What are your frugal and sustainable tips and tricks?

[BDutch]

I suppose these rules and regulations are necessary bc people throw all kind of things in the toilets and sinks.

Human poop without anything else is very well compostable as long as the persons don’t use medicines.

 

[FrostRanger]

I saw that turkey is now cheaper than usual rn. Our local wallyworld has them for 88 cents a pound.

Also, you can save money by buying phone service in advanced. Been using mint mobile for 4 and a half years now and am very happy with the service. I pay like 200 a year for unlimited call and text and 5 gigs of data a month. I actually get better service at work than my coworkers who use Verizon (although of course cell service very much depends on regional coverage). Only downside is you need to have a carrier unlocked phone, they do sell such phones but you can get them cheaper elsewhere and they don't have brick and mortar stores. Not really an issue for me as I like to shop around anyways and can figure out phone issues either on my own or with some duckduckgo fu

 

[fuzzi]

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The latest thing I am doing is helping dd do cloth diapers with my grandbabies. I ordered the diapers last week and they came today.

Reducing garbage footprint is only a small part of why I've been encouraging this, though. Did you know diaper rash was very rare before the advent of the super absorbing polymers that wick moisture out of skin too? I didn't but today the pediatrician told dd that the babies' rashes were so mild they aren't even considered rashes. I know what healthy skin looks like, though. I haven't anything to dd because she has already been doing everything that can be done except cloth diapers (yet) or going without diapers. Incidently, the dr recommended going without diapers periodically.

Healthy skin is also only part of my motivation.

In finding the supplies to order, I discovered cloth diapers with old-fashioned plastic pants are the least likely to leak for adults with incontinence, at least according to many websites of the general public talking about that issue. And, evidently, are often the most comfortable if one don't mind thbr bulk.

I liked plastic pants best when my kids were babies. They are still available. Walmart carries the bigger sizes. The smallest size takes some searching, or luck, maybe, but is also still available.

My children wore cloth diapers. When they did get a rash the pediatrician (old school) told me to fasten the cloth diaper very loose, letting air get in through the leg openings. It worked well.

 

[TooCheep]

Also, you can save money by buying phone service in advanced. Been using mint mobile for 4 and a half years now and am very happy with the service. I pay like 200 a year for unlimited call and text and 5 gigs of data a month. I actually get better service at work than my coworkers who use Verizon (although of course cell service very much depends on regional coverage). Only downside is you need to have a carrier unlocked phone, they do sell such phones but you can get them cheaper elsewhere and they don't have brick and mortar stores. Not really an issue for me as I like to shop around anyways and can figure out phone issues either on my own or with some duckduckgo fu

I've also been using Mint Mobile for years now. I'm a light phone user and am on the same plan you are. I just pay once/year and the service has been excellent.

As for the carrier locked phones, in most cases it is actually easy to unlock. If you've had your old service for a while (generally 6+ months), you can generally call their customer service and have your phone unlocked. Then transferring to Mint or any other compatible third-party provider is easy.

 

[gtaus]

Human poop without anything else is very well compostable as long as the persons don’t use medicines.

Human waste can be composted, for sure, but that compost is not safe to be used for anything around food gardens under normal composting processes we might use at home. Humanure composts has to be processed under strict conditions - more than it would be worth my time or effort.

I have a septic system, and I asked the septic guy where they dispose of all the human waste that they pump out of our holding tanks. He told me that they license a farmer's property to spray out the human waste (septage) on the fields. Then, it has to sit for a few years before it can be turned into the soil to plant a cover crop. Then, a few years later, they can put cows back on the pasture for grazing. That's the general idea where I live in a rural area.

It's not only medicines you need to worry about, but also the untreated pathogens that can be transferred that is a big concern.

I am more than happy to make my chicken run Black Gold compost that I know is safe for my food gardens. I make more compost each year than I can use. It's mostly leaves, grass clippings, and chicken coop litter with chicken poo in the mix. But it turns into a dark, rich, black color that I sift out and put on my food gardens. I harvested a couple hundred dollars' worth of compost again this year, and maybe only took out 10% of the chicken run compost that was ready.

I invested in a cement mixer compost sifter setup a few years ago. I am not exaggerating about sifting out hundreds of dollars of compost each year. Here is my setup...

If you are into sustainability, I think having chickens and making chicken run compost is the ultimate way to go!