Making do. (Idea Pool)

John G said:
People tend to overlook the library, but I've saved a ton of money since I started my library habit. Free books, free movie rentals, and free CDs. Also, most libraries now have computers w/internet access.

I just borrowed a bunch of wild edibles books. Free books = increased skills = free food.
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Most libraries have a good for sale section. I've picked up the Weird Pennsylvania book there, and a bunch of Tony Hillerman books, among many others. Twenty five cents to 2 bucks tops. Got a lot of really good wilderness themed books, including an Army survival manual, at my local librarys annual book sale, for about a buck. I think the only book that I paid full price for recently was a Robert E Howard collection, that promptly fell out of the truck into a mud puddle, ruining it. I saw it that week at the library for a couple bucks, and bought it.
 
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mymindisamob said:
This is really great and I hope sharing ideas on this level will catch on a little more as time goes by.
I have often wondered what to do with denim after I wear out the top parts of my jeans. Parts of the leg material is still in great condition. Bottles too. How many things come in plastic containers that can be used again and again. I use my empty med bottles for small fishing kits that I gift to friends at work.
Thanks for all the armguard ideas folks.:thumbup:
Maybe I should ask for ideas on how to "replenish" the tires on my truck.;)
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Backwoodsman has actually had articles on using old denim pants legs as scabbards for rifles/carbines/shotguns. Also, how to make sandals from vehicle tires. You can use those old denim jeans for patches on jeans that haven't quite made it to the scrap pile.
 
i like this thread also. someone posted on here a while ago where someone posted how to make a version of kydex sheaths out of old milk cartons, it was awesome, i can't find it anymore but i made 2-3 of them and they work great. saved me about 50-60 bucks
 
Old laptop bags are a good source of nylon and webbing for sheaths and pouches. I carefully picked one apart that already had a pouch on the front and made this:

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Fishing can be a good way to supplement your food supplies. Decent fishing gear is mucho expensive nowadays. Look on ebay, at garage sales, etc. for old Penn reels. some of these can be found really cheap, often in good condition. If they're not in good condition, spare parts are usually easy to find, especially if you have a mom'n'pop shop nearby. Same thing with old rods.

I love grilling. Nothing grills like a Weber. Webers are expensive. Again, look for old ones on craigslist or at garage sales. I found a ten year old Genesis Silver gas grill that someone was throwing out. $70 of spare parts and now she's working great.

Bicycles - good, (used to be) cheap transportation. Now if you look for one that'll last a lot of commuting miles expect to pay a lot of money. Plus most bikes are so specialized nowadays, they can be useless in everyday applications. Look on craigslist and at garage sales for 1980's era 10- and 12-speed bikes. Extremely versatile. Well made, and much more beautiful than the aluminum and carbon fiber stuff. In NY these oldies demand a high price (up to $200) due to all the hipsters buying up the old stock, but you can find one for cheap, buy Zinn and the Art of Road Bike Maintenance and you can have a bike that'll last several lifetimes for a decent price.
 
I got rid of my car and bus/bike it to work/everywhere. Saved Millions.
 
Good thread. I'm pulling out my dehydrater to practice some different backpacking snacks and meals. My garden is still a delayed project, but we're going to at least get some tomatoes and onions in this year.

Since I've got a stocked lake on my property, I'm trading fishing for assistance in some areas (electrical, flooring, etc.)...should save some $$ for needed gear.

Still cleaning up the back part of my property and I've found two large (1/4" x 5 foot) sized steel tractor cutting blades. I'm going to track a local blacksmith down and see if we can make a deal with this massive chunks of functional carbon steel pieces:D

My wife is getting back into sewing and received her mother's old surger. She can now find a wider variety of clothes now that she can modify if they don't quite fit.

Some good ideas...I like the wine-making one:D

ROCK6
 
Not exactly outdoor stuff but ... We are doing some fixing around the house. It is at our pace; nights and weekends, what's in the fund and what I can do. I learned to skim coat, drywall, medium electrical, and plumbing. Each may take me more time than a pro, but it only costs me materials and my time. And a patient wife.

I really like this thread.
 
What a great thread...seriously.

Making due is an art everyone should practice.

One good thing about MO is all the auctions. You can get lots of stuff for little $$. Plus, dumpster diving can bring alot of goodies. My favorite time to do this is the spring clean up time, when there is loads of great stuff people are setting out to be takin to the landfill. Ive gotten coolers fishing rods, toolboxes, canning jars, and lots of other stuff just cruisin around town....

Thrift stores rock too.
 
j williams said:
Plus, dumpster diving can bring alot of goodies. My favorite time to do this is the spring clean up time, when there is loads of great stuff people are setting out to be takin to the landfill. Ive gotten coolers fishing rods, toolboxes, canning jars, and lots of other stuff just cruisin around town....
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This really bothered me, my father, my grandfather, and my uncles have all done it. They have all gotten lots of great items that people have thrown away. Maybe I am scared that I will turn out to be the junk collector that they are. They have gotten some good stuff though.
 
silenthunterstudios said:
This really bothered me, my father, my grandfather, and my uncles have all done it. They have all gotten lots of great items that people have thrown away. Maybe I am scared that I will turn out to be the junk collector that they are. They have gotten some good stuff though.
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When I was little, my grandfather would drive around on trash day, scouting out treasures on the curb. I helped him salvage three-legged chairs, old wooden boxes, sleds, hand carts, and tons of other goodies. Most of it needed only slight repairs, which he was more than willing to do. Some of it ended up as firewood. It was all free. :thumbup:
 
When i was younger they had 1 day in the spring when the city had a special pickup for bulk trash father would take his pickup truck and me the night before and we would drive thru the alleys looking for anything that would intreast him . We found a lot of very servicable stuff i didnt own a new bike till i was old enough to work and buy one myself . At the time i thought he was just a garbage picker we wernt rich but we also where not poor since then i see that there is nothing wrong with takeing perfectly good stuff that other people just throw away i have continued this tradition myself . Things i have found are t.v. sets dressers fans even a couch right behind my house and many other things that were perfecty fine almost new or needed a small amount of work . So i realy think whoever said waste not want not was right on the money .
 
Bartering - This works great when the situation presents itself. I had my son in Akido for a while. It ended up where I taught his teacher some FMA and my boy's lessons were free. Worked out well for both of us. ;)

BTW: great thread idea.
 
silenthunterstudios said:
This really bothered me, my father, my grandfather, and my uncles have all done it. They have all gotten lots of great items that people have thrown away. Maybe I am scared that I will turn out to be the junk collector that they are. They have gotten some good stuff though.
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If you live in or near a college town, do this in late May/early August when the kids are rushing to move out... sometimes they'll just pitch stuff rather than move it or try to sell it. I'm talking everything from furniture to appliances and electronics. It's crazy!
 
on the pant legs - that is your arm protector right there, brother.

put a thumb hole in the end and twist it around your arm in a helical wrap - the edges of the folds will make it even more durable.

you can also get fancy and replace the thumb hole with a strip of salvaged denim and use that as the tie-off as you wrap it up your arm and tuck it in the top, or button it or velcro it, etc.

your arm won't get as hot as with leather either.

HTH.

vec
 
Tyrkon Lawson said:
Bartering - This works great when the situation presents itself. I had my son in Akido for a while. It ended up where I taught his teacher some FMA and my boy's lessons were free. Worked out well for both of us. ;)

BTW: great thread idea.
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Guess bartering must be an Aikido thing. When I was taking Aikido in high school, I'd babysit the sensei's dog when he went on vacation and I'd get free lessons out of it.
 
chopchop said:
If you live in or near a college town, do this in late May/early August when the kids are rushing to move out... sometimes they'll just pitch stuff rather than move it or try to sell it. I'm talking everything from furniture to appliances and electronics. It's crazy!
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You ain't kidding!

I got a complete friggin leather sectional from a university dumpster.
 
When i don't have thick enough kydex to make something I'll find some old pvc pipe and make it out of that. Old Rx bottle lids can be used as scope lens covers. A few times in an emergency I've used bic pens to make tubing out of.Have to wonder if you could heat the ends and make eyelets out of them. Some old seatbelts make good straps and belts.
A phd in improvisation should be required education for adults,but it seems to be a dying art instead.
 
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