If you are paying for rubbish collection, you may be able to save money by sharing service with one of your neighbors. To help you navigate this new relationship with your neighbour, here are some tips to keep in mind:

1. Decide who is going to pay the bill.

If you already have rubbish service, you may want to keep the bill in your name and have your neighbour give you a bit of money each month. Alternatively, you may want to open a new account with both of your names on it, like married couples or roommates often do. If you decide who is responsible for paying what upfront, it helps you avoid issues down the road.

2. Set up a time for you or your neighbour to access the other one's bin.

If you store the bin outside and you don't mind your neighbours walking onto your property, you can both use the bin whenever you need it, but if you keep the bin in your garages, you may want to decide on certain times when your neighbour is allowed to come into the garage. That way, you don't have to worry about being startled because you know that they always drop their rubbish off in your garage at a certain time each day.

3. Decide who is going to take the rubbish to the street.

Regardless of where you store the bin, decide who is going to take the bin to the street. If either of you travel often for work or have varying schedules, you may want to meet at the beginning of the month and decide who is going to roll the rubbish out. That way, you don't have to worry about not bringing it out and missing the rubbish collectors.

4. Agree on ground rules.

Ideally, you should agree on a few ground rules before you start sharing rubbish service with your neighbour. For example, if you like to keep the inside of the bin clean, you may want to insist that your neighbor bags all of his or her rubbish. Some people like to throw loose items into the rubbish, and it's important to talk about those preferences first before someone gets annoyed.

5. Schedule projects at the same time.

Sharing weekly rubbish collection isn't the only way to save money. If you ever hire a skip to do a large remodeling or landscaping projects, you can also save money by sharing it with your neighbour. To make that possible, talk at the beginning of the year regarding your plans and try to schedule big projects at the same time.

For more info, contact your rubbish collection agency.