Disclosure: My expenses for the Bagster Bag were covered for this post.
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A little ways back I was asked to take part in a Bagster Bag Blogger Challenge. Basically, I had the opportunity to try the “Dumpster in a Bag” – a Bagster Bag.
And okay … but, well, this Challenge part? Let’s see … Hmmmm. Could I fill a Bagster Bag? Ha! Sure. But in a given, short period of time?
Let me tell you, there was/is/are some inherent problems with that. I mean – First, I’ll admit it – I’m a little bit of, well, a hoarder of building material type things.
And Second, I always do my best to either repurpose or at least recycle most of the waste I come up with.
The Bagster Bag, A Review
The Bagster Bag sat inside my yard, just off the driveway, and according to the Bag’s FAQs -not more than 16 feet away from where it could be picked, from December 2011 to February 2013. Yep! In the exact spot where I did ultimately build a Trash Can Pad.
What can I say? While it filled up slowly, I personally didn’t mind. That is – despite occasionally hearing Mrs. Moxie’s – “When are you going to get that green bag out of here?”
A 3 Yd dumpster for the total cost of about $190.
I figure it saved me about two plus trips to the dump, and that, for me, in Baltimore City, is not an easy proposition. In a lot of cases, it means two hour round trip, hitting the landfill (the only one) in the southern most part of the City. A little ways away.
I also realized during that period that … Hey! I wasn’t the only one doing it.
Bagster in Parkville, MD
Bagster in Beltsville, MD
Like a DIYer’s Loyal Friend
When I took the Challenge on, I guess I kinda envisioned getting started on two projects specifically (though I knew I wasn’t quite ready).
- Clean out the attic (in preparation for … )
- Renovate attic into guest bedroom.
I yanked those lines above from a todo list I created for my original Bagster post, A ToDo List Solution – The Bagster Bag. I later updated that list in the post: A Super Bowl of HoneyDo for My Valentine. And though I did finally clean out the attic, we never ended up renovating the space.
While I did go on to purge some from our garage and, yes, I did even cut into the clutter in our attic, some – the Bagster Bag, really, was just there. Like a loyal friend, it “followed” me as I moved (briskly) through that todo list. It became a goto as the family slowly cleaned and cleared out my Gram’s house. (Say a prayer. And we did ultimately put her home on the market and we did in the end part with it). It also received a handful odd items out of Mrs. Moxie’s first flip project.
But I realized only later on looking inside that Bag, just before it went, it was kinda like looking at something of a strange . . .
Year in Review (Building Moxie in a Bagster Bag style)
My ToDo List:
- Re-build, re-install second story Porch Rail. DONE.
- Install Doors and Locksets: Paint Master Bath Door. DONE. (Installing an Antique Mortised LockSet.)
- Paint and Install Hardware Hall Bath door. DONE. Painting a Door, Installing a Salvaged Glass Knob Door Lock & Installing a Strike Plate.
- Install Dryer Vent Cap. DONE. Side Venting a Gas Dryer :: Final Hook Up.
- Mill and install Baseboard Patch at chimney in Kitchen. DONE.
- Make and Install Shelf for TV components. DONE. Repurposing Shelf Brackets Out of a Chair.
- Make and Install Set of Hooks, Coat Closet under Stairs. (not done)
- Install Vinyl Tile in Pantry. DONE. Installing Dry Back Vinyl Tile.
- Trim Kitchen Window. (not done)
- Repair Plaster Playroom. (not done)
- Replace rosettes upstairs hallway. (Did this past weekend.)
- Caulk . . . SOME! On Weatherization. (And did some more Caulking at a Chimney, though I suspect this would never get crossed fully off of any list.)
- Insulate . . . SOME! Insulating a Basement Ceiling. (From our Facebook Page >> Installing Rigid Polyiso Insulation in a Crawlspace.)
- And
- . . .
Projects Not on My ToDo List:
- Learning to Landscape
- Growing New Lawn for the Mrs.Moxie.
- Installing a Faucet for my dad.
- & Wrapping Windows with Coil Stock.
I probably did a few other things too, and just like those above … signs of each project, whether they were on my todo list or not, eventually appeared in my Bagster Bag.
Bagster Bag at my local Lowe’s
Bagster Bag – A ToDo List Solution
I stuffed it, like I stuffed this article with links. Ha! But seriously, Waste Management here is doing a great job of hitting a needed price point. Better of course if you have a room or two you need to do immediately … okay, but not so unsightly that you (okay, I) couldn’t keep a Bagster Bag laying around for a few months.
I mean – if you look at roll off dumpster costs (for example), and I know ’cause the Mrs. has been going through a few on her current flip (+ I needed one for my formstone to brick project) – $300 for a 20 Yd and $400 for a 30 Yd are about the going rates (in my region).
The Bagster Bag holds 3300 lbs. – that’s approximately 900sf of carpet or tile, 8 squares of roofing shingles or 47 sheets of drywall.
And all and all the Challenge was fantastic. Only comment I’ll make, and more as blogger – when scheduling pick up, WM gave me a three day window. Why was this an issue? Well, I wish I could have known exactly when they were going to be here. In other words, I wanted to be here when the dumpster was being picked … so I could get a sweet pick ’em pic. (Like the one borrowed from Bagster below.)
That said, even though I missed, I received a confirmation message within minutes of my Bag, but not my memories, being removed.
Easy Peezy Lemon Squeezy.
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Thank you for reading all the same and here’s hopin’ that this year has been great so far. Thanks for being a part. ~jb