DIY Recycle Bin Cart

We have been big on recycling for a while now.
Our garbage has diminished to about 1 kitchen-sized bag per week.
It's an improvement, but not as much as I had hoped.
The biggest hurdle to decreasing our recyclables, 
is thinking about packaging before a purchase is made.

In any event, we take our recyclables to the local "transfer station",
as the dump here is euphemistically called.
We have, unfortunately, mostly plastic,
from water jugs, (our son drinks like a fish),
 and a few assorted items like applesauce,
cookies and apples.
We had these three bins stacked in the garage,
right next to the door that leads into the kitchen,
to make it easier for things to end up in the right place.
The bins fell over a lot, and it just got to be a nuisance.
Big K whipped this up in no time after being prodded for months,
after I gently reminded him about it.
We used to have a store-bought cart in Cooper City,
but it disappeared on garbage day.
Guess someone recycled the whole kit-n-kaboodle!

  Big K fashioned this one 
out of scraps of PVC pipe
that we had laying around,
as well as some store bought pieces.
It's held together with glue, no screws at all.
The cost was around $40,
which is about half the price of a store-bought cart.
It works like a charm, allowing the bins
to nestle into each slot
without fear of the contents getting spilled.
Wheels could be added if needed,
but since we take our bins to the dump ourselves,
we didn't deem it necessary.
Extra bins could be added for other recyclables,
like paper, cans and glass,
but we corral those in large feed sacks
and just sort them when we drop them off.

Here's a list of materials:

3/4 inch PVC 40 feet
18 Tees
12 Elbows
4 Crosses

This simple gadget sure makes keeping things in order
just a tad easier.
It's a keeper.

Other posts about recycling:
Recycling Gone Wrong
Repurposing in the Garden 
Repurposing Old Towels

Saving Money on the Homestead

olive bin turned rain barrel

Being homesteaders,
we naturally lean toward frugality.
It's not a four-letter word.
In fact, there's a bit of pride involved
when we are able to go for days and days
without spending a dime.
But it's more than that.
It's the fact that by not succumbing to the commercialism
that runs rampant in our world today,
we are expressing the gratitude for that with which we have been blessed.

There are so many ways to save money
without feeling deprived in any way.
There are folks who feel the need to shop til they drop.
In fact, I remember a former friend telling me,
"I need to buy something E-V-E-R-Y D-A-Y."
Huh?  It didn't make any sense to me.
Maybe it's just the way I was raised, or the part of me
that always seems to go against the grain,
but the less I find myself in stores, the better I like it.
After all, there are so many other more rewarding things to do
with the allotted time we have here on Earth.

We are fortunate to be debt-free.
We've never had a mortgage
because we chose to pay for our homes with cash.
Although I really wanted longed for acreage when we moved to NC,
I wasn't willing to go into debt for it.
And that's what we would have had to do.
By not taking on a mortgage,
both of us are able to work part-time,
instead of struggling with the 9 to 5 daily grind.
We are blessed, we know that.
And we try to show our gratitude in everyday moments,
like making good use of the cash flow we do have.

In any case, if you find yourself wondering how you can save money,
these simple ideas have worked well for us.

1.  Pass up unnecessary services~
By taking our trash and recycling to the dump ourselves,
we save about $300 a year.
We decided when our trash service stopped accepting recyclables,
it just didn't make sense to pay for trash pick-up,
and still have to take our recyclables to the dump
(there was no way I was giving up recycling).
The other reason is that we pay a standard yearly fee
for the privilege of using the dump,
so it was like we were paying twice.
We are young(ish) and healthy enough to do this ourselves,
so why not?
We have scaled down to one kitchen-sized trash bag per week,
so it's really no big deal to haul our disposables ourselves.
(We are still working on ways to do better 
with buying things with less packaging.)

minnow basket turned porch light

2.  Find new uses for what you already have~
We repurpose as much as we can,
turning everyday items into useful or fun things.
Check out the canning ring wind chime recently created here.
Our porch light used to be a minnow basket,
our desk was simply some weathered old planks,
and this sign that adorns our fireplace wall
are all handmade things we love.
The best part of this decor is that they are uniquely US.

3.  Find folks who enjoy your hobbies and share~
As a gardener,
there are innumerable opportunities to share the bounty of the garden.
Whether it's seeds, veggies or ornamental plants, the joy in sharing
with others does one's heart good.  Plant or seed swaps are a great
way to save money as well as gather new varieties to try.
Most gardeners I know are extremely generous people.
I'm sure that's most likely true of folks who share other hobbies.

As a vegetable gardener, the lesson in frugality has been
planting from seed instead of buying transplants.
Not only does this save money, but there is more control over how the plants are grown.
Using organic practices is important to me,
and that means from the soil I use to the seeds I sow.
The sheer joy when seeds actually sprout before your very eyes
again emphasizes the feeling of gratitude in an everyday activity. 
 It may cost a bit more to grow organically,
but good health is priceless.

 

 4.  Whenever possible, buy used~ 
Although I'm not a shopper,
yard sales and thrift stores do get my blood going.
Especially items with a history are appealing,
because I always wonder about their past life with the previous owner.
For the most part, vintage items last longer,
because they were made better to start with and will stand the test of time.
 New clothes are rarely bought these days,
because I can go to a thrift store and pay $3 for a long-sleeved (like new) shirt.
New-to-us deck furniture cost me $30 for a table and 4 chairs
at a yard sale.
You just can't beat that price at the stores!



5.  Be willing to research and make changes~
We changed our home owners' insurance carrier,
after being with the same company for over 40 years!
This was a shocker for me.
My family had always had the same insurance provider for home and vehicles,
and so when I started out on my own, I stayed with them.
After Big K and I got married, we continued with them,
until we got tired of the rates going up each and every year,
even though we never filed claims.
We called around to several large insurance companies
and found one that saves us about $500 a year.
So far, they haven't raised our rates.
In fact, our home owners' insurance actually went down this year.

6.  Look into other sources for help with expenses~
We found out that we could get a supplement provided by my retirement pension for our dental and vision insurance.  
The pension I receive for being employed by the school system in Florida is small,
but this benefit alone, pays for our yearly dental and vision insurance.
At this point, we pay nothing for any of our health-related insurance,
and that means there is extra money in the bank for emergencies or savings.
Again, what a blessing to learn about these benefits.

homemade food is best

I hope some or all of these ideas inspire you to think a bit differently
about using what you have to improve the quality of your life.
There are so many little changes 
that can make a big difference.

Canning Ring Wind Chimes

We're big on repurposing around here.
It's important to use or reuse as much as we can,
as efficiently as we can.
Take these canning rings.
Once they get a bit rusty or not food-worthy,
they get used as plant markers in the garden.
A dozen or so had been saved and put to the side,
hoping that inspiration hit me.
It did.

Holes were drilled into the sides of the lids 
as well as the rings so that they could be connected.
Any old drill bit will do, adjusting the size to your materials.
I knew I'd be using fishing line,
so the holes needed to be on the smaller side.

While pondering the best way to hang the lids,
Big K came up with the idea to fashion a wire ring
on which to hang all of the dangly parts.
I tell ya, the man really earns his keep around here!

Eh, voila!
The fishing line was simply tied onto the wire
and fed through the holes in the top of the recycled tomato can.

The rust on the lids doesn't bother me one bit,
after all, it's going to be a "rust"-ic addition to the garden.

I love wind chimes, I love canning jars
and repurposing is in my blood.
This craft marries two favorite things together
to make something whimsical and fun.
I believe more may be in my future.
The sound is so soothing,
it makes me wish for a gust of wind!

Going Local-ReSettlers Antique Mall

Over the weekend,
we made a trip up to Statesville
to visit a place Big K has been telling us about for a while.
We are a family of thrifters,
about the only type of shopping we really enjoy.
I guess because it's more like a treasure hunt,
rather than shopping.
ReSettlers Antique Mall didn't disappoint.

 This place is open seven days a week
and showcases treasures from all over North Carolina.
There was a great selection of vintage toys.

For the collector,
cameras I remember from my childhood were displayed.

 Classic radios and other electronics
made us feel like we had stepped back in time.

 These vintage fans have so much character, no?

 If this lantern had been complete,
(it's missing the glass in front),
it may have come home with me.

 Remember watching home movies 
with the help of something akin to this?

 An old parking meter was an unusual sight.
We loved how it was easy to see its inner workings.

C spotted this item.
It's a gas-powered fire alarm,
something that is quite rare.
He collects fire alarm paraphernalia.

Something that caught my eye
was this display of military clothing,

 including this World War II aviator's cap.
If only it could talk...

 Outside was a small selection of garden items
and building materials.

I could picture this whirly-gig flower stake in our garden.
Unfortunately, it was more than I wanted to pay.

 An array of furniture was for sale,
including this treadle sewing machine table.

 Just when we thought we'd seen it all,
Big K told us about 
the 
         back 
                  room.

 There were tools for all kinds of jobs.
Inside,

 and outside.
I spotted a child's metal rake in this bin,
and now wished I had gotten it.
They come in handy for so many little jobs.

 This collection reminds me of Mimi.
She and my grandmother once had
a laundry in France and actually used these types of irons.

 This popcorn popper has seen some action!
Do kids today even know there is another way 
to pop popcorn besides microwaving it?

 Enamelware is dear to my heart.
I managed to resist bringing every pot home.

 Need a bottle or jar?
This is the place to take your pick!
I spied the old-fashioned coffee pots to the left of the shelves.

I remember that we had one of these in our house,
and I think someone used it as a hamper.
It would be fun to come up with other uses for these baskets,
like toy storage, keeping long-handled garden tools,
or turning it upside-down and placing a flowerpot on it.


We are so glad we finally got to ReSettlers.
They handle estate sales, offer booths for folks to sell their items,
and display others' belongings on consignment.
It's a wonderful service for those who are downsizing,
or needing to sell off a family members' belongings.
We'll get back there again, I'm sure.
With inventory changing all the time,
you never know what you might find.

Previous Going Local posts:

Dearness Gardens
Memory Lane Museum
Mike's Growers
Mundy House
Renfrow Hardware

Weatherization Take Two

our NC home

Back in Florida,

we had the Weatherization Assistance Program

come and do an evaluation on our home.

You can read that story here. 

In fact, we did a whole series based on the findings of that service.

The Weatherization Program helps qualified families

to improve the energy efficiency of their home.

As soon as we closed on our house here in the Piedmont,

we applied for the program.

After almost two years on the waiting list,

we were able to have an assessment done on our home.

 The energy auditor was here a couple of weeks ago

and did a series of assessments to determine

what systems might be improved upon in our 30-year old home.

 

Some of the possible improvements include:

1.  Sealing air leaks or ducts

2. Performing tune-ups on heating and cooling units

3.  Replacing existing lighting with energy efficient bulbs

4.  Determining carbon monoxide levels and resolving poor levels

5.  Installing insulation where needed.

 No, we haven't changed out our front door for a splash of bold color,

this is actually one of the tools that our auditor used 

to determine how much our home leaks air.

The auditor said that it looked pretty good

and was most likely due to the age of the house. 

As our home is newer than many of those evaluated,

there may not be much we qualify for,

but we wanted to make sure our home is as efficient as possible,

so we are not wasting money and resources.

Now that the evaluation has been done,

independent contractors will be scheduled to determine specific needs,

such as our heat pump system and possible insulation deficits.

We will be grateful for any improvements that can be made.

 We'll provide an update as the contractors give us the results.

To see if you qualify for the program in your state,

start here.