TIGHTWAD TUESDAY - Free Garbage Bags!

There are lots of things that annoy me, but one of the things that annoys me the most in life, is buying something for the sole purpose of throwing it away! Yep, I am talking about trash bags. It just doesn't make sense.

I have pondered ways of solving this problem for a very long time, now. One way of course, is to drastically reduce the amount of trash that you generate. Personally, I think that that is the best way. We, ourselves, are striving every day to reduce the amount of trash that we generate, but, unfortunately, we do still have a little that we have to dispose of. That brings us back to needing to acquire trash bags to dispose of that trash.

About a year ago I discovered a way to get many of those trash bags for FREE!  How? I go to furniture stores and ask them for the plastic bags that are wrapped around the furniture cushions during shipping. When the furniture arrives (such as sofas and easy chairs) and is put out on the showroom floor, those bags that were wrapped around the cushions during shipping are then taken off and tossed out into the trash. When I discovered this I thought, "It just doesn't make sense for these plastic bags to be tossed out into the dumpster, empty, while I am purchasing empty plastic bags to put my trash into!"

So .... I stop into the nearest, local furniture store every chance I get and ask for the plastic bags that were wrapped around the furniture cushions during shipping. So far, they have always been glad to let me have them. Not only does using these bags save me money, but it also gives those bags one more purpose before they hit the landfill.

Have any of you ever used these bags for trash bags? Or for any other purpose, for that matter?
Have any of you ever found any other types of  "free" bags to use as trash bags and if so, what were they? I would love to know!

Thank you for stopping in and reading this post. Have a FANTASTIC day!

(DF) OF FIREWOOD AND FENCE ROWS

Fall has arrived and with it, lower temperatures.  no frost yet but it won't hold off much longer. Soon it will be time for a nice warm fire in the wood stove (I don't normally build a fire until after the first freeze).

My intentions were to finish clearing the fence row for the new goat pasture during the spring.  The firewood cut during the clearing process would have been well seasoned by now and more than sufficient for this winter.  By now, the goats would also be happily in their new pasture.

With the months of delay caused by my injury, illness and subsequent recovery, these things just did not happen.  Finally able to use the chainsaw for a couple of hours at a time (though very slowly),  I have begun the process of clearing the fence row and cutting some firewood.

The firewood is green, the clearing is slow and the whole process is frustrating.  Though these and many other projects are months behind, there IS a somewhat comforting up side.  Being a true tightwad, I believe saving time is as important as saving money, so doing the work of one project and making progress on two projects is like a two for one sale.  COOL HUH???

(DF) GREAT PUMPKIN AWARD? SERIOUSLY??

For the record, NO, I didn't grow these pumpkins.  I didn't even purchase them, or for that matter, carry them to the vehicle.  As much as I would love to take at least some credit for these cute little specimens, I simply can't.

This morning, as I sat quietly eating breakfast, the phone rang.  The number on the screen was not a familiar one so I hesitated.  Finally, I answered it, curious to see what kind of nut job would be calling at breakfast time on Sunday.

When I answered, the voice asked if I was Mr. Smith.  When I indicated that I was, he informed me that I had been selected to receive the "Great Pumpkin Award".  My reaction was a somewhat sarcastic one.  "Great Pumpkin Award?"  "SERIOUSLY??", I asked with no hesitation.

The laughter that came next, I recognized.  It was the brother-in-law type character on the next hill.  Turns out the rumors of him growing pumpkins this year were true, and I was invited to come and pick out a couple.

These are not the largest in the patch, but will serve nicely.  Honestly, I am not currently in shape to lift the largest ones, which are quite a bit bigger.

Anna and I had hoped to grow some of this type of pumpkin, but it is hard for a tightwad to justify the price of seeds for giant pumpkins (they are a bit pricey).  Now, we have plenty of seeds and the opportunity to test the quality of these pumpkins.  I'm sure they will taste great, and I can hardly wait to sample the "Great Pumpkin Award".

(DF) NEW GARDEN TILLER (UGH!!!)

For the record, I don't really like garden tillers.  The reasons are many.  The rotary tines break up and spread grass roots, the engine requires fuel, though the emissions are cleaner than in the past, they are still not good for the environment.  On a more personal note, the engine noise is irritating and I don't like the smell.  Add to this list the fact that it is a less self-sufficient means of gardening than more primitive methods and I'm sure you get my point.

From a more practical stand point, however, there were other considerations.  One big one is the fact that I will not be able to even start using a shovel for quite some time, much less turn the whole garden.  With this in mind, there would certainly be no cover crop this fall, and with the garden gone native, it would be difficult to have it ready for spring planting.

Under normal circumstances, it is possible (though not easy) to raise enough vegetables for home use with only hand tools, but surplus is another matter.  Anna and I have been planning to raise enough for our own use and plenty to sell for part of our income.  The fact is clear that it is not physically possible to work as much ground with a shovel and hoe as with a tiller.

All these factors came under consideration when Anna and I were deciding whether or not to buy a tiller.  Of course, we also considered that Anna doesn't share my aversion to small engines.

Anna and I had been discussing this matter while I was unable to walk.  As soon as I could drive and spend a little time on my feet, we started shopping a bit.  We did not want to get a used tiller and end up having to work on it all the time.  With new equipment being so expensive, we had to shop around some.

With fall approaching, the selection was not as large as in springtime.  Most were not as powerful as we needed and prices were pretty high even on sale.  VERY FRUSTRATING!!!  We needed a tiller that would suit our needs and at a good price.

Finally, when it seemed we might have to settle for less than we wanted, my tightwad self had a thought.  The local equipment rental company sells their equipment after a period of time.  They are also very particular about how their equipment is maintained.  It turned out that they had exactly what we needed (actually, it was the only tiller they had available).  It had been rented out once, but had obviously not been used much.  The price was substantially reduced, helping my tightwad tendencies.  As an added bonus, it came with full factory warranty.

Though I am still not overly fond of rotary tillers, it does make it possible to work up the ground.  Don't get me wrong, I will still keep a good shovel and hoe, just in case the machine breaks down.