Frugal, cheap, skinflint or just plain crazy?
Mar 29, 2022 6:30:35 GMT -5
datgirl, Latitude33, and 3 more like this
Post by emmsmommy on Mar 29, 2022 6:30:35 GMT -5
I often do things that leave my hubby and parents scratching their heads. I guess you could say I was raised poor, but neither I, nor my classmates really noticed until we hit junior high (now middle school). I probably had an overabundance of toys considering I was the only grandchild on one side and the oldest by four years on the other and because mom would always raid the family dump after my aunt cleaned house (lots of toys, dishes and a working vacuum cleaner came from there). Everyone in the family had "Hillbilly Tupperware" which consisted of butter bowls and other plastic containers that were washed and used over and over again. We also used and fixed stuff until it fell apart. So it's only natural that I'd continue the tradition isn't it?
But I think I may have taken it a bit too far by "fixing and improving" this time. I bought one of those eight-shelf portable greenhouses at the flea market several years ago for $20 I think. I used it behind the house for two years as a hardening-off station in the spring and for propagation during the summer. Then the cover started to deteriorate and the legs and bottom pieces started rusting and falling apart. So that summer we came across six 10' lengths of 1/2" metal conduit at a yard sale for $5 and I knew I'd found the solution to the broken legs. So the summer of 2020 was spent cutting conduit, reinforcing broken or cracked joints and wrapping the very end of the conduit with duct tape to ensure a snug fit. I ordered a piece of greenhouse plastic and two self-adhesive zippers for the door and PVC clamps to hold the plastic on. At this point I've invested $90 in what was meant to be a "use it for a few seasons and trash it" greenhouse. After a bout with the wind and some solid anchoring, it served me well last year. I even used the two shelves that were supposed to be on the very bottom and an old oven rack to add three more shelves along the back. Due to being overwhelmed, burnt out and just plain tired, I didn't take it down or move it inside last fall. So I wasn't surprised to see that the zipper adhesive was beginning to fail. So do I spend another $20 on a new pair of zippers? Of course not! I found a roll of Gorilla double-sided tape for less than $10 on Amazon (the same thing of lesser quality was going to cost $22 locally) and eagerly awaited delivery. ($100 invested now) So of course the plastic needs to be cleaned so it came inside last evening and was given a bath early this morning as well as the zippers. I tossed the zippers into the dryer not only to dry, but in hopes of softening up the remaining adhesive (it worked). Then I applied the tape to the zippers, pressing repeatedly to ensure good adhesion and triiming off 1/4" of excess tape (nope it couldn't have come in the proper width). So now I wait while the plastic thrown over the shower rod dries, an then run along the area where the zipper goes with rubbing alcohol. Then I'll need to run some masking tape along the back to hold the plastic together (after the zippers were initially attached, you slit the plastic) so the zippers can be reattached. I'll do it inside on a flat surface this year versus doing it while the greenhouse is standing (as I did last year). Oh and I'll also need to cut off the ends of the zippers and move the stops as I didn't do that last year and they're too long. So I have $100 (well technically less as I still have some of the greenhouse plastic left) and numerous hours invested in something I can currently buy for $70-85 dollars new. But... mine is sturdier and the covering will last 5x as long.
Next project: using the old soldering iron to poke holes in the bottom of those k-cups. The alpine strawberries need potted up and they're free!
But I think I may have taken it a bit too far by "fixing and improving" this time. I bought one of those eight-shelf portable greenhouses at the flea market several years ago for $20 I think. I used it behind the house for two years as a hardening-off station in the spring and for propagation during the summer. Then the cover started to deteriorate and the legs and bottom pieces started rusting and falling apart. So that summer we came across six 10' lengths of 1/2" metal conduit at a yard sale for $5 and I knew I'd found the solution to the broken legs. So the summer of 2020 was spent cutting conduit, reinforcing broken or cracked joints and wrapping the very end of the conduit with duct tape to ensure a snug fit. I ordered a piece of greenhouse plastic and two self-adhesive zippers for the door and PVC clamps to hold the plastic on. At this point I've invested $90 in what was meant to be a "use it for a few seasons and trash it" greenhouse. After a bout with the wind and some solid anchoring, it served me well last year. I even used the two shelves that were supposed to be on the very bottom and an old oven rack to add three more shelves along the back. Due to being overwhelmed, burnt out and just plain tired, I didn't take it down or move it inside last fall. So I wasn't surprised to see that the zipper adhesive was beginning to fail. So do I spend another $20 on a new pair of zippers? Of course not! I found a roll of Gorilla double-sided tape for less than $10 on Amazon (the same thing of lesser quality was going to cost $22 locally) and eagerly awaited delivery. ($100 invested now) So of course the plastic needs to be cleaned so it came inside last evening and was given a bath early this morning as well as the zippers. I tossed the zippers into the dryer not only to dry, but in hopes of softening up the remaining adhesive (it worked). Then I applied the tape to the zippers, pressing repeatedly to ensure good adhesion and triiming off 1/4" of excess tape (nope it couldn't have come in the proper width). So now I wait while the plastic thrown over the shower rod dries, an then run along the area where the zipper goes with rubbing alcohol. Then I'll need to run some masking tape along the back to hold the plastic together (after the zippers were initially attached, you slit the plastic) so the zippers can be reattached. I'll do it inside on a flat surface this year versus doing it while the greenhouse is standing (as I did last year). Oh and I'll also need to cut off the ends of the zippers and move the stops as I didn't do that last year and they're too long. So I have $100 (well technically less as I still have some of the greenhouse plastic left) and numerous hours invested in something I can currently buy for $70-85 dollars new. But... mine is sturdier and the covering will last 5x as long.
Next project: using the old soldering iron to poke holes in the bottom of those k-cups. The alpine strawberries need potted up and they're free!