Oh, Gandle, I feel your...ambivalence? About once a week, I swear that, if I live long enough to see an economy in which I don't have to squeeze *every* penny, I'll never set foot in that store again. but... This past week-end I had sinus problems & couldn't taste anything, so my best neighbor brought me some spiced apple cider mix from You Know Where. had to get a box of that stuff this morning!

A few more ideas: I've used aluminium blind slats, cut up into plant labels (along with the ubiquitous yoghurt etc. pots for the same purpose). I converted the chilled-water container from an old fridge into an interim reservoir in my greenhouse, for supplying water to capillary matting feed pipes/gutters. Cocktail stirrers (like old biros, but better because slimmer) make good sticks for prodding holes for cuttings, etc. Old nylon stockings/tights make very good tree/shrub ties - you can spread the presssure very widely, and they have a good combination of strength and stretchability; and they last for years outside. They can look unsightly, though - black ones seem best. Perforated plastic bags some places sell bread in - these can be good propagators for cuttings (over pots) which requitre some 'closeness' of atmosphere, but with a little air flow. I welded/brazed the two halves of a broken pair of old shears together, with some bends, to make a big draw-knife. This is for shaving the bark and shaping poles for making pergolas. Matchboxes make good receptacles for interim storage of seed pods, while you wait for the seeds to be shed. Works only with small pods, of course (like violets and pansies). They allow a great enough passage of air so that the drying and seed-shedding is not stopped. An old pair of jeans, with the legs cut off entirely (just leaving the waist and pockets) can make a handy tool belt. Broad rubber bands, if sufficiently long, can make good grafting 'tape' (cut so as to break the loop, of course). I've used these on roses and maples with success. You can always paint the graft with rubber cement as well, if you want to improve the air seal (more likely on rough-barked plants). The rubber won't last much more than 12 months outside, though.

Before the remodel, I sold my perfect condition 4 year old Kenmore fridge on CL. At that time I purchased a 3 yr. old counter depth SS KitchenAid for $1000 from a young woman on CL who had received the appliance as part of her divorce settlement. There are bargains if you are diligent about scouring CL daily even beyond the new Liebherr. Most of the folks who buy Liebherr have really tiny kitchens and need taller, thinner fridges than standard CD. How many sq. ft.is your kitchen? You may not need to go the more expensive Liebherr route. I would not buy the 14 year old KitchenAid. Even if the mechanics are great, the plastics inside become brittle and deteriorate over time. Three years age my 32 year old Montgomery Ward fridge was left with the house I sold still running great. However, the door lining was pulling away, and the door would not close completely due to a loose door casket. Neither of those items could be replaced any longer. I should add that we were a small family and careful with our possessions so this occurred due to age, not abuse. Paneled fridges are one technique to make a small kitchen look larger. However, door panels are an expensive option. You are at the beginning of your remodel, and there is frequently project creep. My approach was to go with SS and use the money for all built in appliances in my small kitchen so that the counter flow is not interrupted. I put the money in an induction cooktop over a 27" wall oven. This is a long way of saying go with the Liebherr over the KA but before you do, make sure you need to spend that extra money on the Liebherr over a standard counter depth like a KitchenAid. My apologies for rambling about on this post and good luck with your remodel.

My wife and I both grew up with having 2 refrigerators, but both of our families always had them in a basement. When we got married, shortly after I should say, my parents moved and gave us their "2nd" fridge and we put it in our garage. We had it up until just past our remodel that finished late last year, and then it died on us. It was at least 20-30 years old and was a kenmore or some Sears brand. We got a new one to replace it as we are both so used to having it for overflow and extra space we couldn't live without it. I will say that being in the Chicago area it does get cold, so when we got it in the spring the freezer would act up and get up to about 20F or so from time to time. They sell a "heater" kit that you put in the fridge where the controls are located and it keeps the unit warmer so it runs a little more which is what is needed to keep the freezer colder. Since I put it in I haven't had any problems. It was a 30 minute job at most and it cost about $30 or so. Do a search for the model of fridge you are looking at and i would guess they have one for it as well. Phil