Pro tip: I spent $80 on a good rain barrel for the garden and it's already paid for itself.

We got hit with a huge water bill last summer from keeping the veggies alive... so I grabbed a 50-gallon barrel from the hardware store. It filled up after one good storm, and I haven't used the hose on my tomatoes in weeks. Has anyone else tried something like this to cut a utility bill?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_jake11d ago

Honestly, that setup seems like more trouble than it's worth for most people. You need a perfectly flat, stable spot and have to mess with gutters and a screen to keep out bugs and leaves. That initial cost doesn't even factor in your time. In a lot of places, the water you save is a drop in the bucket compared to your total bill, especially if you're just watering a small garden. It can also become a breeding ground for mosquitoes if you aren't really careful with maintenance.

patricia_rodriguez11d ago

Oh man, reading about the mosquito thing just gave me flashbacks... We had a big plastic tub that collected water on our patio cover by accident, and it was a nightmare. I didn't even notice it for a while, but then the bugs got so bad we couldn't sit outside. It took forever to figure out where they were all coming from. Now I'm paranoid about any standing water at all, even a bucket.