What are your frugal and sustainable tips and tricks?

[MotherofOrpies]

Speaking of dryers, our old dryer started squeaking something terrible a few months ago. I mean, it was really loud. Dear Wife was all over me to get a new dryer. However, I found some YouTube videos on the possible problem and discovered the bearing on the dryer had dried out and just needed to be replaced. Of course, no parts available locally for the old dryer, but Amazon had the Drum Bearing Kit I needed for my brand dryer for less than $18.00.

It took me just over to an hour to fix the old dryer, and much of that time was spent vacuuming the housing out and cleaning up the lint and dust from 15+ years of use. But the dryer no longer squeaks, and better yet, Dear Wife is silent.

When you know what the problem is, it's amazing how an $18.00 kit and one hour of your time can save you the expense of buying a new dryer for $500.00!

YouTube should be on everyone's frugal life list. I have saved so much money by making simple repairs myself with the help of YouTube videos that years ago I would have never thought of repairing myself.

I have the sad experience when I try to fix things by myself, nothings works out like is does in the videos, and in the end, I have to pay big bucks to get it fixed up by an expert

 

[gtaus]

I have the sad experience when I try to fix things by myself, nothings works out like is does in the videos, and in the end, I have to pay big bucks to get it fixed up by an expert

It's important to know one's limits. I will watch a YouTube instructional video and then determine if I am capable of doing that repair, or not. In the case of the dryer, it was either attempt to fix it myself or replace it. I had little to lose with an $18.00 repair kit. I also attempt some repairs on my vehicles, to save money, but often times I know it's best to bring it in to the shop where they have the knowledge and tools to make repairs that are beyond my ability.

Sometimes it's more frugal to get a repair done right, even if that means paying someone to do it for you.

 

[MotherofOrpies]

i did look at more than 1 video how to fix a leaking faucet the expert is so expensive I bought a new faucet, but couldn’t even install that either , I somehow have plumbing that is “special”, which I didn’t know before hand what I did manage to replace was a leaking pipe but when I see my brother-in-law fixing his furnace by somehow finding out which part doesn’t work , and then buying it used ( cheap ) on ebay and installing it … Wow, wish I could do that !!! I used to change my car tires, but I’ve grown older, and the tires heavier what I’m really an expert at is building Ikea furniture after helping 3 of our 4 kids move a couple of times, I need less time than stated on the instructions, and I usually buy them used, take them apart and rebuild them at the new place, no sweat , and I’m not talking about a simple table but beds and stuff like that I did build the chicken run with the help of my oldest son, but it shows, and I’m amazed it is still standing after 5 years

 

[drangle]

feed bags make good archery targets for field points. fill them with plastic bags from walmart or other feed bags that are rolled up tight, then hang them up and shoot! when the outer feedbag starts to wear out put it inside another feed bag.

works well for tradition archery, a single bag might not be enough for compound bows.

 

[igorsMistress]

OK. I have watched a number of solar videos lately, but I think this is the one the I was talking about. Also, if I got a few facts mashed together, please forgive. Anyway, the just of the is video is saving a ton of money buy installing a "grid down power" system instead of a complete house solar system. Consider the concept of using battery power and a generator. He has a sale's pitch for his equipment at the end of the video, but basically it's a battery and generator setup to save lots of money.

Thanks!

 

[MotherofOrpies]

Last week I read a joke in BYC which kind of went : I wish I was rich enough to get everything fixed instead of watching endless videos

 

[gtaus]

Last week I read a joke in BYC which kind of went : I wish I was rich enough to get everything fixed instead of watching endless videos

Well, maybe so. But I do get pleasure in repairing things myself, especially when I can save money. I always watch a number of YouTube videos before I attempt a repair for the first time. Just because someone posted a video on YouTube does not necessarily mean that you should take it as gospel. I like to see a consensus about a repair from a few people before I try the repair myself. Of course, sometimes you might only have 1 video to go on.

We still live in a world where repair quotes might depend on who's asking. For example, if Dear Wife goes into a shop for a repair quote on the car, I can just about guarantee her quote will be significantly higher than mine and mostly include lots of unnecessary items that she would have to pay.

 

[MotherofOrpies]

It depends on the person , when my hubby goes into the shop for a car repair, he just signs everything without asking, I ask, why and how much. Whenever I do manage to fix something, I am happy and proud too, but that miserabel feeling when you have been watching a few videos, trying to do it by yourself, and then that sinking feeling, after trying to fix it hour after hour, and nothing is working out, yeah, I don’t enjoy that

 

[Sally PB]

she is a Bull-Mastif and her fur is not long (1.5"), but very stiff, it would not be great yarn.

Does the yarn smell like the dog? She is terribly smelly, I wonder if her fur would wash clean if it were not attached to her.

Nope, I bet her hair would be about as comfortable as a Brillo pad. The 1.5" is not a problem though. Cotton fiber is usually shorter.

When I spun, I'd wash the raw fiber -- gently! -- in the sink with Dawn dish soap. Most of the smell is in the dander and the oils. Yes, when damp, you could still smell a bit of dog. Like wet wool has a certain smell.

 

[Sally PB]

I mentioned my "bag flag" fence hack. Here's a picture of what I mean. The twine is nylon, and so far, it is holding up just fine. I get about 12-14 flags per chicken feed bag, cutting them about 3" wide, the length of the bag.

I cut a hole in the middle of the strip so that I can tie the twine to each one.

Each section of twine is its own bit. That means LOTS of knot tying! But it also means that if one breaks, it doesn't take the whole ring down, just that one section. So far, none have broken.

By a whole lot of knot tying, I mean:
34 sections x 3 courses
Plus the knots holding the flags: 3 flags per section. You do the math; it'll make my head spin and my fingers ache.

The posts themselves were a HUGE freebie score. The place where DH works made a whole bunch of exterior signs for a local hospital for during Covid. When the signs were no longer needed, the DH's company took them down. The hospital DID NOT WANT those posts! DH's boss asked him if he did, and I told him, YES, he most certainly did want
25, ten foot, powder coated U-channel posts!

Priced online they were $53 each, plus shipping. I didn't even look up what shipping would be for over half a ton of steel.

I had most of the 2x3 welded wire fencing I needed from what we had originally, but some had to be replaced, and fence ain't cheap. I did buy 3 rolls of 50' at $70-85 each. At 4' high, deer can hop over it, easily. It would take another 7 rolls to go around the garden again. (Yeah, it's big: 145'x25')

The bags were free, the twine was about $50. I want to put up one more course through the very top hole in the posts, and I need another roll of twine for that.