What are your frugal and sustainable tips and tricks?

[gtaus]

I think burlap is a great idea actually. I’ve used both food grade and non food grade buckets here depending on the purpose. The food grade break down after 2 to 3 years if they get regular sun.

I think the burlap would help as a sun screen. Where I live, I have had some 5 gallon buckets outside in the garden for ~10 years. I think location matters.

 

[igorsMistress]

I think the burlap would help as a sun screen. Where I live, I have had some 5 gallon buckets outside in the garden for ~10 years. I think location matters.

Wow! That’s impressive. I agree, location definitely plays a part.

 

[gtaus]

Here is a frugal tip to consider - CULL wood carts.

Today, I was in the Home Depot and decided to look into how much panel boards cost these days. They are still expensive, but nowhere near as expensive during the height of the COVID-19 lockdown days. I was talking to one of the young men working in the lumber section, and told him I was looking for utility shelving board about 1/8 or 1/4 inch thick.

He showed me some new 4X8 wood sheet panels, but suggested I check out the "CULL" wood pile because he just put a nice 4X8 sheet of pressed board on the cart for only $2.00. He told me that it had been used as a shelf liner, and was in great condition. And, it was just like new. Since I was driving the old Camry, not my pickup, I had them cut up the sheet into 2X4 foot sections. That should be perfect for a number of projects I can think of.

A new sheet of that wood panel costs $12.98, but I took it home for only $2.00.

The CULL wood cart at our Home Depot marks down the lumber by 70%, sometimes more. He showed me some 12-foot long 2X4's that were tossed into the CULL cart because they had a bend or bow at one end. You could still get a nice 8 or 10 foot cut out of that wood for the 70% off the 12-foot $4.54 price, or $1.36 after the CULL discount.

I do a lot of pallet wood projects, but those pallet 2X4 pieces are 4 foot long normally. Every once in a great while I might find an oversized pallet that is 6 or 8 feet long, but that is rare. Of course, the advantage to CULL wood is that you don't have to disassemble the pallet and that there are no nails or screws in the CULL wood to worry about if you need to cut the boards. So, check out the CULL wood cart to see if you can find any treasure in there and save yourself lots of money.

 

[Sally PB]

I'm going to look for the CULL cart next time we're at HD, or see if Menards has one. I didn't know they had such a thing.

 

[gtaus]

I'm going to look for the CULL cart next time we're at HD, or see if Menards has one. I didn't know they had such a thing.

It won't cost you anything to ask and check out the cart(s) if they have CULL wood. I got a good deal today, so that's why I'm posting. Hope it helps someone else save some money.

 

[LizzzyJo]

It won't cost you anything to ask and check out the cart(s) if they have CULL wood. I got a good deal today, so that's why I'm posting. Hope it helps someone else save some money.

I often look at ours but they’re pretty picked over and tend to be heavily split or warped. I always look though! Good call!

 

[NanaK]

Here is a frugal tip to consider - CULL wood carts.

YES! Good call!

I didn't know they had such a thing.

Oh, yes! Our local Lowes calls it the reject or discounted pile.

I often look at ours but they’re pretty picked over and tend to be heavily split or warped. I always look though! Good call!

Ours too.

 

[gtaus]

I often look at ours but they’re pretty picked over and tend to be heavily split or warped. I always look though! Good call!

Well, I imagine the good stuff gets picked out fast. But no harm in looking for something that might be just what you needed. I know I got lucky today. But I almost always walk by the CULL carts to see if anything jumps out at me. You never know unless you look.

 

[gtaus]

Playing the rebate game to save money? I do.

The other day I was in Menards and took advantage of some tools that were free, or almost free, after rebate. Those rebate deals to get you into the store can save you a lot of money if it is something that you will use and if you actually send in the rebates. I bought a couple of levels, normally $6.99 each, but $0.99 after rebate and 2 lbs of wood screws that sell for $3.99/lb box but were FREE after rebate. So, I was able to buy $22.00 worth of tools for $2.00 after rebate.

I use the levels for all kinds of things, including using it as a straight edge for marking my boards. I go through lots of screws making all kinds of pallet projects. What's not to like about a FREE supply of screws to put to good use?

Here's a bonus tip if you play the Menard's rebate game. Did you know that if you use the Menard's rebate check for buying taxable items (tools, household goods, etc....) that you will not have to pay tax again on the amount you cash in on the rebate? That saves you additional money you might be aware of.

For example, let's make the state tax on taxable items 10% to make the math easier. If you bought $10.00 worth of tools, you would get charged $10.00 plus $1.00 in tax for a total of $11.00. However, if you bought those $10.00 worth of tools and you cashed in the rebate check, then you only pay $10.00 off the amount of your rebate check!

However, if you purchased $10.00 worth of non-taxable food items and used that same rebate check, you still pay $10.00 off the rebate check amount and lose that $1.00 in tax you could have used on a taxable item.

I don't know if all store rebate checks work the same way as Menards, but if you shop Menards and play the rebate game, then make sure you don't use the rebate check to buy non-taxable items.

I always separate my taxable and non-taxable items at Menards, and at the checkout, I tell the checkout person that I am paying for the "food" items separately. They don't care, and you save all that money on the rebate check for taxable purchases where you can take advantage of not having to pay the tax on those items.

OK, so maybe not a big deal if you are only talking about $10.00, but I typically have $100's of dollars of Menards rebates throughout the year and can easily save a nice amount of money over time knowing how to separate my purchases.

I have some rental property, so last year I spent almost $2000 in tools and supplies (with a smaller amount of personal use items) at Menards. Out of that, about $1500 was earned back in rebates. Plus, the hidden $200 in tax saved by only using the rebate check for taxable items. Essentially, I bought $2000 worth of items at Menards and paid only about $300 out of pocket after cashing in those rebates!

 

[ChicksnMore]

I just found this thread! Just about everything I do has been covered already!

I haven't read through all the posts yet, but wanted to mention a couple ideas I haven't seen yet.

Styrofoam can be broken into chunks and used at the bottom of landscape plants. Both in pots and in the ground to add a drainage layer. I loved packing peanuts for that but never see them anymore...so now I break up sheet styrofoam for it.

I scatter pond buckets through out my garden. I can grow water loving edibles in them and when I only have a few plants that need water, I can scoop some from them without turning on the hose. Saves a tiny bit of water ands pretty to boot. I grow Minari in mine and watercress. My Minari kinda took over though.

Pots from store bought plants can usually be donated to plant businesses. Here I donate them to a place called Desert Survivers. They reuse them.

Lots of great ideas on here...I'm looking forward to reading through all the posts.

Where I need to do better is gasoline. Everything is a 30 - 45 minute drive from our house. Hubby and my eldest both drive that far daily for work...so an hour to an hour an a half driving to and fro on weekdays. Kinda horrible.