What are your frugal and sustainable tips and tricks?

[igorsMistress]

Just a little cross-post from the gardening thread because I think it works as well here on frugal tips...

Earlier this past summer, I talked to one of the managers at Menards and asked him why they had so many tote lids but no totes in the store. He told me people had figured out that a $20 industrial tote was bigger and less expensive than the "planter boxes" they sold in the garden center for over $100 each. Essentially, they are both plastic containers, so lots of people bought out all the large totes to grow food in but did not need the lids.

For example, a 40-Gallon Tote for $20.00...

And their 32-Gallon Raised Bed in the garden center...

I know the pictures look deceiving, but that is why I said the tote was 40-Gallons and the planter was only 32-Gallons. The tote is actually bigger. The Elevated Garden Bed on legs might look better but I would bet that the industrial black tote is stronger and would last longer. At any rate, lots of gardeners agreed and they bought out all the large totes for use as planters. Bottom line, you can buy 5 totes with over 5X the growing capacity for the price on only one of those elevated raised beds.

Yup, I have a few of these totes and I’m using them as planters. It’s ridiculous, but I understand that people want their yards to look nice and some folks would spend that money on a specialty item like that.

 

[ChicksnMore]

Yup, I have a few of these totes and I’m using them as planters. It’s ridiculous, but I understand that people want their yards to look nice and some folks would spend that money on a specialty item like that.

I've been using rubber water bowls I buy at the feed store like this:

Last time I bought some it was about $40 for about 40 gallons. That's been a long while ago so price might have gone up. These things last forever though and I drill the drainage holes up about an inch or two on the sides to make a water reservoir on most of them. That's the best part of using totes or things like this...you can change up where you drill the holes to suit the drainage needs of the plants going in them.

 

[TooCheep]

Yup, I have a few of these totes and I’m using them as planters. It’s ridiculous, but I understand that people want their yards to look nice and some folks would spend that money on a specialty item like that.

I'm convinced that these are mostly being sold to people who know *nothing* about gardening. Way too much money and too little capacity for any serious garden.

 

[gtaus]

Yup, I have a few of these totes and I’m using them as planters. It’s ridiculous, but I understand that people want their yards to look nice and some folks would spend that money on a specialty item like that.

I don't want to put down people who buy those elevated planters for $100.00, maybe that's exactly what they want or need, but I try to get the word out that you can just walk over to the home storage department and get a bigger, stronger tote and use that as a planter for only $20.00.

I've been using rubber water bowls I buy at the feed store like this:

Last time I bought some it was about $40 for about 40 gallons. That's been a long while ago so price might have gone up. These things last forever

I have 3 of those rubber feed pans, but none as big as 40-gallons. They do last forever. However, where I live, they are quite expensive. I think the biggest one at our Fleet store is only 2-gallons and that sells for $10.00. Much too small for use as a planter.

They do have one oval container that is 40-gallons, but I don't know if it is made out of that heavy rubber. I have never seen it sold where they have the rubber feeder pans. I will have to check it out next time I go to the Fleet store.

At $50.00, it's half the price of that $100.00 elevated planter at Menards, but more than 2X as much as one of the $20.00 industrial black totes.

I'm convinced that these are mostly being sold to people who know *nothing* about gardening. Way too much money and too little capacity for any serious garden.

Yeah, I probably think about costs maybe too much. If you need a watertight container for a wicking planter, or a container that you can put out on your deck, then the 40-gallon black totes would great at $20.00.

Having said that, I make 4X4 foot 16-inch-high raised garden beds out of free pallet wood and that costs me less than $2.00 for the screws and nails I use to build it. That size of raised bed holds 160-gallons in comparison. I fill the bottom with free hügelkultur wood and top it off with topsoil and chicken run compost mixed 1:1. It's not waterproof, but they work really well with the hügelkultur wood which acts like a giant sponge holding water until the plants need it.

Here is a picture of one of my $2.00 pallet wood raised beds version 2.0 filled with cherry tomatoes...

For raised garden beds out in the yard, that pallet wood raised bed is my best bang for the buck. I should get at least 5 years out of it before it needs to be replaced. But I made it so it is easy to replace a few rotted boards, if needed. With luck, I might get even more years out of it. If not, I can make another new $2.00 pallet wood raised bed in about an hour or less.

That's pretty frugal!

 

[igorsMistress]

I don't want to put down people who buy those elevated planters for $100.00, maybe that's exactly what they want or need, but I try to get the word out that you can just walk over to the home storage department and get a bigger, stronger tote and use that as a planter for only $20.00.



I have 3 of those rubber feed pans, but none as big as 40-gallons. They do last forever. However, where I live, they are quite expensive. I think the biggest one at our Fleet store is only 2-gallons and that sells for $10.00. Much too small for use as a planter.

They do have one oval container that is 40-gallons, but I don't know if it is made out of that heavy rubber. I have never seen it sold where they have the rubber feeder pans. I will have to check it out next time I go to the Fleet store.

View attachment 3668684

At $50.00, it's half the price of that $100.00 elevated planter at Menards, but more than 2X as much as one of the $20.00 industrial black totes.



Yeah, I probably think about costs maybe too much. If you need a watertight container for a wicking planter, or a container that you can put out on your deck, then the 40-gallon black totes would great at $20.00.

Having said that, I make 4X4 foot 16-inch-high raised garden beds out of free pallet wood and that costs me less than $2.00 for the screws and nails I use to build it. That size of raised bed holds 160-gallons in comparison. I fill the bottom with free hügelkultur wood and top it off with topsoil and chicken run compost mixed 1:1. It's not waterproof, but they work really well with the hügelkultur wood which acts like a giant sponge holding water until the plants need it.

Here is a picture of one of my $2.00 pallet wood raised beds version 2.0 filled with cherry tomatoes...

View attachment 3668702


For raised garden beds out in the yard, that pallet wood raised bed is my best bang for the buck. I should get at least 5 years out of it before it needs to be replaced. But I made it so it is easy to replace a few rotted boards, if needed. With luck, I might get even more years out of it. If not, I can make another new $2.00 pallet wood raised bed in about an hour or less.

That's pretty frugal!

I didn’t mean to imply you were putting anyone down, just commenting. I use the totes, but would I love a raised bed thing like that on patio? You betcha!

 

[igorsMistress]

I just got home from the craft store as I needed a few small picture frames. They were having a sale, buy one get one 50% off and some were on clearance. I got four cute frames for $6 after the sale and my $5 rewards. Not bad considering it would have been $16 otherwise.

 

[Sally PB]

One thing I find that helps me be frugal is to have good idea of the usual price for things we always want to have on hand. For instance, our very spoiled dog gets a lot of rawhide twist sticks. The usual price is $17.99 (!) for 100. Sometimes they are buy one, get one 40% off, which equals $10.80. That's when I stock up. I have 3 bags of those out in the pantry.

Same deal with the antacid DH uses. And after the back-to-school sales is when I can get socks and underwear really cheap. I won't need new undies for at least another 2 years.

Since we live "way out" in the boonies, I need to know if we're going to run out of something. I don't want to make a trip to the store for one or two things. So I have some notations I put on my shopping list. If the item is underlined, I am nearly out, so I need to buy it, on sale or not. If we have some, but I don't want to miss a good price, I write, "IOS" next to the item on the list. That means, If On Sale. Not on sale, not buying it. If it is on sale at a good price, I stock up.

 

[gtaus]

I didn’t mean to imply you were putting anyone down, just commenting. I use the totes, but would I love a raised bed thing like that on patio? You betcha!

I try to be extra careful in not offending anyone. I have made a comment or two on the BYC forums that were taken in unexpected ways from what I intended. That happens when we communicate in text only and the receiver cannot pick up on other clues that we would when talking face to face.

At any rate, this is a thread on being frugal and more self-sustainable. So, I would hope that pointing out less expensive ways to accomplish something would be more welcome here and that anybody interested in this thread might be looking for those tips.

I did not take it that you were implying I was putting anyone down. So, no worries there. I just know that there are some people that the $100.00 elevated planter is what they want despite other less expensive options. As frugal as I try to be, there are certain things in life that I pay extra for just because it's worth it to me. Not many things, but some....

 

[NanaK]

One thing I find that helps me be frugal is to have good idea of the usual price for things we always want to have on hand. For instance, our very spoiled dog gets a lot of rawhide twist sticks. The usual price is $17.99 (!) for 100. Sometimes they are buy one, get one 40% off, which equals $10.80. That's when I stock up. I have 3 bags of those out in the pantry.

Same deal with the antacid DH uses. And after the back-to-school sales is when I can get socks and underwear really cheap. I won't need new undies for at least another 2 years.

Since we live "way out" in the boonies, I need to know if we're going to run out of something. I don't want to make a trip to the store for one or two things. So I have some notations I put on my shopping list. If the item is underlined, I am nearly out, so I need to buy it, on sale or not. If we have some, but I don't want to miss a good price, I write, "IOS" next to the item on the list. That means, If On Sale. Not on sale, not buying it. If it is on sale at a good price, I stock up.

I do this too. With grocery prices like they are I try to keep extra of the things we use often. By buying things on sale I spend less over all.
I hardly ever have to go to town for just one item anymore. I keep a list in the kitchen I add to as 'use often' items get low. Less trips to the store means less gas in the truck too.

 

[LizzzyJo]

I try to be extra careful in not offending anyone. I have made a comment or two on the BYC forums that were taken in unexpected ways from what I intended. That happens when we communicate in text only and the receiver cannot pick up on other clues that we would when talking face to face.

At any rate, this is a thread on being frugal and more self-sustainable. So, I would hope that pointing out less expensive ways to accomplish something would be more welcome here and that anybody interested in this thread might be looking for those tips.

I did not take it that you were implying I was putting anyone down. So, no worries there. I just know that there are some people that the $100.00 elevated planter is what they want despite other less expensive options. As frugal as I try to be, there are certain things in life that I pay extra for just because it's worth it to me. Not many things, but some....

I just thought you were being helpful!