What are your frugal and sustainable tips and tricks?

[gtaus]

I see on the TV news that lots of people are getting hit hard by bad weather with storms knocking down trees all over the place. I have always had chainsaws in my garage and shed, but for those who don't, it can cost a small fortune to hire someone to clean up after a storm. "Storm chasers" around here are noted for charging exorbitant fees. A normal tree removal fee can increase at least $1000.00 after a storm. If you can do some, or all, of the cleanup job yourself, you might be much better off.

Home Depot is currently clearing out their Ryobi 18v 8-inch pruning chainsaws, regular price $119.00 now on Clearance for $49.00 if you can find one at your local HD. This model is now 2+ years old and being replaced with bigger, and more expensive, models. This clearance model does not seem to be available online anymore. So, you have to check the stores.

Although I am talking about this Ryobi model, you can apply many of these comments to any brand battery chainsaw....

The 8-inch chain is good for pruning, but you are really limited to an effective cut of around 6 inches max. You can cut of the limbs of many fallen trees, but this is not a chainsaw to initially cut down that big tree.

I just watched a YouTube video where a guy upgraded his bar and chain on this Ryobi pruning chainsaw with a 14-inch bar/chain combo. That's an upgrade that will not cost you an arm and a leg. That will let you cut a much larger branch. It will not make the chainsaw more powerful, however, so it's still mainly good for lopping off branches and cutting up small stuff. With a 14-inch bar and chain on this chainsaw, you could probably cut up a good-sized tree trunk that fell down from a storm - it would just not be very fast.

I have a number of chainsaws, and my biggest gas-powered 16-inch chainsaw is the chainsaw that hardly ever gets used. Almost all my yard work is done with my smaller 14-inch and 12-inch battery chainsaws. The biggest advantage to me with these battery chainsaws is that I just have to slap a fresh battery in a chainsaw and go to work. With the gas chainsaw, I have to find gas and oil, and then fight with it to get it started and running.

True story: A couple summers ago we had a big windstorm come through where I live. My neighbor's large tree was knocked over, on to his driveway, blocking his cars and he could not get out. I loaded up my battery chainsaws, a bunch of batteries, and headed down to his house to help him clear his driveway. He said he had a gas chainsaw but was happy to accept my help in clearing his driveway. Long story short, I slapped in fresh batteries and started cutting up the tree. I finished cutting off all the branches and then started cutting up the bigger trunk. By the time he found his gas and oil and was able to get his chainsaw started and running, the job was mostly done. Of course, he too had trouble getting his chainsaw to run because it had not been used in a long time. He ended up buying a battery chainsaw after that because he was tired of fighting with his chainsaw to get it running.

Anyways, for the price of this pruning chainsaw and maybe a little more for an upgraded longer bar and chain, you can cut up lot of those trees that might fall down from a storm. Even if it's not your main chainsaw, if you have a helper to cut off the branches on the tree, your cleanup will go much faster.

Yes, I still have a big gas-powered chainsaw in the shed, but honestly, I use the smaller battery chainsaws for about 98% of my jobs around the house.

The frugal part of this pruning chainsaw is the Clearance price. The sustainable part might be that you don't have to maintain these chainsaws like gas chainsaws. You can use a battery chainsaw, put it away for a year, and it still will run as good as new with a fresh battery. If you are already in a line of power tools, I would recommend trying to stay in that battery line because it's less expensive that way. I have been in the Ryobi 18v line of tools and batteries for almost 20 years, and they have served me well for my limited DIY/Homeowner use.

 

[fuzzi]

I see on the TV news that lots of people are getting hit hard by bad weather with storms knocking down trees all over the place. I have always had chainsaws in my garage and shed, but for those who don't, it can cost a small fortune to hire someone to clean up after a storm. "Storm chasers" around here are noted for charging exorbitant fees. A normal tree removal fee can increase at least $1000.00 after a storm. If you can do some, or all, of the cleanup job yourself, you might be much better off.

Home Depot is currently clearing out their Ryobi 18v 8-inch pruning chainsaws, regular price $119.00 now on Clearance for $49.00 if you can find one at your local HD. This model is now 2+ years old and being replaced with bigger, and more expensive, models. This clearance model does not seem to be available online anymore. So, you have to check the stores.

View attachment 3742320
Although I am talking about this Ryobi model, you can apply many of these comments to any brand battery chainsaw....

The 8-inch chain is good for pruning, but you are really limited to an effective cut of around 6 inches max. You can cut of the limbs of many fallen trees, but this is not a chainsaw to initially cut down that big tree.

I just watched a YouTube video where a guy upgraded his bar and chain on this Ryobi pruning chainsaw with a 14-inch bar/chain combo. That's an upgrade that will not cost you an arm and a leg. That will let you cut a much larger branch. It will not make the chainsaw more powerful, however, so it's still mainly good for lopping off branches and cutting up small stuff. With a 14-inch bar and chain on this chainsaw, you could probably cut up a good-sized tree trunk that fell down from a storm - it would just not be very fast.

I have a number of chainsaws, and my biggest gas-powered 16-inch chainsaw is the chainsaw that hardly ever gets used. Almost all my yard work is done with my smaller 14-inch and 12-inch battery chainsaws. The biggest advantage to me with these battery chainsaws is that I just have to slap a fresh battery in a chainsaw and go to work. With the gas chainsaw, I have to find gas and oil, and then fight with it to get it started and running.

True story: A couple summers ago we had a big windstorm come through where I live. My neighbor's large tree was knocked over, on to his driveway, blocking his cars and he could not get out. I loaded up my battery chainsaws, a bunch of batteries, and headed down to his house to help him clear his driveway. He said he had a gas chainsaw but was happy to accept my help in clearing his driveway. Long story short, I slapped in fresh batteries and started cutting up the tree. I finished cutting off all the branches and then started cutting up the bigger trunk. By the time he found his gas and oil and was able to get his chainsaw started and running, the job was mostly done. Of course, he too had trouble getting his chainsaw to run because it had not been used in a long time. He ended up buying a battery chainsaw after that because he was tired of fighting with his chainsaw to get it running.

Anyways, for the price of this pruning chainsaw and maybe a little more for an upgraded longer bar and chain, you can cut up lot of those trees that might fall down from a storm. Even if it's not your main chainsaw, if you have a helper to cut off the branches on the tree, your cleanup will go much faster.

Yes, I still have a big gas-powered chainsaw in the shed, but honestly, I use the smaller battery chainsaws for about 98% of my jobs around the house.

The frugal part of this pruning chainsaw is the Clearance price. The sustainable part might be that you don't have to maintain these chainsaws like gas chainsaws. You can use a battery chainsaw, put it away for a year, and it still will run as good as new with a fresh battery. If you are already in a line of power tools, I would recommend trying to stay in that battery line because it's less expensive that way. I have been in the Ryobi 18v line of tools and batteries for almost 20 years, and they have served me well for my limited DIY/Homeowner use.

I wish we had a Home Depot. We're stuck with Lowe's.

 

[gtaus]

I wish we had a Home Depot. We're stuck with Lowe's.

We don't have Lowe's. So, I don't know much about that store. But most of what I was talking about with the small battery chainsaws would apply to just about any brand.

I grew up with big gas chainsaws. But when I became a homeowner and did not need to cut wood for the furnace or fireplace, I really never used the gas chainsaw much. The gas carbs would clog up from non-use and it costs a good $100.00 just for the shop to look at it and clean it up. I talked to the manager of our local Fleet store, and they are selling more battery chainsaws than gas chainsaws for the average homeowner. Unless you burn wood to keep warm in the winter, most people can get by with the battery chainsaws which are pretty much maintenance free.

Same for most small engine yard tools. It costs more money in shop time than the tool itself. Manager told me that they sell small gas grass trimmers for around $80.00, but if anything goes wrong with it, the minimum shop service charge is $100.00. Nobody wants to fall for that scam and most people are moving to battery outdoor tools for home use.

 

[gtaus]

Frugal Tip on Military Discounts at Home Depot

I take advantage of the 10% Military Discount at Home Depot. You can get the discount on most items, but not all items. I have been checking out the Clearance items at Home Depot and they have all been good with the 10% Military Discount in addition to the Clearance price. That's really nice.

Well, I was in my local HD last week and was going to buy a Clearance priced miter saw. When I got to the checkout, they said my military discount would not apply to that item. As expected, nobody knew why my military discount would not apply on that purchase. So, they called the store manager who looked at the secret Home Depot codes and said that the manufacturer had a code on the item making it not eligible for any further discounts.

I opted not to make the purchase because it was over $200 and that extra 10% discount was a make it or break deal for me.

Anyway, I went back to the store this past Sunday and had them check price on the miter saw again, and this time it accepted my 10% military discount! Saved myself another $22.00 on that purchase. Again, with the same exact checkout ladies, nobody understood why the military discount would not work last week but was fine on that product this week.

Even better, this past week I got an email from Home Depot offering me an additional $25.00 credit to my HD account if I made a purchase of over $200 and put it on my HD credit card. All in all, I saved $47.00 by opting not to make that same purchase last week and checking back again this week. Sometimes it pays to wait.

Again, I just want to mention that Home Depot is having lots of end of year Clearance sales that are in store only. The miter saw I purchased is still selling for a regular price of $400 online, but in the store with the Clearance price, my military discount, and the extra $25.00 bonus reward for using my HD credit card - I walked away with that saw for about $177.00.

Bonus Tip: There are lots of guys doing YouTube videos on Clearance and sale priced tools at places like Harbor Freight, Home Depot and Lowes. I watch those YouTube clips with interest like Dear Wife watches QVC. Since the stores don't advertise Clearance items, those walkthrough store videos have saved me some money on the things I wanted.

 

[saysfaa]

Does anyone have a tankless, aka point of use, hot water heater? Or has anyone looked into getting one? What are the pros and cons?

They seem to have lower operating costs. And take less space (this is attractive as the house is very small).

The house has one bathroom, the kitchen sink, and a washing machine. The washing machine is near the kitchen sink. Do you think a point of use kind for the bathroom and another for the kitchen and washer would work? Be better than a whole house tankless? Be better than a typical hot water heater with a tank?

 

[Sally PB]

Does anyone have a tankless, aka point of use, hot water heater? Or has anyone looked into getting one? What are the pros and cons?

We looked into getting one when we replaced our water heater a few years ago. The plumber we called told us that if we were hoping it "would pay for itself" and save us money on propane, the answer was no. (Assuming he installed it. DIY would be different, but hubby HATES to do plumbing, and said he wouldn't even attempt it.) The plumber also said he, and most plumbers, didn't like the job of installing them, so if we wanted to call someone else, he'd be fine with that.

We went with a standard propane water heater, based on what he said. And because we needed one asap, and didn't have time to do more research and call around for other plumbers. The first one we called did not have a propane unit in stock, the second one was an answering service who would call us back.

Too bad we didn't know about Canfield plumbing, right in town, 12 miles away...

 

[Sally PB]

In the house we lived in when I was a teenager, my mom really hated how long it took to get hot water to the kitchen sink. So my step-dad put in a 10 gallon tank, right under the sink. My mom had to warn everyone who used the sink that the hot water would be "HOT!! in about 3 seconds," so that they wouldn't scald themselves.

Everything in that house was electric. Until we put in the woodstove, then that supplied most of the heat.

 

[CatInTheHenHouse]

I’ve taken to starting my seeds in cake pans - I got four big ones, with the plastic lids, from the dollar store for about $5. I used toilet paper rolls to make ‘cells,’ those are free with paid purchase of toilet paper, and squeezed in 35 per tray. Potting soil was my biggest expense, $7 for a small bag, about half a bag per tray.

Eyeballing it, I’m only saving a few dollars (~$9.50 for 70 cells in the cake pan creations vs. ~$12.50 for a 72 cell plastic kit tray). But I’m sure it’s possible to improve on those numbers. And I’m not dealing with the stupid plastic netting on the coco fiber pellets choking off my seedlings’ roots!

 

[gtaus]

Does anyone have a tankless, aka point of use, hot water heater? Or has anyone looked into getting one? What are the pros and cons?

I looked into getting a tankless heater a few years ago, thinking it would save money heating up only the water as we needed it. I was told, because we have hard well water, that the tankless system would clog up in short time and the maintenance of the tankless system would cost more than just having a conventional large water tank.

The plumbers I talked to were not very encouraging about the tankless systems in general. If you have a good plumber that you can trust to give you his best advice, ask him if a tankless system would be a good option for your house.

 

[Birdinhand]

Does anyone have a tankless, aka point of use, hot water heater? Or has anyone looked into getting one? What are the pros and cons?

They seem to have lower operating costs. And take less space (this is attractive as the house is very small).

The house has one bathroom, the kitchen sink, and a washing machine. The washing machine is near the kitchen sink. Do you think a point of use kind for the bathroom and another for the kitchen and washer would work? Be better than a whole house tankless? Be better than a typical hot water heater with a tank?

I looked into to this quite a bit. We’ve gradually gotten rid of nearly every source of combustion in our house to improve air quality (we were all having trouble with persistent coughs until we made changes). We still cook with gas,we love it too much to give up, and have a good hood with dual fans. We looked into on demand electric hot water and that required too much of a dedicated chunk of our electric service. Switched over to air sources heat pump based systems for HVAC, clothes dryer and hot water and insulated the hot water pipes so they’d stay hot longer between uses. Been super happy with it, though we do stagger shower times. 7 solar panels covers the use of one of our electric cars, most of the rest of the house energy is offset by a large array, net metered. Plan to have all the things dialed in before retirement so we will have a super low cost of living once on a fixed income.

Other random things we’ve done to be more energy independent/interdependent and frugal: gone one room at a time and gone down to the studs and added bats of poli iso insulation sealed with spray foam, insulated the ceilings and added a metal roof and screened gutters for rain water catchment. We have about 4,000 gallons of cistern storage for dry season irrigation, which gets refilled a few times by summer rain, to over the course of a year we get the use of about 12,000 gallons of rainwater for the garden and orchard… I say orchard but to be clear we live on 10,000 square feet much of which is garden and fruit trees. We have 6 layer hens and grow out about 40 CX meat birds a year, which go into freezer camp to supply is with year round home grown meat. The chicken manure is the main source of fertilizer for our gardens, it all goes through an insulated tumbler composter. We do a lot of sprouting, which is a great way to get vitamins and enzymes and provides a very economical source of greens!