How is the time-cost calculation methodology grounded?

Three components: (1) Donor time at the donor's stated hourly value (default US median wage); (2) Vehicle operating cost at the IRS 2026 standard business mileage rate of $0.70 per mile, which already includes depreciation, fuel, maintenance, and insurance amortization; (3) Refusal-overflow risk modeled as the percentage probability that the chosen thrift refuses some portion of the load on intake, requiring a return trip or additional disposition. All inputs are user-adjustable so the calculation reflects the donor's specific situation.

Why is the IRS standard mileage rate the right vehicle cost?

The IRS Standard Business Mileage Rate (SBMR) is the IRS's annual calculation of the full cost of operating a personal vehicle per mile, including fuel, maintenance, repairs, tires, insurance amortization, registration fees, and depreciation. For 2026 the rate is $0.70 per mile. Using SBMR avoids the trap of only counting gas price (which understates the true vehicle cost by 50-70 percent because depreciation and maintenance are real costs even if not paid that day) and avoids the harder calculation of trying to model every cost component separately.

What is the refusal-overflow risk and why does it matter?

Every Albuquerque thrift store refuses some donation categories on intake: textbooks older than five years, encyclopedias, magazines, water-damaged copies, mold-spotted copies, broken-spine copies, and bulk hymnals or choral music. Goodwill, Salvation Army, St. Vincent de Paul, and Friends of the Albuquerque Public Library all have published or operational refusal lists. The refusal rate varies by load composition but averages roughly 15-30 percent for mixed estate libraries. Refused books come back to the donor's vehicle and require a second disposition trip, doubling the time and mileage cost for that share of the load. NMLP eliminates this entirely; the published refusal categories are upfront and the pickup is unconditional within those categories.

DIY vs Free Pickup • IRS Mileage Rate • CC-BY-4.0

What does DIY book donation actually cost?

Books are heavy. Driving them costs gas, vehicle wear, and hours. The thrift store refuses 15-30 percent on intake. This calculator translates the DIY route into real dollars and hours so you can compare it to NMLP's free at-the-door pickup.

Tell the calculator about your donation

Number of boxes

Banker box of mixed books ~35 lb

Round-trip distance to thrift (miles)

ABQ neighborhood avg ~6-12 mi

Hours: load + drive + unload

10 boxes typically 1-2 hrs end-to-end

Your hourly value ($)

US median wage ~$30/hr; bill rate higher

Refusal-overflow risk %

Vehicle cost per mile

IRS 2026 SBMR = $0.70/mi (gas + wear + depreciation)

DIY drop-off total cost

$67

Time: $52.50 · Mileage: $5.60 · Refusal-overflow: $9.45

1.5 hours of your time, 8 miles on the vehicle

Free NMLP pickup total cost

Time: zero (NMLP loads at the door) · Mileage: zero · Refusal-overflow: zero (no refusals on covered categories)

5 minutes to call or text 702-496-4214

Your savings by choosing NMLP pickup

$67

Plus zero vehicle wear, zero stress, and books you might otherwise have to drive home routed through documented literacy destinations.

The math your calculator is doing:

DIY total = (hours × hourly value) + (miles × per-mile cost) + (DIY total × refusal-overflow risk). The refusal-overflow term models the additional cost of having to bring some portion of the load home and try a second channel. NMLP pickup eliminates all three.

Methodology & sources

Quantity	Default	Source
IRS standard mileage rate	$0.70/mile	IRS Revenue Procedure 2025-XX (annual SBMR)
Median US hourly wage	$30/hr	BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Box weight assumption	35 lb mixed books per box	Operational measurement, NMLP
Typical ABQ drop-off round-trip	6-12 miles	Driving distance from ABQ neighborhoods to nearest book-accepting thrift
Refusal-overflow rate (mixed library)	15-30%	Goodwill, Salvation Army, St. Vincent de Paul published refusal policies; operational observation
NMLP refusal categories	Published upfront	See YES Guide

Cite this calculator

Eldred, J. (2026). Donor Time-Cost Calculator — DIY vs Free NMLP Pickup.
New Mexico Literacy Project. CC-BY-4.0.
https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/donor-time-cost-calculator-albuquerque

Stop carrying boxes. Start a 5-minute phone call instead.

Free at-the-door pickup, any quantity, any condition. The calculator above is your savings.

Call or Text 702-496-4214