Trash - -seriously, is this right? (Boston: middle-class, transplants, how much)

[chicagoliz]

Originally Posted by stormynh

I don't know in NH that was sort of routine and no big deal. Is there a reason you are unable to do this??

No, it's just that in most places you don't have to.

[gf2020]

Originally Posted by chicagoliz

No, it's just that in most places you don't have to.

No, it's just that in the places that you have lived there has been municipal trash and recycling pickup.

The vast majority of rural America does not have trash pickup.

[chicagoliz]

Originally Posted by gf2020

No, it's just that in the places that you have lived there has been municipal trash and recycling pickup.

The vast majority of rural America does not have trash pickup.

You got me there, but I don't consider the Boston area to be rural. We've always lived in cities and suburbs, in the Northeast, South, and Midwest.

[Cape Cod Todd]

We have to tote our trash to a transfer station and gift wrap it in yellow bags that we purchase extra plus we need a sticker to get into the station. What bugs me is we use the trash service at our office but I have to pay a sticker fee if I want to recycle which I do a lot of.

We do have the option to go with a private company and they pick up curb side but most tote their trash to the transfer station. It is a place to see folks.

[jayrandom]

As an outsider it's somewhat of a shock, but many towns don't do curbside pickup. It's good to keep in mind when considering towns. The tax rates are what they are, so not having curbside pickup is an extra expense you weren't aware of. As some one mentioned not having trash pickup is a way to save money, but there isn't a strong correlation between tax rate and pickup. Often the thing that money is being "spent" on is not having a strong commercial tax base.

Another thing to look out for are towns that run their own utilities. You'll almost always save a bunch with municipal utilities.

As others have said, though, it isn't what you should base your decision on. Maybe it could break a very close tie, but the relative amounts are generally in the noise with respect to other things.

[mp775]

Originally Posted by jayrandom

As an outsider it's somewhat of a shock, but many towns don't do curbside pickup. It's good to keep in mind when considering towns. The tax rates are what they are, so not having curbside pickup is an extra expense you weren't aware of.

And even if there is municipal curbside pickup, it may not be included in your taxes. Some towns have "pay as you throw" and require you to buy special bags at a premium to throw your trash out.

[chicagoliz]

Thanks for the info. It certainly sounds like in some towns it is a real pain in the tuchus. But, I wouldn't refuse to buy in a town where I had to deal with this -- it would, as jayrandom said, be a tiebreaker in two otherwise equal housing options (although I find it hard to envision having two options that were otherwise exactly equal). The reality is that we'll buy whichever house we find that we like the most that is in our price range and is in a location that suits our needs. If we have to suck it up and fill our cars with our garbage once a week, we'll deal with it. My husband was especially displeased to learn that this may be something we'll have to do, but if our 'perfect' home is in a town with no garbage pick up, then so be it.

[Peabody99]

Are people that sensitive to the question of the OP? I grew up on Long Island and it was surprising many years ago to find out I would have to pay a company to haul away trash in certain towns around here. The first town I bought a house in it was included in taxes, now after I moved about a year ago I pay for the service, not a big deal...but an added expense.

[xo_kizzy_xo]

Originally Posted by Peabody99

Are people that sensitive to the question of the OP? I grew up on Long Island and it was surprising many years ago to find out I would have to pay a company to haul away trash in certain towns around here. The first town I bought a house in it was included in taxes, now after I moved about a year ago I pay for the service, not a big deal...but an added expense.

Yeah, I was kind of surprised by that too.

I've never lived in a town which didn't have municipal trash pickup. My town has a $3 sticker program which goes on the top bag in your trash can or else it won't be picked up. Any other trash (there's a listing on the town website as to what they will/won't take) outside of the trash can needs one or more of those $3 stickers. Family in other towns pay for bags. I know people who live in towns without pickup and it's no big deal to either pay to have trash hauled or take it to the transfer facility yourself.

I've heard the people living in a particular neighborhood will come together to negotiate with a trash hauler to bring down the price. That makes sense.

[Partial Observer]

Originally Posted by Peabody99

Are people that sensitive to the question of the OP? I grew up on Long Island and it was surprising many years ago to find out I would have to pay a company to haul away trash in certain towns around here. The first town I bought a house in it was included in taxes, now after I moved about a year ago I pay for the service, not a big deal...but an added expense.

I think the reaction was prompted by the "seriously" in the title, combined with the disdain about having to transport trash in the car, as though it's a burden that no civilized person should have to bear.

I live in a town that doesn't have trash pickup because it prefers to dump those savings into the schools. I grew up in a town that had top-notch trash pickup, but it also had very poor schools. It's a trade-off, and not even one that's unique to the Northeast. It looks like a similar program is afoot in the OP's own backyard: Chicago homeowners likely to pay for garbage pickup soon | Chicago Sun-Times.

In my town, the more well-to-do residents who don't want to get their hands or cars dirty can hire a trash-collection service for a small fee. A few of them even have nannies or housekeepers handle that responsibility. I don't think it's really affected their lifestyles much.