You dont turn it off

My wife has been begging me for YEARS to quit scrapping. I work a well paying job.. but when someone offers me something (like a free load of e-waste) and I know I can make.. lets say $400.. I cannot pass up the opportunity to make such easy $. I've been recycling for nearly 30 years.. more than 3/4 of my life.. I don't see me not taking opportunities when they present themselves.

I remember a few years back I had hoarded aluminum all winter, once spring came I hauled it all in. The garage was clean. She breathed a sigh of relief.. silently hoping THIS was the last run. Next day I was driving home and spotted an aluminum canopy on the side of the road- into the truck it went. When I got home I saw the smile run away from her face.. she said "I thought you were done" (Umm.. have never said I was done.. just wishful thinking on her part) I said- "What do you see?" She said "More Junk" I replied "I see a $10 bill!" I said "Now tell me- if you were driving down the road and saw a $10 bill lying on the grass- would you pull over and pick it up?" "Yes" she said.

I said- "That is what I see- I see one step away from a $10 bill! I drive it to someplace and they give me that $, little effort- free $".. She just shook her head and went in the house!

When I was transitioning to where I currently work, it took me a while, I was moving from contracting for myself to a commercial contractor and it took a while for someone to see my drive, spunk and value. In the transition I did A LOT of scrapping. She has always said "I don't care about your scrap, I don't care about what money you make off it, I don't care." Once things were a bit tighter and I had lost my bread and butter client (and thus a steady bi-weekly invoice check payment) she said "I think I need to know what you make on scrap." I said "Fair enough."

I showed her my first two R2 visit payouts and she never worried again! Never asked again, even said "Wow, you should keep doing that." YUP!

Originally Posted by redcrossnj

miss the good old days!! You are bringing back the nostaligia lol

I am way off my peak though. I have set my goal for 10,000 lbs this year and it is looking bleak to even come close to hitting it. I figure I do what I can if opportunity presents itself, Just don't have the time and hauling means that I did say 3 or 4 years ago.
Last week a lady re-contacted me about cutting up and hauling off a Thresher. It has been years since she talked to me about it. At the time I had a truck and trailer and the time to do it. Now I'm down to a Honda Pilot, no truck, no trailer, little time. So I let her know I had to pass.