Finding frugal ways to live often means turning someone else’s trash into treasure. Last week I spotted a pallet full of bricks stacked behind a dumpster of a church while driving my kids to school. I called and left a message at the church asking if the bricks were indeed garbage; could I use them for a landscaping project instead. About fifteen minutes later I got a call back and was told I could take every last one.
An edging project on Pinterest caught my eye last year and I wanted to build my own without dropping a ton of money on supplies. By finding a way to get my hands on a pile of bricks, this project cost only $15 worth of sand. We’ll also print off these pictures and mail the church a thank you note and a check for their gift.
One of the best byproducts of living debt free is that I’ve become much more environmentally conscious and have found many ways to repurpose materials that would otherwise be trashed. It feels great to add character to my home by creating useable features on the cheap. Here’s a couple of my favorites:
Last summer we put new flooring on our deck, and I used the old boards that were free of rot to build a “woodshed” for outdoor storage. Here’s a link to the project description.
A couple summers ago adding insulation to the attic left a pile of 100-year- old wood flooring at our disposal. I knew what I wanted but couldn’t find any plans, so I just sketched it out and did my best to build this shelf for our front porch.
Before you start a project, consider the possibility of using repurposed materials. Search Craigslist, ask around and be patient. A pile of supplies might be waiting for you somewhere too.
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