Welcome, all you who desire the dumpier things in life! You are among friends here.

DOTM was started with a pretty straightforward purpose in mind…to provide an opportunity for friends and/or family to set aside intentional time with one another.

You may use it as a way to get to know one another if your group is just starting to hang out! Or it could be used by friends that have been tight for years as a way to continue to pour into one another and strengthen their existing relationships! Regardless of where your group is at, you can make DOTM your own.

It can be really tough to find an excuse to step out of your routine and commit to an entire evening enjoying relationship with those around you. You’d think that’d be one of the first things we pencil into our calendars each month, but sadly so often it isn’t. DOTM offers a unique opportunity to make that happen.

If you have any questions about the details of DOTM and how it may be used with your group, check out the “How It Works” section below for more details, or please feel free to reach out to me using the contact button on this page!

My genuine hope is that you find this silly event to be something that draws you and those you care about into intimacy in your relationships with one another. That you use this as a tool to step away from the busyness of life, and intentionally pour into the lives of those around you.

So get to hunting…and may the dumpiest among you win!

Ask a Question

I’m always happy to help however I can!

Contact Me

How It Works

You’ll see three columns below that lay out how DOTM actually goes down.

It’s best to pick a host for each month in advance in order to give people time to search for a location, as well as prepare to have people over to their home. I’d also recommend keeping a consistent schedule like, for example, always meeting on the third Friday night of every month. This helps people plan ahead and ensure that they can be there. This whole thing only works if people show up!

Once again, if you have any questions at all you can click the “Contact Me” button above to get ahold of me!

Choose The Dump

Each individual or couple will be assigned a month where they will be responsible for choosing the “dump” for the group to eat at. Their task….find the crappiest, most unpleasant joint in town (with the BEST tasting food!), and try to win the group over! If you’re a couple, use the “hunt” for your dump as an excuse to go out for a date night! Nothing says “I love you” like a poorly constructed, wobbly table and chairs!

Host the Evening

After everyone (hopefully) has an awful customer experience but incredible meal, everyone heads back to the host’s house or apartment for desserts/drinks, and to tally up the points! This is your last opportunity to really leave a good impression before the group decides your fate, so don’t skimp. It’s not actually a line item on the score sheet, I’m just sayin’, I’ve never seen a single store-bought box of cookies increase someone’s point total.

Score!

The host has faithfully determined a dump, hosted a wonderful gathering in their home, and now their fate is left to the very ones they have so carefully wooed all evening. Everyone will have the chance to rate the dump of that month based on a variety of criteria (see the “Scoring” page for more details). You have now made your case to be crowned as the dumpiest of all! Good luck.

Scoring

The most critical piece to consider as you’re searching for your dump is, of course, the scoring.

Certain criteria are weighted heavier than others on the scoresheet, so you’ll have to make decisions on where to place your focus based on what your dump has to offer. My advice is to focus on less, looking at the categories that offer the highest point amounts, rather than trying to only get a few points in as many categories as possible. Also…really hammer the additional points opportunities (example: you get 1 point for every burnt out lightbulb you see, so find those dingy, dimly lit dumps and squeeze that category for all it’s worth!).

As a reminder…the heaviest weighted category by far is the deliciousness of the food! Never sacrifice food quality for other categories. The scoring is set up so no month with a bad food experience comes out on top.

Lastly, if as you’re visiting various dumps, you think of any clever additions for either the negative point criteria or positive point criteria, click the appropriate button below and let me know about it! I’m always open for suggestions!

Scoresheet