycling center about a mile from my house, so it couldn't be much more convenient for me. I recycle glass, plastic, aluminum cans, steel cans, cardboard, newspapers, and batteries. I have 1 trash can in both the barn and gararge for non-recyclables (mostly diapers from our 1 year old).
I go to the recycling center, which also takes trash at $1/bag, about once a week. I average about 1 large bag of trash (I have the 55 gallon trash bags from Rural King) and 1-2 of my recycling collection bins per trip. It takes me probably an extra 15-20 minutes per week vs. curbside pickup. But, I have the luxury of a owning pickup truck and a very close recycling/trash center. If I lived 15 minutes from the recycling center or didn't have a truck, I wouldn't think much of paying $6/week for curbside pickup.
My folks live in town (Jasper, IN) and pay $1/bag (have to buy stickers to put on each bag) and have curbside recycling. I don't know if their, or my, taxes include a line item for "trash disposal".
Bedlam
Veteran Member
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DM
We have the cost 'built' into the tax base, and are charged for recyclables like washers and dryers etc.
I still have all kinds of trash dumped on the roadside.I don''t think there is any stopping that.
We have the cost 'built' into the tax base, and are charged for recyclables like washers and dryers etc.
I still have all kinds of trash dumped on the roadside.I don''t think there is any stopping that.
DANOCHEESE
Gold Member
I pay $47 a month for a small dumpster 1.5 yard. One pick-up a month. And I have to beg thme to come get it then. Waste management. Now the driver is good he tells me to jsut pile it up on the side and he will throw it in the truck if the dumpster gets full. He will get a treat for XMAS. Waste managent will get the ususal game picture camera of the truck showing up every six weeks instead of monthly so please credit my account.
Will probbaly start hauling to the dump soon We can't burn much anymore.
Will probbaly start hauling to the dump soon We can't burn much anymore.
Highbeam
Super Member
In my last suburban home I paid 40$ per month for weeekly pickup of 1 can not to exceed 50 lbs. Those buggers actually nicked me an extra fee when the pickup man thought it was too heavy. I now live in a more rural place with garbage pickup 30 feet from my front door but I don't use it. I fill 6 cans over the course of about 3 months and then load them all into my truck and drive them to the dump (actually a transfer station) which is 3 miles away and it costs under 20$ for the first 400 lbs. My 6 cans always add up to way under the 400 lbs, 280 this last friday, and I am set up for the next couple of months.
So I save 100$ per 3 months or 33$ per month doing my own driving and I don't need to remember to put the trash on the street every Monday. My power bill was only 112$ last month so you see that 33$ is a decent savings. That's a hamburger a day from McDonalds!
Even in the summer I do not find that the trash stinks, has excessive flies, or maggots. We don't get mice or rats either. I make great efforts to keep a clean trash can area and to keep the lids latched on.
Still though, there are more savings to be had. If my truck could hold 8 cans then I could go one more month between 20$ dump runs and still be under the max weight. If I got really spunky I could drag a trailer but that is harder to deal with at the dump.
So I save 100$ per 3 months or 33$ per month doing my own driving and I don't need to remember to put the trash on the street every Monday. My power bill was only 112$ last month so you see that 33$ is a decent savings. That's a hamburger a day from McDonalds!
Even in the summer I do not find that the trash stinks, has excessive flies, or maggots. We don't get mice or rats either. I make great efforts to keep a clean trash can area and to keep the lids latched on.
Still though, there are more savings to be had. If my truck could hold 8 cans then I could go one more month between 20$ dump runs and still be under the max weight. If I got really spunky I could drag a trailer but that is harder to deal with at the dump.