What are your frugal and sustainable tips and tricks?

[MotherofOrpies]

I also have a double solar panel, each 400 watt, since the cost of energy is very high here in Germany, they should be paid off in 5 years, and they are supposed to last 20 years I must add I live in the region which is in 3. place of most sunshine in Germany…
I personally don’t reuse plastic containers for “wet” food, they are only for one time use, and I fear they give off particles which aren’t good for your health, so if I reuse them, only for dry stuff like pasta or pencils, screwdrivers , nails whatever

 

[gtaus]

I also have a double solar panel, each 400 watt, since the cost of energy is very high here in Germany, they should be paid off in 5 years, and they are supposed to last 20 years

IIRC, Germany is the leading country in household rooftop solar panel installations in Europe.

I don't know what the cost of energy is in Germany, but when I lived in Italy in the 1990's, I had to pay about 4X as much for electricity as I did back in the USA. Worse yet, the electricity was not dependable. We would constantly have brown outs and frequently total blackouts.

I remember having to buy a UPS battery backup system for my computer that cost me over $300 at the time. But it would give me clean power in the brown outs and I could run the computer for a few hours in a total black out.

I bet solar panels and a battery backup system for the whole house would be a good idea there. Not only to maybe save some money, but to have dependable energy when you need it.

BTW, I recently heard that Germany is producing so much energy on household rooftops, that the government is reducing the incentives for new installations. Is that correct?

 

[BDutch]

BTW, I recently heard that Germany is producing so much energy on household rooftops, that the government is reducing the incentives for new installations. Is that correct?

I dont know for Germany, but this is correct for the Netherlands. Bc the solar panels became relatively cheap there is no need to subsidise anymore.

Btw, maybe you had a lot of blackouts in Italy in the 90ties, but we surely didnt have much of them in the Netherlands. Back then every country or region had their own e-network. Some counties still had lots of wires above ground while in the Netherlands it was all in pipes in the ground (except the high voltage cables).

We do have new problems in NL nowadays, because the e-network hasn’t developed quickly enough for the demand of e-traffic and bc of the use of electricity by big data centres. Companies who want to install solar panels or who need a new connection often have to wait a very long time to get a connection.

 

[gtaus]

I dont know for Germany, but this is correct for the Netherlands. Bc the solar panels became relatively cheap there is no need to subsidise anymore.

I guess that would be a good thing that the price of solar panels have become relatively cheap. I know I keep looking into the solar power every year as our prices are coming down here too. In fact, a few months ago, I just attended our annual electric company's EV auto show and solar exhibits. Like I said, I am interested in the subject.

Unfortunately for us, we don't have many private or government incentives to go electric. I asked. Because our electric rates on the grid are much cheaper than other countries, there is just not the incentive to go all in for solar or EV autos where I live. Those people who were showing off their EVs at the auto show already had money to spare and were willing to pay a premium to be the first on the block to have an EV. Well, good for the first adopters. I hope someday the price and performance will get down to my budget....

On the plus side, many, many, people are going all battery powered on tools and outdoor equipment. I still have a big 8hp gas snow blower and some gas riding mowers, but almost all my other outdoor equipment is now battery operated. That includes push mowers, weed whackers, trimmers, cultivators, pruning saws, and chainsaws up to 18 inches bar length. The battery-powered outdoor tools I have just run better and last so much longer than the gas-powered tools I used in the past.

Btw, maybe you had a lot of blackouts in Italy in the 90ties, but we surely didnt have much of them in the Netherlands.

It was a great experience for me to live in Italy. But in Naples, Italy, where I was stationed, the public utilities were very expensive while at the same time not very dependable. I did not see any solar panels back in the early 1990's there in Naples, but a lot of us had large capacity portable battery UPS systems for our electronics so our computers, TV's, and stereos would not burn out during a brown out. I would think a large whole house battery, like a Tesla wall battery would have been great...

And running water was not guaranteed either back then. Many houses in Naples had large water storage tanks to get the family through periods when public water was not running. I can remember water being out for a few days at a time and we had to go to the Navy base gym to take showers. At least I had that option.

I am glad I now live somewhere with dependable electric and water utilities. Especially as I get older.

 

[BDutch]

I guess that would be a good thing that the price of solar panels have become relatively cheap. I know I keep looking into the solar power every year as our prices are coming down here too. In fact, a few months ago, I just attended our annual electric company's EV auto show and solar exhibits. Like I said, I am interested in the subject.

Unfortunately for us, we don't have many private or government incentives to go electric. I asked. Because our electric rates on the grid are much cheaper than other countries, there is just not the incentive to go all in for solar or EV autos where I live. Those people who were showing off their EVs at the auto show already had money to spare and were willing to pay a premium to be the first on the block to have an EV. Well, good for the first adopters. I hope someday the price and performance will get down to my budget....

34.7 percent of all new cars registered in the Netherlands in 2024 were fully electric.

Buying an electric car is more expensive. But maintenance is much cheaper than a fuel car️. Solar panels to fill the battery and a very nice bill for the yearly check in the garage are a big plus. We have our full electric car almost 5 years now. It has a range of about 380 km in winter and 420 km in summer.

On the plus side, many, many, people are going all battery powered on tools and outdoor equipment. I still have a big 8hp gas snow blower and some gas riding mowers, but almost all my other outdoor equipment is now battery operated. That includes push mowers, weed whackers, trimmers, cultivators, pruning saws, and chainsaws up to 18 inches bar length. The battery-powered outdoor tools I have just run better and last so much longer than the gas-powered tools I used in the past.

We bought a wireless battery-mower over a year ago. We love it.
Bought a pruning saw with the same battery type 2 months ago to make gardening a bit easier comparing to sawing manual.

It was a great experience for me to live in Italy. But in Naples, Italy, where I was stationed, the public utilities were very expensive while at the same time not very dependable. I did not see any solar panels back in the early 1990's there in Naples, but a lot of us had large capacity portable battery UPS systems for our electronics so our computers, TV's, and stereos would not burn out during a brown out. I would think a large whole house battery, like a Tesla wall battery would have been great...

View attachment 4028653

And running water was not guaranteed either back then. Many houses in Naples had large water storage tanks to get the family through periods when public water was not running. I can remember water being out for a few days at a time and we had to go to the Navy base gym to take showers. At least I had that option.

I am glad I now live somewhere with dependable electric and water utilities. Especially as I get older.

You make it sound like Napels didn’t recover from the second WW in the nineties. Here Napels was famous for the mafia. People saying they took money without delivering.

Were I lived we always had electricity (99,9% of the time, maybe it failed a few hours in a year.). Can’t remember we ever got problems with water or gas (through a pipeline) we used for cooking, central heating and warm water. We had a line for telephone and TV in those days too.

 

[MotherofOrpies]

Parts of Italy back in the day was really not modern, south Tyrol on the other hand is very modern. But… up to a few years ago, they only had satellite internet which was very spotty, the youth still went outside to play , that has changed in the last couple of years .

 

[gtaus]

34.7 percent of all new cars registered in the Netherlands in 2024 were fully electric.

That's amazing. I know California is going more and more into EVs, but I don't think they are anywhere near 34.7%. I checked on it and found out only 1% of people in California own EVs. Well, that's not a very big percentage, but I think they have the most ambitious EV goals of all our states - about 10 years in the future.

We have our full electric car almost 5 years now.

I still drive a 1993 Ford Explorer as my "work" vehicle that gets about 14 miles per gallon. Not great gas mileage, but I only pay about $15.00 per month in insurance and I only go into town maybe a couple times a month with that car. That comes out to about $10 in gas every month. If I have to tow a trailer loaded with stuff, that's my go to vehicle.

We bought a wireless battery-mower over a year ago.

Well, I guess I am ahead of you on the battery-powered outdoor equipment. I got my first weed whacker about 15 years ago and it still works great. I bought a small 10-inch battery chainsaw about 15 years ago. It was not very good, but it still works. Since then, I have purchased newer versions of those chainsaws over the past 7 years and they are great. I hardly ever use my gas Stihl chainsaw. It has been basically sitting in the shed for about 5 years.

I also have battery-powered cultivators, tillers, and pruners. Love the smaller sized options for most of my yard work. That's all I need and they get the job done.

The biggest problem I had with small gas engines for outdoor equipment is that the carburetors would get fouled up and not run right. It would cost as much, or sometimes more, to take the machine to the repair shop than buying a new one. I went through gas weed trimmers every 2-3 years because of fouled carbs. Never had a problem with the battery trimmers for the past 15 years. They just work every time I put in a fresh battery.

Here Napels was famous for the mafia.

Yeah, Naples was full of mafia when I was stationed there. Just part of life. I was not directly affected, just passing through. But we all heard stories...

Were I lived we always had electricity (99,9% of the time, maybe it failed a few hours in a year.)

I don't know for sure, but I think there was a big difference between northern and southern Italy in terms of dependable public utilities. I enjoyed my time in Naples, but when we visited Rome, it was always so much cleaner and just felt different. I never heard of power outages or water being shut off in Rome. But, I never lived there.

I lived and studied in France a couple of times and that was great. I also got to visit the Netherlands a number of times and that was really nice as well. In the early 1980's, I backpacked through Europe with a Eurail Pass for two summers as a college student and visited most of western Europe. Lots of nice people and great places to visit. It was truly the time of my life.

 

[BDutch]

The biggest problem I had with small gas engines for outdoor equipment is that the carburetors would get fouled up and not run right.

This is why we bought electric equipment with a cord in the past. Like our previous grass mower who died after 15 years, our hedge cutter (15 yo) and recently a branche shredder bc there is no reason to walk around with it. Electric on a cord works in a small garden too. But cordless is nicer to work with.

In the 1980's,

Yes, Europe was really great in those days. This is when my future husband and I hitchhiked to Greece a few times in our student days. It was a great way to meet all kind of other people an to go around without spending money . We slept on under the blue sky most of the time, often on beaches. In Greece we visited the famous ancient sites in tranquility, with just a few short invasions with tourist busses.
Hitchhiked to Paris ended up in Gent in the winter snow. Tried again in spring a couple of times and slept in very cheap hotels (once with cockroaches) but also enjoyed the musea and highlights of Paris.
When we had less time and travel tickets became affordable for us we travelled by plain, train and boat to get around too. Often in combination with (hitch)hiking until we got a car and children. Or was it the other way around?

 

[gtaus]

But cordless is nicer to work with.

When battery technology improved, it just made sense to go cordless. My old Ni-Cad tool batteries worked, but they had short run times and basically died in 2-3 years. It was a big jump forward with the new Lithium-Ion batteries. Much more power, longer run times, and the batteries last years and years longer.

I still have, and use, my Li-Ion batteries that are 15+ years old. I did a capacity check on a few of them about a year ago, and my oldest batteries had something like 85% of their original capacity still usable. That's really good in my book!

For some people who are interested, my 4Ah tool batteries cost me less than one cent to recharge and they will run my most power-hungry tools, like the weed trimmers and chainsaws, for about 20 minutes. I have stayed in the same Ryobi 18v tool line for almost 20 years, and they have not changed the battery design in all that time. My oldest Ryobi tools work even better with the newest batteries on the shelf today.

Yes, Europe was really great in those days. This is when my future husband and I hitchhiked to Greece a few times in our student days. It was a great way to meet all kind of other people an to go around without spending money

Nothing but good memories travelling through Europe back in my college days. I had a budget of about $10 per day for food and lodging. I stayed in Youth Hostels most of the time, but I too slept under the stars, on the rooftops, when I visited Greece. I also had a small 2-man tent that I used to sleep in. I remember camping out in Corfu in that tent for almost a week. We found a very nice campground and spent a few extra days there.

I spoke French well enough to get by in many countries that did not speak English. I had a little background in Italian and Spanish, enough to figure things out. I could get by in Germany because some of the words were familiar, but mostly Germans were good at English. I think the most important thing that I was young, broke, and willing to try to understand the natives in their own languages.

More in line with this thread, I remember hearing about the Green Party in a number of European countries when I lived and studied there in the early 1980's. Here, in the USA in 2025, we have some people that are more in agreement with some of the Green Party ideas, but really not so much as I would have thought over all those years.

I have to admit, it has only been in the last recent years that I have given much thought to sustainability. There seems to little incentive for changing our lifestyle for a more sustainable tomorrow. But some things have improved over time.

 

[fuzzi]

If we were to invest in solar power, it would be for the self sustainability. No way we'd make the cost back in our lifetimes at current power rates. We have talked about it.

And what isn't often discussed is the cost to manufacturer and, later on, dispose of the panels once they are no longer working well.

People living in places where there is extensive snow cover during the winter aren't going to be able to use a solar system.

And anyone who experiences severe weather with hail (much of the USA) will be replacing panels frequently.

Like wind turbines, solar energy systems do not recycle easily. Wind turbine blades are being buried became they're not recyclable.

Oh, but they're "green".

And let's not forget the cost of wildlife kills, either, from both wind and solar setups.

We use propane...it's cheap and it burns very clean.