How secure are you feeling? for shelter, food, financial,etc

[Tennesseer]

Not a shelter, food, financial,etc. issue, but a trash issue.

I live in an unincorporated part of the city.  Which means the city has not taken it over and provided city services to us like street lighting and our trash services paid via our monthly utility bill.  We pay the trash company directly each quarter for trash pickup.  There are several companies for hire in our area to pick up the trash.

Starting this past week, the trash pickup company I and many residents on my cove also use has stopped picking up anything that is not contained in the company-provided trash bin.  If you have excess bags of trash or other things ready for the trash heap which will not fit in the bin and you put them beside or on top of the trash bin, the service provider will not pick them up.   They will push the bags off the trash bin and leave them on the ground.

Their reasoning is Covid-19.  their pickup trucks have these 'claws' that can pick up the trash bin and empty it into the truck and then put the bins back on the ground.  This way the employees don't have to touch most of anything.

Time will tell with us complaining about the unpicked up trash and will they credit are accounts for not picking up all the trash.  There is no talk from at least my company about crediting our accounts at this time.

I figure if I am paid up and in good standing with the trash pickup company, they should pickup all the trash.  That is what I am paying for.

[toomuchreality]

May 3, 2020 16:53:08 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

Not a shelter, food, financial,etc. issue, but a trash issue.

I live in an unincorporated part of the city.  Which means the city has not taken it over and provided city services to us like street lighting and our trash services paid via our monthly utility bill.  We pay the trash company directly each quarter for trash pickup.  There are several companies for hire in our area to pick up the trash.

Starting this past week, the trash pickup company I and many residents on my cove also use has stopped picking up anything that is not contained in the company-provided trash bin.  If you have excess bags of trash or other things ready for the trash heap which will not fit in the bin and you put them beside or on top of the trash bin, the service provider will not pick them up.   They will push the bags off the trash bin and leave them on the ground.

Their reasoning is Covid-19.  their pickup trucks have these 'claws' that can pick up the trash bin and empty it into the truck and then put the bins back on the ground.  This way the employees don't have to touch most of anything.

Time will tell with us complaining about the unpicked up trash and will they credit are accounts for not picking up all the trash.  There is no talk from at least my company about crediting our accounts at this time.

I figure if I am paid up and in good standing with the trash pickup company, they should pickup all the trash.  That is what I am paying for.

Wow. This is the way it has been in my city for years!
And if they think you put the wrong thing in one of your "cans", they don't empty it. Any extra trash must be put in a neighbor's can, or disposed of by you.

My dad used to keep his garbage cans inside his garage, to keep his next door neighbor from using them. When my father died, we put the cans outside and he filled them up again. I went over and asked him to stop. Didn't mince words.
I think because he was a cop, he got away with stuff he shouldn't have.

[billisonboard]

When I was single and renting, my landlord would toss things into my never full garbage can. I paid  a flat rate so it was never a big deal to me. Then I got a "roommate" and she got upset even though we still didn't fill it. Never really understood why. 

[msventoux]

May 3, 2020 16:53:08 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

Not a shelter, food, financial,etc. issue, but a trash issue.

I live in an unincorporated part of the city.  Which means the city has not taken it over and provided city services to us like street lighting and our trash services paid via our monthly utility bill.  We pay the trash company directly each quarter for trash pickup.  There are several companies for hire in our area to pick up the trash.

Starting this past week, the trash pickup company I and many residents on my cove also use has stopped picking up anything that is not contained in the company-provided trash bin.  If you have excess bags of trash or other things ready for the trash heap which will not fit in the bin and you put them beside or on top of the trash bin, the service provider will not pick them up.   They will push the bags off the trash bin and leave them on the ground.

Their reasoning is Covid-19.  their pickup trucks have these 'claws' that can pick up the trash bin and empty it into the truck and then put the bins back on the ground.  This way the employees don't have to touch most of anything.

Time will tell with us complaining about the unpicked up trash and will they credit are accounts for not picking up all the trash.  There is no talk from at least my company about crediting our accounts at this time.

I figure if I am paid up and in good standing with the trash pickup company, they should pickup all the trash.  That is what I am paying for.

None of the trash services around here allow you to pile excess trash next to the can. They all have company provided trash cans that residents use and have the claw truck. If you have excess trash you rent a bigger can, more cans, a dumpster or take it to the yourself. It seems reasonable to me.

[Lizard Queen]

Our trash is through the city/property taxes. In normal times, the service also picks up large items, but they aren't doing that now because of covid19. For regular household trash, we only ever fill the giant bin provided to us around Christmas. We also have a smaller recycling bin that is picked up every other week. Perhaps we don't fill the trash bin because we do recycle.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

If our company provided trash bin lids do not close, they will not pick up.  It’s been that way as long as I have been here.  We pay quarterly for trash and recycling pick up.  

Luckily, the 4 neighbors on this street share bin space as necessary.  

[Tennesseer]

May 4, 2020 15:11:45 GMT -5 msventoux said:

May 3, 2020 16:53:08 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

Not a shelter, food, financial,etc. issue, but a trash issue.

I live in an unincorporated part of the city.  Which means the city has not taken it over and provided city services to us like street lighting and our trash services paid via our monthly utility bill.  We pay the trash company directly each quarter for trash pickup.  There are several companies for hire in our area to pick up the trash.

Starting this past week, the trash pickup company I and many residents on my cove also use has stopped picking up anything that is not contained in the company-provided trash bin.  If you have excess bags of trash or other things ready for the trash heap which will not fit in the bin and you put them beside or on top of the trash bin, the service provider will not pick them up.   They will push the bags off the trash bin and leave them on the ground.

Their reasoning is Covid-19.  their pickup trucks have these 'claws' that can pick up the trash bin and empty it into the truck and then put the bins back on the ground.  This way the employees don't have to touch most of anything.

Time will tell with us complaining about the unpicked up trash and will they credit are accounts for not picking up all the trash.  There is no talk from at least my company about crediting our accounts at this time.

I figure if I am paid up and in good standing with the trash pickup company, they should pickup all the trash.  That is what I am paying for.

None of the trash services around here allow you to pile excess trash next to the can. They all have company provided trash cans that residents use and have the claw truck. If you have excess trash you rent a bigger can, more cans, a dumpster or take it to the yourself. It seems reasonable to me.

The thing is my trash company has always allowed (if the can was full) trash bags left on top/beside the can to be picked up until last week. I have used the same company for 20 plus years-never a problem before. Additionally, there was no forewarning. Customers only found out about it when they called to complain about all their trash not being picked up.

ETA: if we brought our excess trash to the , the trash which would not fit in the can, we would have to pay to drop it off at the . I am already paying a company to pick up all my trash regardless of the fact it is sitting beside the can and bring it to the .

[ners]

They have stopped bulk pickup here.  If it did not fit in the bin it was not picked up  They also did not start yard waste on time.

Yard waste started last week.
Bulk pick up May 11th.

My container is rarely full.  Sometimes after the family Christmas I have to take a bag home with me because it will not fit in my sisters bin.

[Deleted]

May 4, 2020 15:57:44 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

The thing is my trash company has always allowed (if the can was full) trash bags left on top/beside the can to be picked up until last week. I have used the same company for 20 plus years-never a problem before. Additionally, there was no forewarning. Customers only found out about it when they called to complain about all their trash not being picked up.

I can understand why they made this change (although advance notice would have been nice). I'm acutely aware that the people who clean up after us- who clean public restrooms, pick up our trash, empty public trash cans, etc.- are doing dirty and risky jobs right now. If this change lowers the risk for their employees because they don't have to handle anything set out separately, it's a good move even though it's a reduction in service.

Sort of like those "we care" airlines that are simultaneously lowering the risk for their flight attendants by eliminating snack and beverage service on all but the longest flights- but saving a few bucks, too.

[Tennesseer]

May 4, 2020 17:47:14 GMT -5 @athena53 said:

May 4, 2020 15:57:44 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

The thing is my trash company has always allowed (if the can was full) trash bags left on top/beside the can to be picked up until last week. I have used the same company for 20 plus years-never a problem before. Additionally, there was no forewarning. Customers only found out about it when they called to complain about all their trash not being picked up.

I can understand why they made this change (although advance notice would have been nice). I'm acutely aware that the people who clean up after us- who clean public restrooms, pick up our trash, empty public trash cans, etc.- are doing dirty and risky jobs right now. If this change lowers the risk for their employees because they don't have to handle anything set out separately, it's a good move even though it's a reduction in service.

Sort of like those "we care" airlines that are simultaneously lowering the risk for their flight attendants by eliminating snack and beverage service on all but the longest flights- but saving a few bucks, too.

Each quarter, I pay three months in advance for my trash pickup. We customers have yet to hear from this provider if our accounts are going to be credited for partial loss of service. And if not picking up all are trash, next quarter, we have not heard if are quarterly payment is to be reduced too.

In the end many of us are probably going to change providers, one who will pickup all are trash.

[CCL]

May 4, 2020 15:11:45 GMT -5 msventoux said:

May 3, 2020 16:53:08 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

Not a shelter, food, financial,etc. issue, but a trash issue.

I live in an unincorporated part of the city.  Which means the city has not taken it over and provided city services to us like street lighting and our trash services paid via our monthly utility bill.  We pay the trash company directly each quarter for trash pickup.  There are several companies for hire in our area to pick up the trash.

Starting this past week, the trash pickup company I and many residents on my cove also use has stopped picking up anything that is not contained in the company-provided trash bin.  If you have excess bags of trash or other things ready for the trash heap which will not fit in the bin and you put them beside or on top of the trash bin, the service provider will not pick them up.   They will push the bags off the trash bin and leave them on the ground.

Their reasoning is Covid-19.  their pickup trucks have these 'claws' that can pick up the trash bin and empty it into the truck and then put the bins back on the ground.  This way the employees don't have to touch most of anything.

Time will tell with us complaining about the unpicked up trash and will they credit are accounts for not picking up all the trash.  There is no talk from at least my company about crediting our accounts at this time.

I figure if I am paid up and in good standing with the trash pickup company, they should pickup all the trash.  That is what I am paying for.

None of the trash services around here allow you to pile excess trash next to the can. They all have company provided trash cans that residents use and have the claw truck. If you have excess trash you rent a bigger can, more cans, a dumpster or take it to the yourself. It seems reasonable to me.

That's how it is around here, too. Once a month you can put out most bigger items for a heavy trash pickup although that's been postponed for now.

[Gardening Grandma]

How secure are you feeling? for shelter, food, financial,etc

For shelter no problem. We have a very small mortgage that we just refinanced to 2.85%. Our monthly payment will decrease by$100/mo

Food. Spending less on food because of fewer trips to the store. Last month I went grocery shopping 3 times. Our spending was down over $200

Financial
Well the retirement accounts are down, of course, but we can leave them alone. Since RMDs are suspended this year, there is no need to take money out, so that will save usmoney on taxes.

Over all we are fine. Income is SS and pension.
I’m worried about others. I’m worried about contracting a virus that could kill me. I’m worried about people spreading the virus because they don’t care that it couldkill me

[raeoflyte]

May 1, 2020 19:58:47 GMT -5 giramomma said:

May 1, 2020 9:57:55 GMT -5 NomoreDramaQ1015 said:

What is school going to look like?  I have no idea how we are going to handle it if school decides to be virtual.

I'm assuming unless the covid-19 fairy magically comes and makes the disease completely disappear, the schools will move to half remote learning and being in the school half time.

Which means, DH and I could have to manage three different school schedules, between DD1, DD2, and DS.

I actually am quite worried for Miss M. We can't send her to nursery school (the only place we can afford is a co-op) unless the public schools are completely open and running as normal. Which means she'll end up going to 4K without any other introduction to formal schooling. Not only will she stick out because of that, but she's going to be the one asking if she can "take a duke" instead of politely asking if she can go to the bathroom.

I 100% guarantee you of all the things to worry about, this is not something you need to put on your list. Miss M. Will be fine. Most kids are fine without daycare/preschool and do not enter kindergarten stunted in anyway. She will not be the only child with older siblings who she's picked up colorful phrases from and she will still conform to classroom norms with very little effort.

[tallguy]

I am feeling very secure.  Retired so don't have to worry about job or paycheck issues.  Haven't had any debt for years.  Don't have to be out and about unless I want to.  Even without taking money from investments I have more than I spend each month.  Spending is down because of staying home so my savings increases even more, and my expenses will go down even more next year.  

My one regret was investments.  I had thought about selling most of them and going to cash back when this all started.  I didn't do that because I reasoned that even if things did drop 25-30% I could withstand a 70% drop before I needed to worry.  I should have done the second part of the analysis, but didn't.  I should have listened to the old line, "when you've won the game, stop playing."  Even more maddening, I didn't think about what I could have been able to do buying back in after a large drop.  I am still down six figures from my previous high, but could have been up double that if I had played it right.  I am still fine, and will remain so, but that much "free" money would satisfy a lot of wants, and make it easier to spend the money for them.

[Deleted]

May 4, 2020 22:52:44 GMT -5 tallguy said:

I should have listened to the old line, "when you've won the game, stop playing."  Even more maddening, I didn't think about what I could have been able to do buying back in after a large drop.  I am still down six figures from my previous high, but could have been up double that if I had played it right.  I am still fine, and will remain so, but that much "free" money would satisfy a lot of wants, and make it easier to spend the money for them.

I like what Jim Cramer said, "Take a little money off the table". Once in awhile I sell maybe 25% of an individual stock after a good run. I never look back- that way lies madness.

I'm also down 6 figures. Not pretty, but I've been through the financial crisis and the dotcom bust and am confident things will recover- just not as fast as I want them to!

[Tiny]

[quote timestamp="1588542788" source="/post/3126867/thread" author="Tennesseer "] Starting this past week, the trash pickup company I and many residents on my cove also use has stopped picking up anything that is not contained in the company-provided trash bin.  If you have excess bags of trash or other things ready for the trash heap which will not fit in the bin and you put them beside or on top of the trash bin, the service provider will not pick them up.   They will push the bags off the trash bin and leave them on the ground.
 [/quote]

That's the way my trash has always been... if it's not in the bin it doesn't get picked up.  Pre-pandemic you could put out big stuff (a mattress or a chair) but you had to call Waste Management and tell them about it (they'd send a special truck for it).  

if you routinely have so much trash it overflows your bin - you might have to ask for a second bin.  I suspect if you have two bins you have to pay more for trash pickup - it didn't use to be that way.    

My neighbors and I sometimes "share" our bin space - especially around the hoiidays (extra trash from parties) and during the summer (when someone has a party).   I'd rather have them use my bin than have their trash strewn down the alley.    We all pay a flat rate for trash pick up.  So, an extra bag or two in my bin from a neighbor's party doesn't cost me anything.     A couple of the houses down the block from me have extra trash bins - I kind of marvel at a family that would need 2 = 96 gallon bins for weekly trash.  

[Tennesseer]

Tiny - it actually has not happened to me yet. It happened to my neighbor across the street last week. But this week, in addition to what goes in the trash bin, I will have three flattened Chewey (pet food) boxes sitting atop the trash bin as they don't fit in the bin. As the trash folks come around 0830 in the morning, I will be outside waiting for them (I can hear the truck driving up the cove). If they won't handle the three flattened boxes, I will ask them if I can put them in the truck.

Time will tell if they let me put them in the truck.

ETA: do you think we should continue paying the same weekly rate (around $11.75 for once a week pickup) for not having all our trash picked up? I am not talking about mattresses and other large items. Simple a trash bag that wouldn't fit in the bin, was placed atop the bin, and didn't get picked up.

[kadee79]

Our trash is picked up by the county with the claw truck.  But when they started that, they gave all of us larger cans too.  

I'd do like what you are planning on if I was getting service from an independent company...change companies.  Also, with the county doing it, if the garbage bill isn't paid, a lien is put against the property...and the property owner is responsible for payment, not renters.  There were some that rented to field workers who didn't pay the garbage bills that owed like $18,000.  That's quite a bill at $20 a month.

[Miss Tequila]

Right now I’m sitting on about a year of my personal expenses. Not comfortable enough since I have 5 mortgages on rental properties. I have a $100k loan out right now that should be repaid to me in the next month or so. Once I get that back in my account, I will feel much better. So far my rents have been ok but the longer this drags out, the
More at risk I am.

[jelloshots4all]

Tenn, if you stand out teir waiting for them, once they the first load can't you put the boxes in and have them a 2nd load?  Would take less than 30 seconds.  They are already there with the truck arm and no contactfor them

[Tennesseer]

May 5, 2020 19:06:05 GMT -5 jelloshots4all said:

Tenn, if you stand out teir waiting for them, once they the first load can't you put the boxes in and have them a 2nd load?  Would take less than 30 seconds.  They are already there with the truck arm and no contactfor them

I could. I can try to rip them up. Once the bin is emptied, i will put them in the bin and say "You have more to empty." I will update what happens on Thursday.

[Sharon]

Our general unwritten neighborhood rule is if the can is at the curb and not totally full neighbors are welcome to add to it.  This is especially true with yard debris.  If the lids are completely shut they won't pick them up. 

[Deleted]

We have old-fashioned 2X a week trash service provided by the city.  The workers pull the bags out of the can and manually load them onto the truck.  They wear thick work gloves.  If I have a single bag I want to go, I sometimes just put only the bag in the pick-up place.  One neighbor uses a wheelbarrow.  Another fills two smaller trash cans and still has multiple bags lying beside them.  I did spend $70 on this trashcan because I wanted the largest, sturdiest one around.  It has the bar to pick up with, but they don't have that type of machine.  They never "empty" the can, only take out bags.  I have to warn contractors about this a lot.

I pay for this and other trash pick-up in the form of city taxes.  There is a claw truck, but it picks up discarded furniture, etc.  Picture a claw like you find in a video game attached to a truck.

I don't see not taking the extra bags as a covid-19 safety measure.  If they did this previously, there was always the risk of something infectious.  I'm sure they wear gloves.  I would bet, Tennesseer, that this is a new policy enacted under that guise to control the amount of garbage they pick up at the negotiated price.  Just as you have to pay if you go to the , they have to pay to .  Don't expect the old "policy" to ever return.  The new policy also speeds up pick-up.

[TheOtherMe]

Being in a small town, my trash is picked up once a week.  We can put out either the can or a bag, up to 40 pounds.  

If I've done decluttering, I use the can.  Otherwise, I put out just the bag.  

I pay for it monthly, to the city.

[Tennesseer]

An article kind of related the the intent of this thread.

Irish Send Money to Native American Community Hit By COVID-19, Returning Historic Favor

A Native American community severely impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak has received an outpour of donations from Irish people, who are returning a historic favor from 173 years ago.

In 1847, the Native American Choctaw nation sent $170 ($5,000 today) of relief aid to the Irish people impacted by the great potato famine. Now, the Irish are reciprocating the act of goodwill by donating funds to the Navajo nation, which has been severely impacted by COVID-19, with at least 2,373 cases and 73 deaths as of May 3.

The Navajo nation has one of the highest infection rates per capita in the United States. It reported its first two cases on March 17 and the number of cases has continued to rise. Up to 40% of people living in the nation do not have access to running water in their homes and 10% do not have electricity. A GoFundMe campaign raising funds for bulk food and medical supplies has already reached $1,769,300, thanks in large part to Irish donors.

“From an Irish brother to our native American brothers,” writes donor James Fallon on the campaign page. “Karma always comes back around.”

It is said that back in 1847, the Choctaw nation heard about the famine from an Irish man overseeing the forced displacement of Native Americans. At the time, the Choctaw people were among the 60,000 Native Americans that had been recently dislocated from their ancestral homes. Despite their limited means, the Choctaw nation decided to help, and sent over funds that were used to purchase food, blanks and feed for livestock.

The Irish people never forgot this act of generosity. In 2017, a sculpture of nine eagles feathers called Kindred Spirits was unveiled in Bailick Park in Midlton, County Cork, Ireland. The following year, Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar announced a scholarship program for Choctaw youth, calling the relationship between the two communities “a sacred bond…which has joined our peoples together for all time.” He added, “your act of kindness has never been, and never will be, forgotten in Ireland.”

Irish Send Money to Native American Community Hit By COVID-19, Returning Historic Favor

[gs11rmb]

Tennesseer that story made me tear up!

[Deleted]

The way this nation treats the First Nations People is disgraceful.

[Tennesseer]

May 6, 2020 10:02:56 GMT -5 @shastasnewlife said:

The way this nation treats the First Nations People is disgraceful.

My sister lives in New Mexico and said the Native American Nations there are suffering due to little federal government help.

[violagirl]

My husband is affiliated with the airline industry so we spent one day redoing our 2020 budget in anticipation of him being laid off. He survived the first round of layoffs but had his pay cut by 20%.

Which was better than 100%. But still down almost 1k per month.

This could not have come at worse time - we just moved into a new house - so many expenses and fortunately I had a significant bonus in March which was not in the budget but saved us. I spent about a month worrying about what the final tally from the builder would be (we went over budget a smidge and had a general idea but not sure if it was 5k or 12k. I literally was eyeing the balance on my line of credit and wondering if I was going to have enough credit on it/cash in the bank to make the final payment. 

Speaking of the line of credit-we foolishly loaned 40k to a friend 2 years ago and he was slowly paying us back now I'm not sure his business is going to survive. We kick ourselves everyday for that decision because we KNEW it was risky but he is a good talker. Anyway not much we can do now. So the money i was counting on to pay down some debt is pretty much gone. 

Now we also have to finish the paving, landscaping, fencing around the new house which was expected but I really don't like having that much debt. 

My job is fairly secure - but we also went through round of layoffs which was very stressful. Normally I would take a couple days off around now because we just came through our busy period and haven't had a vacation day since February, but we all feel like we have to be really productive right now and nobody is taking the chance to take a day off but it's getting harder and harder to power through the work week. 

I went through about a month of just..low grade...general anxiety. And that is not me at all,

On the bright side - we are employed - unlike many of our friends. Some of my husband's business is coming back so that's a relief. We have a new house and I don't have to buy new furniture because nobody is coming over for the foreseeable future. We are saving money on eating out, on gas - our car insurance even gave us a refund. 

We only have 1 case in our province currently so we should be moving to opening up a bit more, but will still be 2-4 weeks before we can get our haircut or see most of our family/friends.

I am grateful to be in the position I am in. I'm not quite as anxious as I had been but i'm thinking it's probably lurking under the surface at the moment. I've decided to take an extra day for the upcoming long weekend (Victoria Day) here so that is going to get me through next week. 

I'm grateful that my family is well and while i have my worries I am far from being homeless or starving. 

[NastyWoman]

In my answer I expressed my (real) fear of an earthquake during this pandemic. Well until now we have been lucky. But there have been hurricanes in the south and now two dams in Michigan have breached and a large number of people had to evacuate while under a SIP order. 

This is truly a worst case scenario.