What are your frugal and sustainable tips and tricks?

[gtaus]

Hubby is a dual ticket holding Electrician and Technician. So yes he knows about the charging and the memory problem with the old ones. He also knows about rotating - but his layout is nothing like as good as yours.

Well, all I did was build a battery shelf out of some pallet wood. I use a scrap block of wood as a marker to show where the next battery on the shelf to be used is. I just move the marker as I use my batteries and back fill the shelf with the freshly charged batteries. It helps me keep things in order for rotation, ensuring all the batteries get used. Total cost = ZERO dollars.

He started going from mostly cord to mostly battery 25/30yrs ago when the 1st ones appeared on the market.

I probably started buying battery tools 30 years ago, but only a few. I was not a big fan of the cost and lack of run time with the older Ni-Cad batteries. So, almost all my tools back then were corded. When the Li-Ion batteries improved the run time of my cordless tools, I started buying more Ryobi 18v tools. Since Ryobi promised to keep their 18v battery stem format, my old Ni-Cad era tools work even better with the newer Li-Ion batteries.

I'm just a DIYer, but I think most of my newer cordless tools are better than my older corded tools. Well, tools in general are just better today than what I remember 30 years ago. That's a good thing.

Of course, I don't think I ever rejected a project suggested by Dear Wife. Usually, it meant I could buy a new tool(s) for the project, save some money by doing it myself, and building my collection of tools for future projects.

 

[Finchbreeder]

His 1st major project for us was a double garage workshop (with room for motorbike) and a loft at our 1st home. We got that done without too much trouble (yes I made a passable builders labourer)
2nd MP was a 3x1x1 Double brick house.
3rd MP was a pair of 2x1x1 Double brick duplex.
By then we were slowing down - cause doing this sort of thing while working full time and raising a kid was not easy and kid 2 had just arrived.
4th MP a 4 car garage workshop with loft - by this time son was the labourer outside school hours.
5th MP is taking forever - reminder to self - building 500kms away comes with difficulties, not to mention the OTT new environmental building regs required in a City - Covid travel restrictions in the middle did not help with the timing - but we supported them anyway - maybe this Granny Flat will get finished in time for us to retire - but half the population have already retired at our age.

Life was always meant to be an adventure.

 

[gtaus]

Life was always meant to be an adventure.

Sounds like you have had an adventure. I have helped build some garages, sheds, decks, and a few other things, but not something as big as a house. Well, I helped build my grandparents lake cabin when I was a teenager, but did not do much of anything without being told what to do. Still, I was an extra hand and could swing a hammer.