What are your frugal and sustainable tips and tricks?

[samanthaoverton]

There are lots of YouTube videos on making self-watering planters out of 5-gallon buckets. Most of them use two buckets, with the bottom bucket used as the water reservoir. The advantage to that method is you use significantly less water than a typical planter with drain holes in the bottom. If interested, here is just one example of how to make the 5-gallon buckets self-watering planters...

If you understand the basic concept, and this sounds interesting to you, then you might want to consider this guy's "upgraded" version which holds even more water.

I built a sub-irrigated elevated planter using this guy's design from a different video. He seems to know his stuff. The sub-irrigated planter I built is my best producing planter and/or garden bed and at the same time the least work.

That's a neat idea..

 

[gtaus]

I wanted to get a second 40v battery for my Ryobi chainsaw for longer run times. Last fall, Home Depot had a sale on the Ryobi 40v snow shovel kit. I also had a $15 discount coupon and opened up a new credit card account for another $25 off. In the end, I got the entire kit for less than the price of the battery alone.

The frugal part, in addition to the initial purchase savings, is that I also have the Ryobi 40v grass trimmer(s), power brush, chainsaw, mini tiller, leaf blower, and brush cutter. All those tools use the same battery which saves you lots of money. If you can find a brand of tools that has everything you need, it's really to your advantage to stay in that line so you can just swap out the expensive battery from one tool to another.

I have a big 28 inch gas snow blower. Living in northern Minnesota, you need a good snow blower to clear the driveway - or be willing to wait for someone to plow your driveway and then pay them for the job. I chose to blow out my driveway.

Anyway, the big gas snow blower that I have costs something like $1500.00. The small 12-inch Ryobi 40v snow shovel is not designed to clear your driveway after a storm. However, it is an excellent option for clearing the deck and sidewalks. Yesterday, we got a light dusting of about 1 inch of snow. Instead of starting up my big snowblower, I just slapped a battery in the snow shovel and started to clear the driveway. To my surprise, that little 40v snow shovel lasted almost 45 minutes on one 4Ah battery. I got almost my entire driveway cleared. I ran the snow shovel until the battery stopped.

So, how much does it cost to recharge this 40v 4Ah battery? I wanted to know. So, I plugged the charger into my Kill-A-Watt meter and fully charged my 40v 40Ah battery. According to the reading on the meter, it took 0.13Kwh to fully charge the battery.

0.13Kwh X $0.12/Kwh electric rate = $0.0156! For less than 2 cents, I cleared my driveway!

The going rate for a pickup with a snowplow starts at $50 for a driveway where I live, and it goes up from there. Certainly not worth it to clear a couple inches of light snow. I'll do it myself as long as I am able.

Obviously, you pay a lot for the battery up front, but after that it's practically free to use. And it is so nice to be able to use the same battery in a number of different tools.

I know some people are resistant to buying into battery operated tools, but they do have some advantages. Back in the day, I used to have to replace my gas trimmers every 2-3 years. Since I went with battery operated trimmers, I have used the same trimmer(s) for 10 years because they do not have a carburetor to get all gunked up over our long winters.

I am wondering what other people think about these battery outdoor tools to make your life easier. Are they a good value to you, or not?

 

[raingarden]

Anything is better than a gas engine. I don't mind getting out the extension cord. But, the battery tools seem to be slowly replacing the corded tools.

 

[saysfaa]

... I am wondering what other people think about these battery outdoor tools to make your life easier. Are they a good value to you, or not?

Not.

Batteries do too much damage from mining the materials needed to build them and from disposing them after their usefull life.

Batteries or gas aren't the only options. I use hand tools for most things. I think they make my life easier than either gas or electric. It takes a longer for most things but isn't usually more difficult.

Fresh air, some mild exercise (or vigorous exercise if doing things faster) are additional benefits. And they are much, much easier to maintain and store.

I do like a powered lawnmower (gas). We are gradually turning a lot of the land the previous owners had as lawn into garden. I like some lawn, though.

I also like a tractor (diesel) for working acres-sized fields; although I do more of that with hand tools than most people do, too.

 

[Sally PB]

I like to use hand tools where I can. But gas and battery tools do a lot of things I (and hubby) can't. I can see both/all sides of this debate. I don't know what the answer is. My crystal ball is cloudy and cracked.

There are a lot of scenarios that I wish we could "rewind and do over" a different way to see if it's better or worse.

 

[gtaus]

Anything is better than a gas engine. I don't mind getting out the extension cord. But, the battery tools seem to be slowly replacing the corded tools.

Battery technology has come a long way in my lifetime. Those old rechargeable Ni-Cad batteries were not very good, cost a lot, and did not last very long. For me, the big turning point in power tools came with the Li-Ion battery, which held much more power, lasted much longer, but still, unfortunately, are expensive. Often times the battery is more expensive than the tool itself.

Until about 20 years ago, I only bought corded power tools. I tried to get into some battery tools, but the companies seemed to go out of business overnight, or the old Ni-Cad battery would die in a couple of years and nobody sold them anymore. I have a small collection of perfectly good, hardly used, battery tools that are paperweights for lack of a battery to run them.

I am not so much anti-gas engine as I have become more and more pro battery tools. I still have a large walk behind gas tiller that my smaller battery tillers cannot equal for large projects. I still have a gas Stihl chainsaw that I maintain in case I have a really big job and need long run times. I still have a big 2-stage 28 inch gas snowblower to clear the driveway after a heavy snowfall. It remains as my main snowblower. I still have a couple gas grass trimmers out in the shed, but I don't think I have used them in the last 4 years. They ran last time when I put them up in storage, but don't know if they would start and run today.

The main problem I have with my gas engines is that they do not get used enough and the carbs gunk up in the off season. If I cannot get a gas engine running, the cost of bringing it into our local repair shop is many times prohibitive. I think they want $100 just to look at a gas chainsaw, and it will cost you more to get it fixed. Often times the repairman will just tell me a gas engine is not worth fixing and I should put my money into something else.

Come to think of it, I was in our local Fleet shop a few weeks ago and they told me that they are selling out all their gas grass trimmers and going total battery trimmers from now on. As much as I like my battery trimmers, I don't know if lawn care professionals are willing to move to batteries given the shorter run time you get from a battery as compared to refilling a tank with gas and working all day.

But it seems that gas engines are on their way out, and I'm not too upset about that idea for my needs.

 

[gtaus]

Not.

Batteries do too much damage from mining the materials needed to build them and from disposing them after their usefull life.

Yes, mining for batteries is not a benefit to the environment. However, I am full of hope that our battery technology will continue to improve, and we will find less toxic materials for use in batteries. My old Ni-Cad batteries only lasted about 3 years, but I have a number of 10+ years old Li-Ion batteries that are still going strong. That's a big improvement in battery life.

Batteries or gas aren't the only options. I use hand tools for most things. I think they make my life easier than either gas or electric. It takes a longer for most things but isn't usually more difficult.

I like to save money where I can, and when I buy hand tools, I usually look for good quality, even at a higher price, because I want them to last a very long time. I can remember using grandpa's hand powered drill back when I was a kid. I prefer a battery powered drill any day! I spent a lot of time sawing boards with hand saws when I was younger, but I'll take out my battery powered saws for just about anything these days.

I do like a powered lawnmower (gas).

I have 3 gas riding mowers, but I have basically replaced my small gas push mower with a battery powered mower. I would like to replace my gas riding mowers with a battery powered riding mower, but I don't think the value is there yet.

I also like a tractor (diesel) for working acres-sized fields;

I think one has to consider the difference between a typical home user needs and those required by commercial or large scale needs. I almost bought a diesel tractor a couple of years ago (I have 3 acres of land), but I ended up repairing my gas riding mower for a fraction of the cost of a new diesel tractor.

Here is a frugal tip for anyone willing to attempt a repair yourself. Check out all those YouTube videos on small engine repairs. I was able to diagnose and repair my riding lawn mower (not starting) issue by watching a YouTube video, ordering the parts form Amazon, and fixing the problem myself. I paid less than $15.00 for the part I needed and saved about $150.00 in repair shop fees! And you know what? The repair was not difficult at all once you know how.

 

[canne50]

I try to live sustainably and sometimes I do and sometimes I don't! What are some of your tips or things that you can't do?

Example of things I do:
- no purposefully bought single use plastics in the home. This has been made much easier by the new variety of plant-based baggies and saran wraps!
- no spray cleaners, I use bar soap, bar shampoo, and bar conditioner (no bottles as the US doesn't really recycle plastics anymore and the pacific garbage patch is growing)
- Of course using egg cartons from friends and not buying eggs Also trying to grow as much of my own food as possible.

Examples of things I don't do :
- I still have my plastic toothbrush, floss, and toothpaste with fluoride.
- I am terrible about buying things from Amazon that comes with plastic bags.
- Chicken, dog, and rabbit food comes in plastic bags
- I still eat meat (but I grow some myself)
- I buy makeups, clothes, dog toys, and household items that aren't sustainable

What about you?

I am guilty!
I have attempted to be a responsible consumer while looking for alternatives. I love my cola from a can! There are just some things it is difficult to compromise with!
I do look for wild seasonal foods to supplement my flock’s diet. Red cactus fruit is a favorite of my feathered friends.
I’m thinking of flattening my soda cans, use braided shopping bags to weave into projects. The cans would be fun to build a coop or sun shelter for the flock. Recycling the cans does not pay enough at our recycle center. I’d rather use them to build!
I get so involved with ideas I sometimes forget what my original idea was!

 

[gtaus]

I like to use hand tools where I can. But gas and battery tools do a lot of things I (and hubby) can't. I can see both/all sides of this debate.

I'm all for using whatever tool works best for me. The older I get, the more I use powered tools. I'm OK with that. Even my hand tools have changed over the years. I used a one-wheeled wheelbarrow for about 40 years. But I moved on to the 4-wheeled Gorilla carts which carry more load, do not tip over, and can be hitched up to the riding mower if I have an extremely heavy load to move.

The frugal part of tool use is choosing a tool that lets you get the work done without sending you the hospital for a back injury, etc... In the last few years, I have started buying a number of tool accessories that I never needed when I was younger. Dear Wife will ask me why I bought a new something or another, and I just tell her that I'm not in my 20's anymore, I work alone, and need more help to prevent injury. She's OK with that.

 

[gtaus]

Recycling the cans does not pay enough at our recycle center. I’d rather use them to build!

If my recycle center was not on the way to town, I would not bother to recycle any pop cans either. I used to crush my soda cans, save them in big boxes, and haul them to the recycle center maybe once every 3-4 months. The amount of money I got for all that work was often not enough to pay for the gas to bring them to the recycle center. But, like I said, our pop can recycle center is on the way to town for me.

About a year ago, I gave up drinking soda - for health reasons. I now use powered mixes with water, using repurposed plastic orange juice bottles. I like the Iced Tea mixes, and a number of the berry options, but I have to admit that popcorn with iced tea lacks the punch of a nice cold soda.