# The Thrifty Thread!



## norseofcourse (Dec 20, 2015)

Here's the place to share tips and tricks for making do, stretching resources, re-using and re-purposing things.

We all know the 'typical' thrifty tips, like saving leftover vegetables for soup, making stock with chicken and turkey carcasses, and using baling twine for tying... well, everything!  There's plenty of ways to be thrifty around the farm and home/homestead, and there's lots of creative and inventive folks here.  Share your ideas!

I'll start off with a couple.

First  - I get hay in small square bales.  I cut the baling twine near the knot, so I get the maximum length of useable twine.  But the stuff seems to multiply faster than anything, and I really hate throwing it out.  Then I came across this:
http://www.dutchhollowacres.com/2010/02/09/how-to-make-a-recycled-baling-twine-rug/
I don't crochet, so I showed it to a friend who does - she loved it!  So we made a deal - I gave her a printed out copy of the instructions, a bunch of baling twine, and she'd make me a rug, and make as many as she wanted for herself.  A couple more bags of twine to her, and I'll have it all cleared out! (for now....).

Second - I was carrying firewood to the house in five gallon buckets, but that got awkward.  I thought about making a log carrier out of some sturdy cloth, then I looked at one of the square plastic cat litter buckets a friend saves for me.  Now, you'll have to imagine this, it was too dark for pictures.  I took my sawzall and cut the bottom off the bucket.  Then I cut off one of the wider sides.  That gave me a kinda U-shaped plastic holder.  I drilled a couple 1/2" holes near the top of each upper edge, spaced wide apart for stability.  Then I ran some plastic baling twine through the holes to make handles, running the twine all the way around the holder (so the twine takes the strain of carrying the weight, so it won't break at the holes).  Regular baling twine would work if you don't have plastic, it just might need replaced every so often.  A nice sturdy log holder/carrier for free!


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## Southern by choice (Dec 20, 2015)

This is a great thread idea!

The  rug is genius!
I need pics of the other... trying to envision but the screen comes up blank.


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## Poka_Doodle (Dec 20, 2015)

My chickens bedding is bad horse hay along with straw. My Bantam's perch is a horse gate that was taken out. Each year after Christmas we take out tree to the proper new place, the chicken coop. Grass after the lawn is mowed often goes for the chickens to enjoy. And like most chicken owners vegetable scraps go for the chickens to enjoy as treats.


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## norseofcourse (Dec 21, 2015)

Southern by choice said:


> I need pics of the other... trying to envision but the screen comes up blank.



lol - ok, got a picture of the wood carrier.  It was put together hastily - it works, but maybe for my next one I'll use three or four strands of twine, and braid them together for a neater handle.  The further apart the two holes are on each side, the more stable it will be, so on the next one I'll make them a bit further apart.  They should be about the same distance in from each outside edge, though.  I just eyeballed these but it carries just fine.


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## norseofcourse (Dec 27, 2015)

Poka_Doodle said:


> My Bantam's perch is a horse gate that was taken out.



Good idea!  I've also seen people use old wooden ladders (or portions of them) for chicken roosts.


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## babsbag (Dec 27, 2015)

Never thought of giving grass cuttings to the chickens.


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## Poka_Doodle (Dec 27, 2015)

norseofcourse said:


> Good idea!  I've also seen people use old wooden ladders (or portions of them) for chicken roosts.


Yeah, chicken perches can be made of many different things.


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## chiques chicks (Dec 27, 2015)

Empty jugs become feed scoops, protection for delicate vegetables in spring ( mini hot house), funnels, small carriers if I just cut out one side.

Yogurt cups and the like get a few holes in the bottom as my seed starting cups.


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## Baymule (Dec 27, 2015)

My pet peeve is food scraps.  I abhor waste. Between the dogs, chickens and pigs, NOTHING hits the trash.

My animals compost for me. I fill the chicken coop with leaves and let the hens scratch them apart and poop all over them. Right now we have 3 pigs in the garden. It is mulched with about 6" of pine shavings and the pigs are working it over, rooting and pooping and enriching the soil.

I recently built a Hawg Hut-all out of materials I already had, most of which were used. I built a temporary sheep shelter, again out of materials I already had. I haunt the reject rack at Lowes and buy lumber at half price and I scrounge for used lumber too.


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## Poka_Doodle (Dec 27, 2015)

chiques chicks said:


> Empty jugs become feed scoops, protection for delicate vegetables in spring ( mini hot house), funnels, small carriers if I just cut out one side.
> 
> Yogurt cups and the like get a few holes in the bottom as my seed starting cups.


We use empty orange juice jugs as feed scoops


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## Mini Horses (Dec 27, 2015)

yep -- no food scraps here!   Dogs, cats, chickens, pigs, goats, horses.......someone will eat it!   Of course, chickens are best fly control out there...run them thru the manure piles.    I swear, city folk would never eat eggs if they knew what a chicken eats!

Old straw/hay bales -- if you get any with a lot of seed in them -- throw in chicken pens, dampen or do it before a rain.   They sprout for you.    I've even had this in cooler weather as the heat from decomposing straw keeps it warm enough.   My chickens free range but, seasonally they sure need a little help to find anything "green".   They also pick it apart, eventually, with all the scratching to find more.  

bale twine makes a great scrubbie (wad it up) for water tubs, a quick fix on a loose fence (always happens when you have no hammer) at a post.  Saves time & $$$ if you want a temp fence panel up -- easy to cut & move later.   I always have several in my truck, never know when you need a strong tie down.


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## Poka_Doodle (Dec 27, 2015)

Okay, after seeing a post about bailing twine I might as well say that we use some of it for butchering our meat chickens. On the lighter note it is a great cat toy.


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## frustratedearthmother (Dec 28, 2015)

I haven't seen this tip yet but I'll bet a lot of you do it already.  We don't have a lot of trash around here with recycling and like others have said - no food waste.   But, we haven't bought a trash bag in years!  We use old feed sacks for all trash that goes to the curb.  And, I have changed to a feed mill that uses all paper sacks - I like them sooo much better than the synthetic  ones that degrade after 5 minutes in the sun.  Made a mistake of using those in the garden one year.  I'm still finding little bits and pieces of them that I have to pick up constantly....ugh.


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## animalmom (Dec 28, 2015)

Yes, we use feed sacks for the burnable trash.  When one gets filled up it is taken out and burned.  We don't trash our feed sacks, and fortunately all our feed comes in paper so we don't have the mess of the plastic ones like @frustratedearthmother mentioned... although the plastic chicken scratch bags do make up cute totes with some sewing.


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## goatgurl (Dec 28, 2015)

I'm like baymule, no food of any kind goes to waste at my house.  something here eats every scrap.  i still have to yell at DD for scraping plates into the trash.  she is such a town kid, lol  and no she wasn't raised like that, how quickly they forget.  i also use plastic bottles for feed scoops, , DS#5 saves me the heavier ones like detergent, i like that they are tough enough to last.  i save my grocery sacks for a friend who crochets blankets for the homeless out of them.   its amazing how warm and strong they are when finished, glad to have a use for walmart bags.   and i think its pretty much a sin to throw out baling twine or baling wire.  couldn't live without baling twine, duck tape and zip ties.


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## greybeard (Dec 29, 2015)

I don't buy any more than I plan to cook, don't cook any more than I can put on my plate and I eat everything on my plate.


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## sadieml (Dec 29, 2015)

@norseofcourse -  Something else for your log carrier.  Run a piece of old garden hose on the baling twine and it won't cut into your hand, or you could just use the plastic grip they put on those buckets in the first place.  Of course you can reuse them forever.


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## Southern by choice (Dec 29, 2015)

After reading the above posts... somehow we need someone to raise a pig close by so we can give our "waste" food to them.
I am so ashamed.

We don't give our dogs or chickens any of the waste food. 
Goats can't get it and we do have waste- sadly.


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## Hens and Roos (Dec 29, 2015)

we had a compost pile going until we decided to add goats....will have to find a new spot this spring.


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## norseofcourse (Dec 29, 2015)

sadieml said:


> @norseofcourse -  Something else for your log carrier.  Run a piece of old garden hose on the baling twine and it won't cut into your hand, or you could just use the plastic grip they put on those buckets in the first place.  Of course you can reuse them forever.


I was showing a picture of the log carrier to a friend, and she suggested using a section of garden hose for a more comfortable handle, too!  Or a section from a washer intake hose.  And I tossed three of those a couple years ago - they came as 'extras' when I bought a used washer, but they all leaked.


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## sadieml (Dec 31, 2015)

Mama was what we called "the last of the original Pack Rats".  My eldest sister and I paid the price for that when she died, since we had to clean-out her house.  I promised my kids I would not do that to them, since it was such hard work, and MORE than that, so hard to have to sort through her lifetime of collected things and decide what to give to whom and what was just trash.  I would never wish that on my worst enemy.  ANYWAY, I was very careful packing to move and asked myself with every item, "Is this just junk, or might I reuse this somehow on a farm?"  Hoses and anything to do with plumbing or building were definitely kept.  I think I now have about 8 old washing machine hoses, and 2 garden hoses that leak, just in case!  At least when my time comes, all they have to do is throw out a bunch of my DIY junk.
So far I've done really well with the paper junk.


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## Southern by choice (Dec 31, 2015)

sadieml said:


> Mama was what called "the last of the original Pack Rats". My eldest sister and I paid the price for that when she died, since we had to clean-out her house. I promised my kids I would not do that to them, since it was such hard work, and MORE than that, so hard to have to sort through her lifetime of collected things and decide what to give to whom and what was just trash. I would never wish that on my worst enemy



That should be in the OCD thread  
But in a good way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That is how I think too @sadieml - I don't want someone having the chore of sorting through stuff wondering about was this important to mom or whatever. Because I am older and my friends are too I see this a good deal- parents are late 80's or 90 and some in their 70's and I am seeing my friends starting to see "hoarding".... not just pack rat but hoarding issues... Many feel that "oh well when I die I don't have to deal with it" but I can't understand why they would want to put their kids through that. 

On the other side I really DON'T like saving much of anything on the premise of "I might be able to use this". My DH is like that... It makes me nuts because in the end I am the one who has to continually deal with all that stuff. He is much better now- probably because I got to the point of just throwing stuff in the dumpster right away and saying- Nope, not happening... it will sit here for years and will end up at the dump anyway... I'm just skipping the years part.

We do reuse BUCKETS! I wash our cleaning rags (2 loads a day of cleaning rags) with the ARm and Hammer soap... no use in using the "good laundry soap" for rags that I add so much bleach to anyway... Arm and Hammer comes in the big Buckets... LOVE THEM! We use them everywhere on the Farm. Hard for me at first because they have the print on the bucket but I OVERCAME! 

Twine of course is stashed everywhere.


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## Baymule (Jan 1, 2016)

Oh twine! and buckets! I save hay twine, can't help myself. I keep a hank of hay twine and roll of duct tape in the car. Actually it is a nice car and we bought the last 2 cars for me, brand new. But I drove junkers and clunkers for so long that it is just a habit. My DH called me one dark rainy winter evening to scream that Joe (horse) was out and wouldn't let DH catch him. I calmly asked what he was doing, DH said Joe stayed just out of his reach and walked away. I said to keep headlights on him, was driving in from work and would be there soon. I drove up, wearing dress, heels  and reached behind the seat for hay twine. I walked up to Joe, slipped a twine noose around his neck and walked him back in the gate. DH was yah-yahing at Joe--Yeah, Momma's here now! You gotta do what she says! Once again, hay twine saved the day!

I buy buckets at the donut shop for $2 with lids-love them! I use them for all kinds of things. Can't have too many buckets!


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## Mini Horses (Jan 3, 2016)

WOW -- going thru "saved" things of moms !!!  Burned cancelled checks & books of monthly bills rec'd, pd, date, ck, # that were over 20 yrs old!     

Mom has Altzheimers, so I have to go thru every envelope & piece of paper so I don't throw out something I will "need" later.  Hiding things is part of the disease, and she did that!!   On flip side, I have found pics that I never knew were taken.  Many of mom, dad & me when I was just a toddler, gr-parents from years ago, etc.  

I've promised my kids I'd do a cleansing of all my "stuff".  LOL
It's not fun, easy, or fast to do.


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## chiques chicks (Jan 4, 2016)

Took me months to do that clean out here.
Every receipt from when they rebuilt the house in the 40's to present day checks. 

Literally filled a 3 ton dumpster with things I couldn't burn, recycle or give away.

Eventually I bought three property from the estate and rarely a day goes by I don't think of something I threw out that I could really use about now, old tin roofing, angle iron, wood, tools. But I didn't know at the time if I would buy it.

On topic, I have friends save the jugs light weight cat litter comes in. Great for hauling water to the animals. And handles on two sides!

I live alone but cook large crock pots of food, particularity if I can make it in to varied meals. Pork roasts, etc. So much cheaper to but larger quantities and cook once.


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## Mini Horses (Jan 4, 2016)

_I live alone but cook large crock pots of food, particularity if I can make it in to varied meals. Pork roasts, etc. So much cheaper to but larger quantities and cook once.
_
Me, too.  Often share by giving that days meal to DD &DGD for evening meal, saves her cooking after long day at work.   I like to then make single servings for freezer.   Nice to come in from day of farm work and just heat something fully prepared vice a sandwich.   Saves time, energy & $$$.   

I think everyone does it, not always we "singles".   Tastes better and healthier.  One reason those who live alone have health issues -- nutrition!  They don't eat properly.  This way the bad prepared foods are out of the picture and all the chemicals in them.


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## goatgurl (Jan 4, 2016)

me three.  i like to make big one pot meals and then freeze extras for when i don't want to cook.  roasts become stew which becomes veggie beef soup.


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## norseofcourse (Jan 10, 2016)

Seed catalogs are starting to come!  I'm sitting here today paging through two of them, as the winds howl outside and snow is covering the leaves I never got raked up last fall.

Starting your own seeds is easy, and with only a small extra effort, your seeds can be free!  So far I've done this two different ways.

1.  I plant more seeds out of the packet than I'll need, and sell the extra seedlings.  This works really well for tomatoes for me.  There's plenty of seeds in each package, often enough to last a few years and still germinate.  Using this method I've been able to afford some really neat tomato varieties (tomatofest is a good website, warning you will want to plant dozens of kinds!).  It's not hard to sell enough to pay for the seeds and starting supplies.

2.  I found people who wanted to plant some things, but don't have the time or space to start their own seeds, or don't have a 'green thumb'.  Asking around at work, and among friends, gave me plenty (a few to start with is usually enough, without getting super complicated).  They buy packets of seeds of what they want, I started the seeds they wanted and I got to keep the extras to start for myself.

With method 2, I found there was often a bit more educating, so sometimes I learned stuff too (what are the best tomatoes for containers? Can I plant just two corn plants?).  I also had to make sure people bought the seeds and got them to me in plenty of time to start.  And if several people wanted the same thing, such as Beefsteak tomatoes, I'd ask one or two of them to buy a packet of something else, like Cherokee Purple, in exchange for their Beefsteak plants (so I got more of a variety, instead of tons of the same seeds).  One person even gave me a huge bag of seed starting soil mix - her plants are free until the bag runs out, which should take 4 or 5 years.

With both methods, if you have the time and space, you can also start extra plants to sell, and actually make a bit of pocket change.  Or donate extras to a community garden.


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## greybeard (Jan 10, 2016)

It would be interesting to cross check threads and see how many people from this thread wasted their $$ on powerball tickets........


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## norseofcourse (Jan 10, 2016)

greybeard said:


> It would be interesting to cross check threads and see how many people from this thread wasted their $$ on powerball tickets........


I didn't, but if someone has some extra disposable income and buys some tickets, I don't see the harm in it - although sadly, I know many people who can ill afford it do buy tickets.

I've bought raffle tickets for various fundraisers, and rarely win... oh well.  And at least in Ohio, lottery profits are supposed to go towards education funding.


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## chiques chicks (Jan 11, 2016)

greybeard said:


> It would be interesting to cross check threads and see how many people from this thread wasted their $$ on powerball tickets........


Oh, I did, and will. I try to be frugal, but need some entertainment. I haven't been to a move since 1981, go to amusement parks once every ten or fifteen years, haven't gone away from home overnight for ten or fifteen years. Yeah, dreams are my entertainment.  I don't buy lottery tickets generally, but when the pots are so big, it's fun to dream.


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## Mini Horses (Jan 11, 2016)

Like you, rarely buy any -- in 40 yrs of "lotteries" have won ONE time beyond the $1-3.  & it was only $8.50!! -- but, was going to buy one last week, just not in town.   Will go today or tomorrow for a couple small jobs for my work, so I will buy one if I remember it.    I have always done MUCH better on slots -- not near any of those in several yrs.

Maybe I need a vacation!?


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## chiques chicks (Jan 11, 2016)

Oh, the trip to town! I now it well! Town is only the miles away, work is on the edge of the city 12 miles away. Rarely go anywhere to "pick something up" unless it is on my way to our from work. It's not that I don't like to drive, I used to put in 80000 work miles/year, straight trips of 1000 miles were nothing to me,  I just don't consider running to town for one thing a good use of my time or gas.


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