What are your frugal and sustainable tips and tricks?

[gtaus]

I like to label, too, but the most important thing I want to do is place similar items together.

Yes, I do that, too. I like to have my totes filled with similar items. Like maybe a tote labeled "Painting Supplies" and inside you will have various brushes, rollers, paint sticks, etc... Or another tote labeled "Mower and Trimmer Supplies" where I keep all my oil filters, air filters, trimmer strings, and replacement line reels in one place.

I do have a couple of totes labeled "Misc Items" that are one-offs and I have yet to find a better home for them. Still, that's why I use those clear plastic bags and clear plastic bottles inside the totes. If I know something is not in a designated tote, then it does not take me too long to look through the misc. totes. Having said that, I try to go through those misc. totes about twice a year and see what I can move to a better storage location, or, heaven forbid, maybe donate some things to our local church charity Thrift Shop were someone else might have a use of that item(s).

Life can be funny. How many times have I saved something for years, never used it, decided to give it away, then weeks or a few months later have to go out and buy that item again? Never fails to happen to me.

 

[fuzzi]

Yes, I do that, too. I like to have my totes filled with similar items. Like maybe a tote labeled "Painting Supplies" and inside you will have various brushes, rollers, paint sticks, etc... Or another tote labeled "Mower and Trimmer Supplies" where I keep all my oil filters, air filters, trimmer strings, and replacement line reels in one place.

I do have a couple of totes labeled "Misc Items" that are one-offs and I have yet to find a better home for them. Still, that's why I use those clear plastic bags and clear plastic bottles inside the totes. If I know something is not in a designated tote, then it does not take me too long to look through the misc. totes. Having said that, I try to go through those misc. totes about twice a year and see what I can move to a better storage location, or, heaven forbid, maybe donate some things to our local church charity Thrift Shop were someone else might have a use of that item(s).

Life can be funny. How many times have I saved something for years, never used it, decided to give it away, then weeks or a few months later have to go out and buy that item again? Never fails to happen to me.

I always have at least one box labeled "MISC"!

 

[gtaus]

Here's an item that might fall under both the frugal and sustainable categories. It's a power cutter currently on sale at Menards.

For the frugal part, just a couple of years ago, these power cutters cost around $50.00 each. I bought my power cutter from Harbor Freight last year, on sale, with discounts, for just under $25.00. Now, Menards is selling essentially the same power cutter for less than $10.00, on sale, this week!

On the sustainable part, I use my power cutter to cut up all our cardboard boxes into strips to feed into my paper shredder. I use those cardboard shreds to mix in with my coop litter, which is mainly shredded paper for the past couple of years. All those paper and cardboard shreds used as coop litter get cleaned out twice and year and dumped outside into my chicken run composting system, where they break down in compost. I use that compost for my raised bed gardens, growing food for the family.

Previously, I tried cutting cardboard boxes with a big manual scissors, and my old hands starting cramping up after a short while. So, I never bothered trying to repurpose my cardboard at home. We just piled it up until we drove out to the recycle center maybe once a month. Honestly, I don't think much, if any, of that paper and cardboard gets recycled. My bet is that it ends up in a landfill somewhere. Since I got that power cutter, I have been able to cut all our Amazon and QVC shipping boxes into strips to feed into my paper shredders. It's been over a year since I have taken any paper products to the recycle center. Instead, it all now gets shredded as used as coop litter before making it into compost.

I like to think shredding paper and cardboard at home, using it as coop litter, turning it into compost, and then feeding the garden beds which grow food that we eat is a much better use of that "waste" product then pretending to recycle it at the collection center. I could be wrong about the recycling center, but at least I know that 100% of the paper products I shred at home are used for better purposes.

Anyways, if you are interested, here are more details...

Disclaimer: I purchased my power cutter from Harbor Freight just over a year ago. I use it all the time and it has had no problems. I have not purchased or used this specific power cutter from Menards, but I suspect it's the same Chinese model just rebranded for Menards. For comparison, here is a current listing of the Harbor Freight power cutter that I have...

 

[fuzzi]

Here's an item that might fall under both the frugal and sustainable categories. It's a power cutter currently on sale at Menards.

For the frugal part, just a couple of years ago, these power cutters cost around $50.00 each. I bought my power cutter from Harbor Freight last year, on sale, with discounts, for just under $25.00. Now, Menards is selling essentially the same power cutter for less than $10.00, on sale, this week!

On the sustainable part, I use my power cutter to cut up all our cardboard boxes into strips to feed into my paper shredder. I use those cardboard shreds to mix in with my coop litter, which is mainly shredded paper for the past couple of years. All those paper and cardboard shreds used as coop litter get cleaned out twice and year and dumped outside into my chicken run composting system, where they break down in compost. I use that compost for my raised bed gardens, growing food for the family.

Previously, I tried cutting cardboard boxes with a big manual scissors, and my old hands starting cramping up after a short while. So, I never bothered trying to repurpose my cardboard at home. We just piled it up until we drove out to the recycle center maybe once a month. Honestly, I don't think much, if any, of that paper and cardboard gets recycled. My bet is that it ends up in a landfill somewhere. Since I got that power cutter, I have been able to cut all our Amazon and QVC shipping boxes into strips to feed into my paper shredders. It's been over a year since I have taken any paper products to the recycle center. Instead, it all now gets shredded as used as coop litter before making it into compost.

I like to think shredding paper and cardboard at home, using it as coop litter, turning it into compost, and then feeding the garden beds which grow food that we eat is a much better use of that "waste" product then pretending to recycle it at the collection center. I could be wrong about the recycling center, but at least I know that 100% of the paper products I shred at home are used for better purposes.

Anyways, if you are interested, here are more details...

View attachment 3983772
View attachment 3983774

Disclaimer: I purchased my power cutter from Harbor Freight just over a year ago. I use it all the time and it has had no problems. I have not purchased or used this specific power cutter from Menards, but I suspect it's the same Chinese model just rebranded for Menards. For comparison, here is a current listing of the Harbor Freight power cutter that I have...

View attachment 3983777

I wish we had a Menards...

 

[gtaus]

I wish we had a Menards...

I understand that Menards might be more of a regional store than nationwide. I have a Menards and a Home Depot where I live, but no Lowe's. Our Home Depot seems to be struggling post pandemic, but I hope they survive.

Retail is hard. Our local Office Depot used to be a jumping place, but they went out of business this summer. They merged with OfficeMax, I am told, a number of years ago, and their prices and goods were never the same. Slow death to a once thriving store. I stopped shopping there a few years ago because everything in their store was a lot more expensive than buying off of Amazon. And, frankly, they no longer carried most of the items I was interested in buying.

I only mentioned the power cutters at Menards because it is one of those tools that I use all the time with my backyard flock. In the past 2-3 years, that tool has gone from over $50.00 to less than $10.00. I'll probably pick up one at Menards as a backup, or even just to have an extra blade for the one I am currently using. Yes, it's worth buying just for the blade...

It's not a must have tool, but if your old hands cramp up like mine when using a heavy-duty scissors, this power cutter is a great tool. Anyone who has hand strength challenges will love this tool.

Of course, one could always use a razor utility knife, but those require a lot more care when using them not to cut oneself. I don't think it is possible to cut yourself with one of these power cutters. They are a lot safer in that respect.

It also fits into the category of sustainable tips because I now process all our shipping boxes into cardboard shreds that I use as coop litter, then compost... Before I got those power cutters, I would shred almost all our "normal" paper products, but not the cardboard. Now, everything is used at home, and it's been well over a year since I sent any cardboard to the recycle center. I know my paper and cardboard products are 100% recycled. That's nice.

BTW, I recently read an article on the recycling laws here in Minnesota. When we bring our recyclables to a center, they are mandated to "recycle" those products. But that does not mean that they are reused to make new products. In the very fine print, selling the "recyclable goods" goods to a third world country "for processing" is also considered to be recycling those materials. That's why I say, I think most of our recyclable goods that we bring to the center are shipped off to another country where they end up in someone else's landfill. How is that any good? Better I use those paper products for coop litter here at home.

 

[Sally PB]

Of course, one could always use a razor utility knife, but those require a lot more care when using them not to cut oneself.

Not only that, you need a safe surface to cut on.

At my old job, a utility knife and a safe straight edge were things I used daily. Even now, when I need to cut a sheet of cardboard (for whatever reason), I automatically think, "Where's my utility knife?"

When we worked in the darkroom (the good old days!), we had safety razors -- just the blade -- lying on the shelf. You always put it back back in THAT spot. When you needed to open a new box of light sensitive photo paper in the dark, you cut the (really tough) tape with the blade. I never once cut myself with a razor blade. Not once in years of working in a darkroom.

 

[gtaus]

I never once cut myself with a razor blade. Not once in years of working in a darkroom.

I grew up in a small town. Among my high school hobbies and interests was photography. I was the Yearbook business manager and photographer (we all had multiple duties back in the day). Not too many of us had the skills to develop our own black and white film and make prints. I also had a darkroom at home. I would take pictures, and my mother would write up articles for our local newspaper. It gave me a little extra money every time one of my pictures made it into the newspaper.

Do kids today even know what a local newspaper was? Ancient history I imagine.

In any case, I have been using razor utility knives for 50+ years, and like you, I am happy to say I never cut myself. However, I have heard of many people who have slipped and cut themselves with the razor and that was always enough to scare the heck out of me.

I have a small drawer full of utility knives and blades out in the garage. It's still the perfect tool for many jobs. And, they are cheap. Well, at least the ones I bought on sale at Menards which sometimes you can get for FREE after rebates.

The power cutter that I have talking about is just a lot safer, especially for use inside the house. But good for both of us to have never had an accident with the razor knives.

 

[gtaus]

Updated Review of Split Leather Work Gloves

One of my favorite gloves, in the past, has been the split leather work gloves which were always of decent quality at an affordable price. They are sold in many stores...

I bought a few 6-packs of these gloves at Menards, on sale, last year and paid around $1.00 per pair. I thought that was a great deal. Unfortunately, it was not.

The quality of those work gloves has really gone downhill. Almost half the gloves had rips and/or tears in the glove as I pulled it out of the package. I had never seen that before. Some of the gloves had leather so thin that you could see light through it. Even the gloves that were not damaged as I took them out of the package only lasted a few weeks whereas before I was getting months and months of use out of them.

I don't mind having to replace my gloves after they have provided good service for a few months, but when they are no good when you take them out of the package, that is really disappointing. At least I have been able to mix and match a good left glove from one pair with a good right glove on another pair. But you should not have to do that.

Just wondering what others are using for inexpensive work gloves, as I will be looking for other options. I do have some higher quality leather gloves, but they also cost a whole lot more. I save them for more serious work. In the past, these inexpensive split leather gloves were the best choice for most of the work I do. I am just really disappointed in the quality of the gloves that I purchased in those 6-packs.

 

[Sally PB]

Among my high school hobbies and interests was photography. I was the Yearbook business manager and photographer (we all had multiple duties back in the day). Not too many of us had the skills to develop our own black and white film and make prints. I also had a darkroom at home.

Hubby has built a B&W darkroom in the basement. He shoots 4x5 sheet film and prints 8x10 prints.

Not an inexpensive hobby, for sure. Some frugalities are possible, like making a film drying rack for sheet film.

 

[Sally PB]

I needed to get sweatpants because the elastic in my old pair was shot and they were too loose around the waist. So I bought two pair at the local Goodwill. When I got them home, I discovered they didn't have any pockets!

I decided to cut up the old pair and make patch pockets to sew on the new pairs (new-to-me, I mean).

I now have the only pale lavender and sky blue sweats with navy pockets on them. One of a kind, each of them.