Composting for Cheapskates

Over the last two summers I've discovered something about growing one's own food: It's compost heavy. The most common food plants people grow (nightshade family - tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, eggplant), are the biggest nutrient hogs in the produce garden. Legumes aren't as thirsty, and Cabbages aren't as hungry, but those tomatoes (which are pretty much all some Minnesotans grow in the summer) really love their nitrogen. As such, I've been buying fertilizers every spring to re-energize my garden. I know, get on board, right? I just haven't gotten around to building a compost bin... until last fall! And I did it for free, and it'll cut at least thirty dollars out of my outlay every spring! Read on...
My garden is conveniently located against the fence on the alley end of my property. See figure I to the right: It's just on the other side of this fence (Mr. Miagi style, I keep a pristine pastoral yard behind a fence that keeps out horrifying urban blight). On the outside of said fence, I dug two post holes for 2X4's (fig II):





Then, I took a bunch of old siding slats that were up in the rafters of my garage when I moved in, and screwed them to the posts and painted them to match the house color. I had some leftover stucco mesh from making a sifter that I stapled to the slats in figure III. My only problem was what to do about the fence. The fourth wall of this bin was treated for outdoor use, yes, but wasn't exactly designed to have a hundred or so pounds of rotting organic matter resting on it. I painted a couple wide panels with the same outdoor latex paint, and screwed them into the fence as a buffer between compost and fence (fig. IV).

I didn't get a chance to put a top on the bin before the snow flew this winter, but come spring I'll put hinges in a sheet of lattice and toss a padlock on the front (I don't need neighbor kids tossing god knows what in here), and I'll have unlimited compost for the vegetable garden, for zero dollars.

Free Food, Sun and Wind at the Back Door

I know this is going to be an obvious one, but a conversation with a good friend who was virtually clueless about construction and horticulture led me to believe that maybe more people than I assume are just not in the know about backyard money saving. I have done two very different things this summer in my own backyard that have not only cut my bills, but have dramatically increased my quality of life as well.
The first, of course, is the garden. Lisa has tried to get me to plant a few ornamental things, and I have complied in a couple areas, but largely I try to only plant things that will have a utilitarian purpose. As a result, I have fresh strawberries, cherries, and raspberries for breakfast each morning, and I haven't had to buy herbs for cooking since the frost. Last night we grilled (too hot to cook in the kitchen) some really tasty chicken thighs we got at Cub for $1/lb, and everything else we needed to make a Buffalo sauce and salad we either had in our cupboards already or picked out of the back forty:


The salad is arugula from the garden, the dressing was a vinaigrette with feta, the Buffalo sauce was hot sauce with some spices out of the herb beds and a little lemon juice (I had no idea it was so easy to make from scratch), the biscuits were an impulse buy, but they were forty cents per tube, and the Concord Grape Jelly we made last fall and it's been in our basement ever since.
The second thing I've done is this:


For twenty dollars invested in a metal clothesline anchor, I don't have to run my dryer until sometime in October when it finally starts freezing again. I can't tell you how downright pleasant it was to fall asleep that first night in sun-dried sheets. The Bounce Company would like you to believe they can recreate the smell of freshness, but they don't even come close. My freedom of choice has been somewhat diminished (I have to wait for a sunny day to do laundry), but I'm willing to make that sacrifice to don a shirt that smells like a Midwestern summer afternoon.

Hardware Stripping with an Arm and a Hammer

I hate buying stuff I shouldn't have to, but I live in a 96 year old house. Nothing in this home is standard. So when I was thinking I'd like to restore the woodwork and hardware, I wanted a way to do it without spending $5 per piece on new latches, handles, and hinges.
I talked to a friend about this, and he had a simple suggestion: Baking Soda.
One quart of water + 1/4 cup of baking soda + 8 window latches and handles = brand spankin' new hardware!
I have to buy new screws for 82 cents, because many of the old ones were rusted beyond recognition, but the actual hardware came out of the bath looking like they were coated in industrial stripper. After a quick once-over with a copper sponge and a pass with Brasso polish ($4.29/bottle), it looks not new, but at least restored:




The top piece is strait out of the bath, the bottom left is after a pass with the copper, and bottom right is the finished product after some polish. All told, it was a full evening's work, but it cost me all of $7 for the pot (with lead paint you don't want to use anything you'll be cooking in later - and do it with an open window), 50 cents for the Baking Soda, and 82 cents for new screws. This is versus $5 a piece for eight new window latches and eight new handles. Also, I can continue this process with door hinges, porch fixtures, etc. All for a minor outlay of cash and an evening of elbow grease!