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It took us three years to find our first two rain barrels. Don't get me wrong, there are lots of different rain barrels out there, but finding one that fit our teacher's budget was the problem. Thankfully, we found the first rain barrel not long after buying our home, and it was a big 75 gallon rain barrel, which worked great. We paid $30 for a used one off Craigslist. Two years later, we were able to pick up a second 75 gallon rain barrel for $20, which we also found on Craigslist.
So, when we spotted a post on Craigslist listing three 55 gallon rain barrels for $60 in a location close to our home, we jumped on the deal. Sure, $60 sounds like a lot, and yes we initially cringed at the thought, but when we break it down, it is a great investment. Each one of these rain barrels costs at least $100 new, so right there its a savings of $240.
One of the rain barrels needed a new spigot, but the cost was less than $5. Now counter in the amount of water, which we will save by not having to use the hose....that's where the big savings come in.
We were at the point, where we seriously considered making our own rain barrels, but even then, it would come to at least $30-$50 per rain barrel after buying t
he materials and the barrels.
So we're thrilled that we were able to buy three used rain barrels. This means that we now have a total of five rain barrels, three will be kept at our current home, and two will be kept at The Land, which means no more bringing gallons of water over to The Land.
This year we dealt with a lot of drought in our area, so having rain barrels is a great money saver and it also helps the plants, because city water has been treated, and it is better for the plants to get the untreated rain water, which contains nitrates. Nitrates is made up of nitrogen and oxygen, two essential nutrients for plants.
Not only can buying used save you a lot of money, but it is also an environmentally-friendly way of shopping, because by buying used you keep things out of the landfills. I also recommend checking the yard sale section of Craigslist, and check your local facebook groups as well. It took us a while to find the used rain barrels, simply for the fact that we had no more than $30 to spend a barrel. Every week I would simply search for rain barrels in the for sale section, and I kept at it until I found what we were looking for.
If you cannot find a used rain barrel in your area, you can always check out your local hardware store, but they can be quite expensive, and you might find that ordering a rain barrel online can be a more affordable option. Here is one of our favorites from Amazon.
You can see more tips for how to save water in this post.
Do you have a rain barrel at your home? If so, did you buy it new, used or make it yourself?
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links
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