Coupons4LV.com  -  Tree Hugging Frugalitarian

So you have dug the mower out of the garage…. here are a few tips to make lawn care more enjoyable.

Get a new oil filter, spark plug, (air and fuel filter if required)

Remove the old blade and replace it with a gator mulching blade
Or sharpen your old blade. I use a bench grinder on the fine wheel side.

Using a hand file is a fools task and takes too long, balance the blade on a nail that is hammered sideways into a wall. As long as it's fairly close you are good.

If you have a yard that is larger than 1/4 acre, consider picking up a used 48" walk behind mower from craigs or the paper. I obtained a used zero turn belt driven Ferris mower about 9 years ago at a very reasonable price and it decimates my 1/3 acre yard in about 14 minutes! Driving tractors are slow and inefficient for most lawns. Mine also came with a steel mesh bag that is wonderful for chopping up and collecting the leaves in the fall.

 Look at your yard - there are likely dandilions. Get a weed hound, some work gloves, a small trash can, and a large open ended wrench. The weed hound is much more efficient at removing the weeds than chemicals - and better for the environment. Chemical weed killers get into the sewer/storm drain system which is not eco-friendly. The weed hound has a series of nails in the bottom that grab the weed by it's roots - a quick turn and done. Use the open ended wrench to smack the top of the weed hound handle to kick the weed out of the jaws.
 (not using the wrench leads to a sore hand)
 I have found that by removing them physically before they can blossom and cast their seed - their proliferation has dwindled each year. Place the removed weeds into the trash quickly so that the buds don't scatter about. *Important: remove the dandelions before you mow, so you can spot the yellow flowers easily. Also, you won't cast about the seeds everywhere on your lawn.

When it comes to trimming - use an electric if you can or a small gas powered unit. Update 12-18-15: I got the Ryobi 48V from HD at beginning of the summer and mounted the pivot trim - it is phenomenal. (Though it did take a little shim to get the spacing to work out correctly) The fact that I can take it apart and throw in trunk is a real plus too.  I highly recommend replacing the stock line feeder spinning head with a Pivottrim unit, it fits just about all trimmers. I also buy 100' spool of line, not the stock replacement pieces. Cut the line into 12" long segments with a sharp pair of scissors and thread them into the gator head. The rotating line holders all but eliminate line breaks due to the ingenious design. I have found this method to be the most efficient use of trimmer line and best performance. One set of strings lasts about 30 minutes or so, more if you avoid hitting the line against sharp edges.

One final note, I have used several types of gas cans in my life, the best one (for filling mowers only) is the style shown below by Blitz. Spilling gas is a big pet peeve of mine and these anti spill nozzles solve the dilemma. I even remove the nozzle and place it on a smaller blitz can with an oil/gas mix to fill up the trimmer tank - (they both have the same neck thread)

Happy Spring!

I love rainwater in my basement!

Recently I installed a Rainwater harvesting system on a 1200 sqft ranch home in surburban Allentown, Pennsylvania. You can likely duplicate this system in your home or business.

The collection system stores water in a basement, filters it, pressurizes it and distributes it to the toilets, garden hoses, and washing machine.

The system should save about 5000 gallons per year per person in your household (if you size the collection vessel(s) properly.)

It may sound a little tricky to install, but I have included pictures, a YouTube video, basic instructions, and a spreadsheet of all the parts/ tools you will need to take on this endeaver. You can do this with minimal plumbing knowledge!

UPDATE 12-19-15: The washing machine Y has continued to be an issue. I had to replace with a solid brass Y and separate 90 degree shut off globe valves. Luckily my washing machine is in the garage so a leak was not a huge issue.

Update 3-29-17: System still working well. Added a 4' long transparent section of tubing at the drain valve located at the far end of the system. This enables a quick level check without having to drill into the barrels. I secured the top with a zip tie and keep the valve closed. Ultimately I want to install a high level sensor float switch and a solenoid cutoff at the in-feed line. (Thus preventing an overfill scenario) Currently the system if totally full just backs up to the gutter collectors, but that is not a good fail safe in my opinion. I also added a wifi plug to the rainwater pump, that way i can shut it off when on vacation from my phone. I use the insignia ones, as It is very reasonably priced - though it would be nice to have a next compatible one that can sense when we away. Also, the PEX tubing is starting to have some issues due to freezing w/o too much trouble and UV exposure on the outside of the house. I have patched a few leaks, but suspect that I might need to replace the outside tubing with something else more durable or just replace it periodically, as it is not that expensive.

Side Note: The round in-feed screen filter has to be cleaned pretty regularly as I have trees around the home. If it is not cleaned, the flow goes to a trickle and you can not capture the water well during a storm. Clean those gutters!

Collecting rainwater accomplishes several positive things:

1) Decreases your water bill by around 5000 gallons per person per year

2) Decreases load on the storm system in your neighborhood

3) Decreases the amount of water that will try to seep into your foundation

4) Decreases the amount of power consumed by your water utility, indirectly allowing them to keep costs lower for you.

5) Decrease costs associated with maintaining your water softener - as less water will need to be softened

6) Increase water softness so that clothes and vehicle wash more easily & you can use less laundry detergent / soap - thus polluting less. Update: I am not using the rainwater for the washing machine any more, only the toilets. The system just doesn't collect enough water to make it practical, also the water quality varies.

7) Eliminates sudden temperature/pressure changes in a shower when someone flushes a toilet, uses the washing machine, or a garden hose. 

8) Increases anticipation of arriving storms - it's essentially raining free money for you to enjoy!

Fresh water will become more and more valuable as we progress into the future. Flushing a toilet with drinking water is really silly when you think about what is actually happening. Your spending money to treat water just to flush it down with waste - not logical. Our ancestors would likely look at us with head tilted wondering why we weren't using our gutters more wisely…

If you are feeling really ambitious and are able to collect the grey water from your bathroom sinks, showers, tubs, and laundry - this water can be recycled and filtered one more time in an auxillary system to supply water to the toilets and the garden hoses - though you will have to ensure that all of your soaps are bio friendly. Depending on your location, installing an inline UV sterilization filter may also allow you to use the water you collect for consumption.

Note: You should not collect the water from a kitchen sink, toilet, dishwasher as this becomes known as black water and must be sent into the sewer or septic system.