There are myths abounding, and hear it here first, I admit I fell for one of them, that the pop top on a soda, soft drink, beer can,cat or dog food can, etc. is more valuable for scrap metal prices than the can itself. After extensive research I have come to discover that no, the pop tops are not made of some mystery metal and no, they do not deserve to be accumulating in a coffee mug on my counter till I can get a whole pound of them (delusionally believing that this will be like winning the lotto if I cash them in to a recycle center). I’d be better off crushing and saving the entire can and taking it to the metal scrappers.
So by the way, for those who want to get fast cash, how many cans of soda or beer do you “pop” a month? According to average statistics – probably a lot – probably at least 48 – 65 per month and that doesn’t count any other kinds of cans you use for vegies, pet food, etc. – and it only takes 32 soda cans to make 1 pound of aluminum. So, rinse them out, crush the cans, store them in a handy dandy bin in the garage, and then take them over to the recycling center nearest you and you will pick up some nice pocket change. Most of these centers also take plastic (like the kind used for milk containers), newspapers, cardboard, other metals, glass (usually sorted by color). Put it all together and you can have yourself some nifty spending cash with stuff you already paid to buy and use. Remember – the details – life and happiness – and potentially cash – is in the details. Don’t just dump it at the curb, sort it out, put it in different containers in your garage and make a monthly trip to the recycling center and afterward treat yourself and family to a nice evening out for dinner and a movie! (Possibly more depending on how much stuff you do manage to accumulate in that 30 day period.) Get your kids involved. Or do this, make it a habit (only takes 2 weeks of repeated effort and a new habit is formed) and save the cash up each month toward a larger goal – say a vacation or new appliance or your Christmas Fund, whatever it may be – and you will find you will have a nice piece of change off the “stuff” that is already in your home and you just casually trash every day. Ah, how we can learn to love those pesky little details.
But on a lighter note – here is something someone with an eye for really making some big bucks from pop tops is doing. Gotta love the price tag on this beauty. But most of all – gotta love the fact that – it matters not the circumstances we each find ourselves in, but what we make of those circumstances. Read her story on the link – it is amazing and very inspiring.
Yes, I’m still saving those same pop tops, but now for higher purposes!
bythebaroness 