tessa_clark74•14d agoProlific Poster

Just realized my envelope system was missing a category for tree debris fees

I was talking to a customer named Mrs. Patterson last Thursday after we finished clearing her backyard. She mentioned she sets aside $40 every month just for her city's yard waste bin fee during storm season. That got me thinking about all the little fees I never budget for myself, like dump fees for branches or extra trips to the recycling center. I checked my records and saw I spent $185 last year just on disposal costs I didn't plan for. Now I put $15 a month into a separate envelope labeled "debris stuff" and it's already covered two loads without touching my main fund. Has anyone else run into surprise costs from their side gig or hobby that threw off their budget?

2 comments

2 Comments

milesj7014d ago

How did you track down that $185 number

thea_mitchell2014d ago

Oh man, I had a buddy who does minor landscaping on the side and he never thought about dump fees. He spent a whole Saturday hauling branches to the county site and got hit with a $45 charge he didn't see coming. Then he had to borrow cash from his girlfriend just to cover it. He said he felt like an idiot standing there with a truck full of sticks and not enough money. Now he keeps a $20 bill tucked in his glove box just for that kind of surprise.