What are your frugal and sustainable tips and tricks?

[gtaus]

No electricity in my small shed, so I made a light. I took a solar motion sensor light I had on hand, and mounted it to the inside of the door frame.
...
As I step in to the shed the light goes on, illuminating most of the area. Since I mounted it with nails I can slip it off to put it outside and recharge it as needed.

That sounds like a great idea. I have some motion sensor lights set up on the outside of my garage, and they are very nice.

Then I wondered if you walk into the shed at night, when you need that light to turn on, if the solar battery is already drained, putting it outside won't help you until the next evening. Do you have any kind of backup light?

I have a few solar lights with small batteries only good enough to get through one night. How long will your batteries last in that solar light before they go dead? I'm thinking maybe a number of days before the solar batteries self-drain. I am assuming that they have to power the motion sensor 24/7 in a dark shed whether or not any light is actually turned on.

If you need a cheap backup light, I have found the flip lights at Harbor Freight do a fair job and they use standard AAA batteries...

They go on sale often, but I picked up 3 or 4 of them as FREE gifts just for stopping by the store on certain weekends. I doubt they would be as good as an automatic light that goes on when you enter the room, but if your solar light batteries are drained, it might be enough to get you through what you need to do that night until the solar light is recharged the next day.

 

[Smokerbill]

If you need a cheap backup light, I have found the flip lights at Harbor Freight do a fair job and they use standard AAA batteries...

View attachment 3949878
They go on sale often, but I picked up 3 or 4 of them as FREE gifts just for stopping by the store on certain weekends. I doubt they would be as good as an automatic light that goes on when you enter the room, but if your solar light batteries are drained, it might be enough to get you through what you need to do that night until the solar light is recharged the next day.

I have a something similar in my pantry. I've learned that it doesn't produce much light when loaded with a 1.2v rechargeable AAA battery, but I do get bright light with a 1.5v alkaline battery.

 

[BDutch]

No electricity in my small shed, so I made a light. I took a solar motion sensor light I had on hand, and mounted it to the inside of the door frame.
View attachment 3949841

As I step in to the shed the light goes on, illuminating most of the area. Since I mounted it with nails I can slip it off to put it outside and recharge it as needed.

I bought such lamps with a small solar panel several times. If you are lucky they last 2-3 years.

Many didn’t last long.
Not very sustainable. If you want to buy one select only waterproof systems.

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

That sounds like a great idea. I have some motion sensor lights set up on the outside of my garage, and they are very nice.

Then I wondered if you walk into the shed at night, when you need that light to turn on, if the solar battery is already drained, putting it outside won't help you until the next evening. Do you have any kind of backup light?

I have a few solar lights with small batteries only good enough to get through one night. How long will your batteries last in that solar light before they go dead? I'm thinking maybe a number of days before the solar batteries self-drain. I am assuming that they have to power the motion sensor 24/7 in a dark shed whether or not any light is actually turned on.

If you need a cheap backup light, I have found the flip lights at Harbor Freight do a fair job and they use standard AAA batteries...

View attachment 3949878
They go on sale often, but I picked up 3 or 4 of them as FREE gifts just for stopping by the store on certain weekends. I doubt they would be as good as an automatic light that goes on when you enter the room, but if your solar light batteries are drained, it might be enough to get you through what you need to do that night until the solar light is recharged the next day.

 

[fuzzi]

That sounds like a great idea. I have some motion sensor lights set up on the outside of my garage, and they are very nice.

Then I wondered if you walk into the shed at night, when you need that light to turn on, if the solar battery is already drained, putting it outside won't help you until the next evening. Do you have any kind of backup light?

I have a few solar lights with small batteries only good enough to get through one night. How long will your batteries last in that solar light before they go dead? I'm thinking maybe a number of days before the solar batteries self-drain. I am assuming that they have to power the motion sensor 24/7 in a dark shed whether or not any light is actually turned on.

If you need a cheap backup light, I have found the flip lights at Harbor Freight do a fair job and they use standard AAA batteries...

View attachment 3949878
They go on sale often, but I picked up 3 or 4 of them as FREE gifts just for stopping by the store on certain weekends. I doubt they would be as good as an automatic light that goes on when you enter the room, but if your solar light batteries are drained, it might be enough to get you through what you need to do that night until the solar light is recharged the next day.

So far they've lasted a couple years. The solar charge can last weeks so when I notice the light dimming I take one that's charged up and switch them. If I leave the light outside for a day it's fully charged.

 

[gtaus]

The solar charge can last weeks...

That's what I was wondering. Sounds like a nice setup, especially if you can see the light starting to dim long before you need to recharge it back up full.

Just wondering if they make solar lights with solar panels that could be separated from the light. It would be great to mount the solar panel outside and the light inside the shed.

The only solar lights I have ever used where one complete unit. But we only had those cheap Dollar Tree quality spotlights for Dear Wife's flower garden. They did not make it through our winter. We only had them for one summer and then we did not buy anymore. Maybe a better quality light would have lasted longer. In reality, we don't really go outside after dark so having spotlights on her flowers was not as exciting as she thought it would be.

 

[BDutch]

I used the solar light for myself to check the backside of the run and to scare any predators that come into our garden.

Next time I buy more expensive ones , waterproof with good reviews. Not from a store where they sell mainly cheap asian stuff. The last one I bought costs about 10€ and looked very sturdy, but only lasted 1 year.

 

[fuzzi]

This is what I purchased, have been pleased so far. I got them on sale, think it was 4/$50 or something like that:

https://www.mypatriotsupply.com/pro...oor-solar-powered-212-led-motion-sensor-light

The ones mounted on the shed have lasted a couple years so far. I rotate the ones I use inside the shed, laying them in the sunlight or just outside on a bright day.

 

[igorsMistress]

Does anyone use waxed cotton? I’m reducing my use of plastic as much as possible and I’ve begun making my own. So easy!

I have several old pillowcases and a top sheet that I’m waxing for various purposes. The pillowcases will be wraps for sandwiches and lids for bowls. The sheet I’m using primarily as a tarp for collecting kindling and such while camping and keeping it dry in the rain. The rest I’ll make into wraps and lids.

Those beeswax wraps you can buy get their stickiness from pine resin. I’m skipping that step and just using the beeswax I have on hand for wraps and the tarp, but may get some for the bowl lids. Still debating on that, right now I haven’t had to actually buy anything for this project.

 

[BDutch]

This is what I purchased, have been pleased so far. I got them on sale, think it was 4/$50 or something like that:

https://www.mypatriotsupply.com/pro...oor-solar-powered-212-led-motion-sensor-light

The ones mounted on the shed have lasted a couple years so far. I rotate the ones I use inside the shed, laying them in the sunlight or just outside on a bright day.

Thanks, I want to look for another supplier though.
Better to order it im my country/EU for easier payment and no shipping costs from US.