How much can a person save when it comes to recyling?

**homesteadmamma** · 09-20-2002, 09:28 PM

When dh and I re-did his workshop (which was a garage), we saved over $4,000.00 in recycling. Had we purchased a new garage it would have cost us close to $5,000.00 and that would not have been insulated or wired.

How much do you think you could save recycling more? Using more of the things you have around the home? Bartering with others to get items you need that are used.

When he needed windows, we purchased them from the hardware store. They had been taken out of a house that was torn down. We got them for practically nothing.

Even the electrical box was recycled from our oldest son's home. He had put in a new one.

Its amazing the amount of money a person can save by asking around or by looking around your home. Tonight, dh made shelves in the gardening shed. He used a garden timber we had laying around to make shelves with. Worked perfect and we didn't have to run and spend money.

**Mom23boys** · 09-20-2002, 09:43 PM

WOW Homestead Mamma! This makes me want to take another look at everything before I throw it out. What a savings you had on your garage!!

**homesteadmamma** · 09-20-2002, 09:54 PM

Yes it was a savings. You know, dh saves everything. He brought that chip board home over 5 years ago and kept saying everytime I wanted it gone, some day I'll use it. Well he did.

Pellets that many businesses have make up the floor in our gardening shed. They were totally free. (They are also great for wood burning stoves and fences)

We used the old door that was replaced with a new door for the door on the gardening shed and even used the old lock because new locks came with our new doors.

The shingles were recycled from the hardware store because they weren't all used on a job. They costs 1/3 the original price.

Even right down to the clock dh uses in his workshop - it was recycled from the recycling building in our small town!!

**captclearance** · 09-21-2002, 12:07 PM

I give our aluminum cans to the school, I recycle as much as I can, I do a lot of crafts with jars (All Kinds ) I reuse yogurt and cottage cheese container for leftovers, I get a couple more uses out of them, I use cereal bags for freezing, I make crafts and stencils out of plastic bottles and jugs..... I use the tin from cans to craft or the whole cans for many crafts.....But what am I saving in terms of money ???? Maybe not much, but I feel I am saving something much bigger..... The planet my children are living on.....

**aylasmommy** · 09-21-2002, 12:31 PM

Well, my dh is pretty good with most handy work..one day our neighbors gave us two tall standing lamps the wood was stained an dark 70's orange...but the fixtures were a nice stainless steel..so dh sanded it down, restained it natural oak and VOILA new lamps for our bedroom that matched our other furniture that dh had just sanded down and restained

Not sure how much we saved with those..as I haven't checked the price of lamps lately

Also dh just brought him a stool from a hospital he was working at (he goes to different places all the time) and he took off the wheels, and replaced it with the things to make it a stool that wont move..and VOILA a free stool for the drumset

He said he saved at least 100$ dollars just with that.

There are other things he does like that..I just can't think of what else right now..

Plus we recycle our cans which gets us about 20$ every 4 months or so..