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We can be fined if we put the garbage out before 5:30 a.m. on pick up day. That's a good idea.
That would suck for me, as I put the garbage out before I go to bed, due to it being picked up before I get up to get ready for work in the morning. Everyone on my street does the same. Same with the recycling for its pickup day.
I don't understand shredding everything that just has your name and address on it......you can get that information just about anywhere.
In the phone book, if you are listed.....or they can just use your address to look up your name on the county auditor's website if you live in your own home....... and I am sure there are other ways.
Fire is absolute security for any important papers, shredding is a close second ,tearing in half is not a real deterrent to some one determined to steal your identity .
It's nice to have a wood stove actually.
I don't understand shredding everything that just has your name and address on it......you can get that information just about anywhere.
In the phone book, if you are listed.....or they can just use your address to look up your name on the county auditor's website if you live in your own home....... and I am sure there are other ways.
I only shred or burn paperwork with sensitive information on it.....bank and credit card statements, anything with my SS# on it, etc.
I don't worry about magazines, catalogs, ads, etc. with my name and address on them.
And.....I also don't think animals are to blame....they would have left a mess behind.
Personally.....there is always used cat litter dispersed throughout my garbage.....have fun going through it!
I'm glad you said this, I was thinking the same thing. You can find out someone's name and address easier than you can sneak away with their trash bag.
I shred sensitive paperwork and all credit card solicitations. Everything else is trash-worthy.
I shred anything with ID info before I put out the garbage. It takes time but it's worth the effort. Criminals can be very clever.
We can be fined if we put the garbage out before 5:30 a.m. on pick up day. That's a good idea. It foils kleptomaniac bears.
We have crows in our town that live on garbage -- seriously, they seem to migrate around the city following the garbage routes and sometimes, you'll put up a flock of a couple dozen or so if you drive down a street early in the morning where there's the right combo of particularly fine garbage and careless residents. Consequently, most people put their garbage in bins -- with covers.
Animals shred garbage bags on the spot. They don't pick up the entire bag and trot off with it.
Very true!
I always put bags out instead of a garbage can and I use ammonia to deter animals.....it works 99 percent of the time. Of course, we rarely have bears where I live but it does keep the raccoons and opossums away.
I put straight ammonia in an empty dish washing liquid container and squirt a little bit on the top of the garbage before I close the bag and then a little bit more all over the bag after I put it out by the road.
Ammonia's pretty cheap.
Granted, I don't eat meat so I don't have meat scraps, but I do have un-rinsed cat and dog food cans in there.
If you do have meat scraps, it is a good idea to keep them frozen in a plastic bag until you are ready to put the garbage out.......won't give off near as much odor that way and much less likely to attract critters.
Fire is absolute security for any important papers, shredding is a close second ,tearing in half is not a real deterrent to some one determined to steal your identity .
It's nice to have a wood stove actually.
^^^
This is true. I tried to thank you and the CD system would not let me do this.
The OP said that she shredded some things like bank statements, etc. but not junk mail or CREDIT OFFERS with her name or family's name/address on it.
I can't imagine why she would NOT SHRED 'credit offers' and for that matter junk mail with any type of name/address on it.
I shred anything that has a name/address on it for security including junk mail that has that on it.
Most experts in the field of ID theft tell you to shred that stuff if you can't burn it. Tearing it up or cutting it in half is not really being secure.
And if you or someone close to you has ever been a victim of ID Theft you would not take this lightly.
A. ID theft is the FIRST thing that comes to mind and it is usually the case in this day and age.
Check your credit asap through the CRA - FTC free website. You can call them toll free or write to them. You can do it through the computer from what I gather too. Each agency will give you one FREE report a year. It is the law and all of it is explained on the MAIN FTC .GOV WEBSITE.
If you have had your ID stolen... file a police report. You will need to have this proof down the road if there is a case and you need this for your own protection!
File an ID THEFT report with each agency. Mark your file with each agency that your ID was compromised or stolen. I think that you used to get a free credit report if you ID was STOLEN OR COMPROMISE IN ANY MANNER every so many months - 3 months if my memory serves me right. Some people put an immediate FREEZE on their accounts too. Then they go through all of the MESS of cleaning up their stolen identities and any other credit messes.
B. Someone is doing a .gov top clearance-security check OR a law enforcement criminal check on her or her family. Maybe the police or sheriff's department still think that someone else may live there OR they think that she or her family are mixed up in some crime.
C. Maybe someone is 'messing with you' as a neighbor or it is some stupid prank.
D. An animal would usually tear a trash bag apart looking for something especially a dog, coyote, wolf, raccoon, bear, etc. right where they found it! But I have seen some trash bags moved away on rural properties before they were torn apart and scattered all over. This was in an area heavy with black and grizzly bears. I have seen this IN TOWN in bear country too.
Cate
Last edited by CatherineFrances; 11-05-2015 at 04:01 AM..
Reason: Typos
You can put a complete STOP to all or most credit offers by opting out with each CRA agency too.
You can put a stop to almost all of your junk mail too. The DMA has this information.
Plus you can pick up the telephone and deal with each place or do it by mail.
In this day and age, you almost have to OPT OUT of having your state fish/game .gov people from selling your name/address to junk mail companies-data marketing garbage that sell your name/address to sporting goods stores. So you get more junk mail.
Our own state (MT) was doing that and they still may be doing that and not just to my husband or me either. But they do NOT tell you that they do this. When you start to get a whole bunch of junk mail and trace it down - check it all out... you will find out that this was an automatic thing that they do for REVENUE enhancement. In my opinion, they should ASK you first if you want to be on a list where they sell you out but they did not do this.
Now, when or if you had your ID stolen and then start to get all of this NEW JUNK MAIL... it really makes you wonder if you are going through another mess all over again!
You can tell your bank, credit union, insurance companies, etc. not to sell or share your information with other people unless it is something that you can't control in one area.
Costco even has an OPT OUT section box to check if you don't want additional offers or your information SHARED when it comes to you or your spouse or any other family member on your Costco membership application including the basic membership one. I am not talking about a Costco credit card application now. I am talking about a membership application now.
Cate
Opt Out Please!
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