in my apartment, i always empty out the trash rather than waiting for it to stack up first. also, if it even starts to smell one bit, i get rid of it. can't believe that some people try to compact their trash and fill it to the absolute max before emptying it out. so lazy

same here, if it smells even a little bit, it's going outside. Thankfully, where I live I have trash picked up on Monday and Friday. I never let it pile-up. Trash-bags aren't that expensive, if you buy a pack of 400 for 10 dollars, that's roughly 3 cents a bag, so if you take out a bag that's only half full and you think you're wasting money, you're really only wasting about 1.5 cents, and at the same time you're refreshing the smell in your house.

It also helps to get a trash can with a nice lid on it, so that it seals the smell.