The following is a reprint of a previously published post. Enjoy!
I just notched down my 20 gallon garbage service from every week to once a month.
The reasoning was both environmental and financial. The change would force us to be super-finicky about how much garbage our family is producing, (always a good thing) plus it saves us five dollars per month. I know the money difference may seem minimal, but I feel a $60 per year savings is nothing to sneeze at.
What I didn’t consider, was how the added stress of “Oh crap, it’s Sunday, I gotta’ do the garbage” would suddenly become a monthly pain instead of weekly.
Ahh . . . .
We got home from our trip to Seattle at 10:15 last night. I saw that the neighbors all had their bins neatly lined up, ready for garbage day. After the schlep of luggage and sleepy kids, the last thing I wanted to deal with was garbage night.
But then I remembered that I didn’t have to put our garbage out!
I was happy, deliriously happy that our 3-1/2 hour drive was not topped off with the tedious chore of garbage gathering.
Garbage happy!
So many changes made in the name of frugality and green living can bring aboutextra household work.
For example, I love hanging clothes on the clothesline, but am fully aware that it takes longer than throwing everything into the electric dryer. I love my clothesline, and am willing to make this change because I know it’s better for the environment, makes the clothes last longer and saves money. Plus I really enjoy it.
I now get to delete the garbage chore from my mental to-do list 75% of the time.
And those are some numbers I can stand behind.
Katy Wolk-Stanley
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”
Check out myzerowaste.com for more information about reducing your family’s garbage/rubbish output.
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Katy,
Now you just have to remember which week is garbage week. For me that would be harder than remembering which day. Great job at reducing the amount of trash for a family of four- that’s impressive!
Judy,
Nah, it’s easy! It’s always the first Monday of the month, which is . . . next Monday!
Yippee! 😀
-Katy
We’ve been able to do the same with our garbage pickup. Our neighbors (with smaller families, go figure) are still putting theirs out weekly, but we do the first Monday of the month as well. Love the giant blue recycling bins; it takes us a month to fill one. Plastics and other recyclables go to Far West Fibers every other month for a $3 donation. Once a month is sweet!
Katy- Our local trash pickup happens weekly whether we put any out or not. The City charges full price regardless. It’s not fair…but is what it is. Usually we only have a can full about once a month, and if we forget to sit it out, it’s no big deal. Less trash=Less to worry about and be hassled with.
ours is also that way, and recyclables are every other week. We also have to use the enormous special cans they give us as most of the pick up is motorized, the truck does all the work. it makes me cringe when every week I see cans stuffed full, and from families much smaller than mine, and I have 3 still in diapers. Ours is just half full, and would be much less when we get out of diapers completely.
Katy, is that one of your sister’s illustrations? I love it.
For those who’s garbage pickup won’t let you do once a month…like mine you might see if one of your neighbors also has the same problem. We have the smallest trash can they will offer and split it with the neighbors. In our case, we also have the recycling every other week…wish it was every week in our situation 🙂 But, so far we’ve made it work. Our neighbor’s motto is will shop for trash…they’ve payed their bill so far for about two years by buying us the few things we like from Costco. I just keep a running total and let them know when I need tp or feta 🙂