saving money/cutting trash output
OklaMoni
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
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nicole___
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoOutsidePlaying
5 years agoRelated Discussions
Share tips on saving money on gardening
Comments (22)For nursery pots I started using old food cans, and pop bottles cut down to about 6" deep, & poke a few holes in the bottom. Seed saving from one year to the next. You can't save seed from foods you buy at the grocery store because most are hybrid varieties and won't reproduce true. You have to start with heirloom varieties, and save those seeds. Make my own compost from leaves, paper, grass and kitchen waste. You cut down on a lot of trash by composting junk mail and boxes that canned pet food comes in. Cardboard makes good compost, as does newspapers, paper grocery sacks, clothing labels, dryer lint and cereal boxes. Make your own seed starting mix from peat and perlite, because it needs to be sterile to prevent damping off and diseases that attack tender new growth. I make my own potting mix from screened compost, sand, used seed starting mix and perlite. It's especially important to have a loose, open potting mix with my nursery pots that have straight sides (cans and pop bottles) otherwise it would be too difficult to get plants out of them for up-potting. Cheryl...See MoreTheMister - Hype or SaveMoney or Hurt A/C?
Comments (7)I've been a HVAC contractor for 26 years and there is nothing new about evaporative pre-cooling. Many of the systems years ago were not successful because the water was not treated in any way. I saw more than my fair share of AC units that had been ruined due to hard water. With the proper water treatment, however, this technology can significantly improve an AC system's efficiency and even prolong a unit's life. Without proper treatment of the water, there is more harm done than good. It seems the company includes a filter that uses 100% polyphosphate which should do the trick for anyone with municipal water. Polyphos will keep scale from forming or rust from corroding. However, I would not recommend you use the mister if you have water from a well. Well water could have other potentially damaging minerals that can't be filtered out. The main thing that is different about this system from previous ones i've seen is that it basically has a built in computer controlling when it runs. This should eliminate the concern over wasted water. The tax credit is a function of increased efficiency boost only. There are many products such as this that qualify technically... though a loophole of sorts. All a homeowner must do to cover themselves is include the certificate where the company states the product qualifies. I seriously doubt they'd be stupid enough to claim it qualifies if they can't back it up....See Morereusable cloth grocery bags/ save money or not?
Comments (60)Cities in our area have been discouraging disposable plastic bags by mandating a charge for them, and recently our state government decided to ban them for major retailers. I don't much care, one way or another, since I have acquired the habit of carrying a bag with me into the grocery store. I don't carry cloth bags, though. I carry the plasticized paper (or whatever they are) with me. I tired of trying to get cloth bags to stand up, stay open, (so did the baggers, though to their credit, no one ever complained). Cloth bags needed to be laundered and the coated ones could just be wiped clean. There's one canvas bag I did retain because it does stand up on its own: frankly I only use it for big grocery trips. It's too bulky and awkward to carry into places when I only *might* buy something. I spent one Christmas season cashiering at a big box store. I wonder how bagging a variety of canvas, cloth, reusable plastic bags of all shapes, sizes and firmnesses will affect (effect? I never know) the cashiers' IPH [items per hour] since this is part of their evaluation and review. It has to slow things down. I use two disposable grocery bags a week. My trash collection service accepts used cat litter only if it's double-bagged, so starting next year, I will have to buy something that I'm now getting free....See MoreHow Do You Try To Save Money?
Comments (28)I do many of the things mentioned here. I am a proud thrifty person. When I married dh, I had quit my job due to an illness that kept me from being able to do it. He said I didn't have to work, and I told him I could make his pay stretch to exceed the amount that I was earning anyhow. He didn't believe me.... now he is amazed. I believe pennies add up to dollars. At first, he balked at some of my frugalness. He loved stopping at convenience stores, and grabbing things on the way to work. Now he gets a lunch that is the envy of his coworkers... they question what his cuisine of the day is, and drool... LOL He had trouble giving up eating out. But I keep my own homemade 'fast food' handy (like burger and fries, frozen homemade soups, etc), and on his trip home he will call and I give him the menu of the night.... let him order... and its ready when he gets here. Not every night, but a couple times a week. He is loving that now, he can eat supper in his sweat pants! I don't have to spoil him this way. However, its my way of staying frugal and keeping with his urge of 'what am I in the mood to eat tonight'. It works for us. Before we married, I watched him throw away food with bad spots in it. I just cringed! I use every little bit of everything... throwing away food is a huge no-no for me. 99% of our clothes are second hand from a thrift shop. I am very crafty, so I am always on the lookout for plain drab clothes that can be altered in some way and items I can rip up for the sewing notions off them. A plain t shirt embellished with lace insert made from an old lace curtain. A boxy blouse into a fitted with a few tucks sewn in. I keep my pantry and freezer full by ONLY buying what is on sale at my local store that week. If nothing 'grabs' me in the ad, I don't even shop. I am not brand loyal to many things. To me, name brand prices are silly, and I am just paying for the flashy ads. I never buy manufactured foods. Cheap or not. I can make the same thing cheaper, and know what ingredients are in it. Dh swears his health has improved due to my 'quality control' as he calls it. I keep my house cool in the winter, and warmer in the summer. I use power strips to shut off those appliances that pull electricity even when not in use. And unplug chargers when not in use. I use CFL bulbs in the lights that stay on for long periods of time. Shut off lights when no one is in the room. I bought an HE washer, which PAID FOR ITSELF in less than 6 months in the savings of water/sewer usage. Also, it is so gentle on clothes, your clothes last longer. I make my own laundry soap. I don't buy fancy cleaners. Ammonia, bleach and soap clean everything I need to clean. I WILL NOT run to the store for a craving. I see this with people around me. If it isn't in the house, we do without. I always do errands together while I am out. I use direct debit from my account for bills that I can. I mail other bills that are local, rather than deliver them in person. A stamp cost less than starting the vehicle and driving a block! I will walk to do some errands, on nice days. I use a tv antennae. I can use my internet connection to watch other shows. I cut the families hair, and my own. I know my hair better than a salon, and always have a nice style than they give me! Our two vehicles are over 15 years old, and well maintained. I try to repair anything that is broken, but if I can't, I do save any useful parts before discarding. It so handy to have a spring or a screw in the 'parts box' for another project. I always try to re-purpose things. Ruffled pillow shams have been valances, and chair back covers, as well as pretty pillow covers. I use olive oil for face cream. Cheap tearless baby shampoo to wash my face, and add table sugar to it when I want exfoliation. Vaseline for body lotion. I will take others cast off furniture. The only item I have bought new was our mattress. Paint or stain can make almost anything else 'match'. My decor is family photos and drawing from grandchildren, framed in thrift store frames or on bulletin boards, house plants and mirrors. My kitchen decor is the items I use to cook with. We have no debt. I am sure there is much more. Yes, cooking from scratch and sewing, etc seems to take a bit more time. Maybe not, since I save the time that I would have spent driving to and sitting in a restaurant, or walking through a mall! But I take caring for family as serious as if I clocked into a job every day. I see people give more effort to their employer, than their own home and family, and I wonder.... about their priorities. I got my 'reward' just recently. My dh told me I am an amazing woman. I took 'nothing', and made a beautiful home out it.......See MoreUser
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