bottle returns

Yesterday, I thought I would be productive and take all of our beer bottles and soda cans to the store to return them. I had decided it would be too hard to do with Owen with me, so it made sense to leave Owen with Lucas and go make us some money (and clean up the garage a little bit). Lucas helped me load the truck up with all the bottles, they filled the bed up! I thought, "OK, 5 cents a bottle, I might make us some good cash"

First off, returning cans on a Sunday is what EVERYONE does. It was VERY busy.
Second, at no place you'll go, will all the bottle return machines be working.

At the first Safeway, none of the glass return machines worked. So I had to leave.
At the Fred Meyers, only two of the four return machines were working, and there was a line of four people with their shopping carts full in front of me.
So, I went to another Safeway. I surveyed the scene before unloading all my bottles from the truck (yes, by attempt number three I had learned). All the can machines: working. All the plastic machines: working. They had two glass machines, one broken. There were only two people in front of me. I went and loaded my cart.

Returning bottles is disgusting! I had old beer and soda dripping down my hands. I got some as far up as my forearms. I cut myself on a broken bottle, so I was bleeding everywhere. The glass machine broke twice during my return process (luckily both times it was able to be fixed).

I was there for over an hour returning my bottles and cans. I took my paper receipts up to the cashier to see how much loot I had earned. Ready for the grand total? The amazing amount that was worth sticky and stinky hands? The hour of time away from Lucas and Owen? The money that was worth the icky smell of the return room? I made $10.40.

It was enough for us to go out for coffee. But REALLY?!? $10.40? With drive time, gas prices, and the pure frustration of having to go to THREE places to return my bottles... not worth it! I don't think I'll ever do that again. Come to my house high schoolers needing money for a trip to D.C. Come to my house homeless people needing cash. Come to my house young people earning cash to rebuild a church. I will give you my empty soda cans. I'll give you the empty beer bottles reminding me of parties thrown. They are yours. And if you don't ask me for them, they will be waiting for you on the curb with the other recycling every Tuesday night.