What are your frugal and sustainable tips and tricks?

[BDutch]

I think I should make such a feeder that my chickens can eat from, but cats can't. A large part of the food recently goes to 3 hungry neighborhood cats who love a vegetarian meal for lunch.


I put an old piece of feta out for the chickens. A neighbor cat turned up a few minutes later. She had to wait for her share.

 

[gtaus]

I think I should make such a feeder that my chickens can eat from, but cats can't. A large part of the food recently goes to 3 hungry neighborhood cats who love a vegetarian meal for lunch.

I have my feeder and water fount inside the chicken coop. So far, I have not seen any unwanted visitors inside the coop. Last year I saw a few mice in the coop, but they could not get to the hanging bucket feeder. Probably enough spilled feed on the floor to keep the mice fed. But I have not seen any mice this winter.

 

[Somshine]

I keep a spray bottle of peroxide. I will reuse cardboard cartons a few times. But I always open them up spray them good with peroxide and let them dry. If I have to wash my eggs I mist them with peroxide and let them dry afterwards before I put them in the fridge. If they're clean I mist/dry them and put them in the fridge. We get a good bit and I sell them to my grooming clients so it's easier to put them straight in the fridge for organization and to keep them as fresh as possible.

 

[saysfaa]

A way to be frugal is to self-insure the products you buy. All those "few dollars for the extended warranty" add up. It doesn't take very many purchases without buying the warranty to save enough money to cover what would have been a claim if you had bought the extended warranty.

Or, if you don't want to keep track of how many purchases don't have problems - you might sell things that come with extended warranties and notice how hard companies push sales people to sell the warranty too.

 

[Sally PB]

The only extended (lifetime) warranty we jumped on was the one we bought for $3000 when we bought our 2007 Jeep in 2010. It covers the engine, drivetrain, transfer case, the electronics that go with those, and maybe other stuff too. We knew we'd be keeping it for a long time. Still have it, and the warranty has covered lots of repairs, much more than $3000 worth.

 

[gtaus]

A way to be frugal is to self-insure the products you buy.

There are very few products for which I even consider buying an extended warranty. I self-insure almost all my purchases and come out ahead.

But I also track all the standard warranties on my products, keeping the warranties and receipts in a folder. I highlight the purchase date and the warranty period, filing the paperwork by the end date of that warranty. If a product fails within the warranty period, then I have my records ready for my claim. If the product lasts longer the warranty, then I just toss the paperwork when no longer valid. Having all my warranties in one folder makes it easier for me to track stuff.

The problem with all warranties, is getting the company to honor their warranty. Some warranties are just not worth the paper they are printed on. Extended warranties tend to be the worst. That extended warranty you purchased 2 years ago no longer has value because that company went out of business. Don't believe me, check the BBB ratings of some of these third party extended warranty companies.

The only extended (lifetime) warranty we jumped on was the one we bought for $3000 when we bought our 2007 Jeep in 2010.

Sounds like you made the right decision for you on that warranty purchase.

I have a relative that purchased an extended warranty on his car and the transmission went out within the extended warranty period. That extended warranty company did everything they could to deny his claim, requiring him to submit paperwork for all oil changes for the past 3 years, required maintenance checks, etc... They had put in all kinds of special items in the warranty agreement that needed to be done, and paperwork saved by the owner. If not, they would deny coverage if the owner did not have everything recorded and receipts of service. After months of fighting with the warranty company, they finally agreed to replace the transmission, which only took another 7 months in the shop!

Point is, if you purchase an extended warranty, you had better read all the provisions in the agreement because they will hold you to the fine print of the contract if you file a claim. I suspect, most people don't read their contracts, don't keep their receipts of service and maintenance, and get denied coverage for what many would consider unrelated items. Like, why do you need oil change records and receipts for a failed transmission?

 

[TOMTE]

I self-insure almost all my purchases and come out ahead.

This might be a dumb question, but what does self-insuring entail?

 

[gtaus]

Speaking of warranties, I have learned that one of my favorite tool stores, Harbor Freight, has some of the worse warranties on their lower end products. I'm talking about a 90-day warranty on some power tools that many other brands give you a 3- or 5- year warranty on a similar item.

If you are buying a disposable tool for 90 days and you can save some money at HF, then maybe it's worth it. I take care of my tools and buy them for the long haul. Many tools in my garage are over 30 years old and still working.

Well, even HF has some tool lines with lifetime replacement warranties. They cost a bit more money, but maybe worth it just for the lifetime warranty. Buy the tool you need for the job. Sometimes the frugal thing to do is go cheap for a single project, other times it might be worth paying extra for a tool that will last a lifetime.

 

[gtaus]

This might be a dumb question, but what does self-insuring entail?

When you make a purchase, the extended warranty might cost somewhere between 10-20% for 2 or 3 years of extended warranty. Instead of giving the store another $10-$20 dollars on that $100.00 purchase for the extended warranty, I assume the risk and keep the money in my pocket. If the product lasts longer than the extended warranty, I consider that I have saved that money. Most of my products last longer than their warranty period, or even the extended warranty period. Over many purchases, I come out ahead on not buying extended warranties. If the product fails, and I have to buy a replacement, then I lose on that risk. That does not happen very often to me.

I suppose a person could actually set aside a pot of money saved from not buying those extended warranties. Then, if an item fails within that extended warranty period, replace an item from that pot of funds. Fortunately, I am in a position where I don't need to actually set aside money in a "warranty fund," but that is the idea of self-insuring.

I also use a related type of self-insuring my tools, and that is buying new tools on clearance just for their warranty period coverage. Some tools I need to have available at all times. For example...

I have many chainsaws of various sizes. I have 3 acres of wooded property and need to have a working chainsaw(s). When my old chainsaw out lived it's 5-year warranty last year, I bought a new chainsaw on clearance for about $90.00 with another 5-year standard warranty. That made more sense to me than paying about $50 for a 2-year extended warranty ($25 per year) on the previous chainsaw purchase. Now, I have 2 chainsaws that work, and one has a new 5-year warranty to cover my needs. I essentially paid less for a 5-year warranty ($18 per year) on a new chainsaw than what the store wanted to charge ($25 per year) for an extended warranty. Of course, the frugal part of that purchase was buying the new 5-year warrantied chainsaw at more than half-price clearance special deal.

I don't normally buy extra tools just for warranty period coverage, but with all the trees I have on my property, I need to have a working chainsaw(s) for cleanup after a storm, especially if a tree falls down and blocks my driveway.

Some tools will just wear out and need to be replaced. If you plan it right, it's often cheaper to buy a new tool with good warranties than paying extra for extended warranties on a purchase. Especially if you can buy the new tools on those holiday sales or clearance prices.

 

[TOMTE]

When you make a purchase, the extended warranty might cost somewhere between 10-20% for 2 or 3 years of extended warranty. Instead of giving the store another $10-$20 dollars on that $100.00 purchase for the extended warranty, I assume the risk and keep the money in my pocket. If the product lasts longer than the extended warranty, I consider that I have saved that money. Most of my products last longer than their warranty period, or even the extended warranty period. Over many purchases, I come out ahead on not buying extended warranties. If the product fails, and I have to buy a replacement, then I lose on that risk. That does not happen very often to me.

I suppose a person could actually set aside a pot of money saved from not buying those extended warranties. Then, if an item fails within that extended warranty period, replace an item from that pot of funds. Fortunately, I am in a position where I don't need to actually set aside money in a "warranty fund," but that is the idea of self-insuring.

I also use a related type of self-insuring my tools, and that is buying new tools on clearance just for their warranty period coverage. Some tools I need to have available at all times. For example...

I have many chainsaws of various sizes. I have 3 acres of wooded property and need to have a working chainsaw(s). When my old chainsaw out lived it's 5-year warranty last year, I bought a new chainsaw on clearance for about $90.00 with another 5-year standard warranty. That made more sense to me than paying about $50 for a 2-year extended warranty ($25 per year) on the previous chainsaw purchase. Now, I have 2 chainsaws that work, and one has a new 5-year warranty to cover my needs. I essentially paid less for a 5-year warranty ($18 per year) on a new chainsaw than what the store wanted to charge ($25 per year) for an extended warranty. Of course, the frugal part of that purchase was buying the new 5-year warrantied chainsaw at more than half-price clearance special deal.

I don't normally buy extra tools just for warranty period coverage, but with all the trees I have on my property, I need to have a working chainsaw(s) for cleanup after a storm, especially if a tree falls down and blocks my driveway.

Some tools will just wear out and need to be replaced. If you plan it right, it's often cheaper to buy a new tool with good warranties than paying extra for extended warranties on a purchase. Especially if you can buy the new tools on those holiday sales or clearance prices.

Thanks for the in depth explanation! Makes total sense!