Posted by Snow in 
Let this be the summer (and fall season) you borrow tools instead of spending a bundle on new mechanized hardware. Times are tough, there’s nothing wrong with offering a borrow or asking a lend on Freecycle or in your neighborhood to see what kinds of things people want in return. The trade may not be hardware.
People have a lot of stuff around the house and they may not realize the trade value. A lot of people are sitting on diggers, blowers, posters and loaders too. That power trencher and brush cutter might be causing pain on their credit card and they might be looking for some ease of use in other areas. Even glass and plastic recycling can build to a rental fund for that dream day of maximum power chainsaw rental.
A lot of women would like a month borrow of a sewing machine without having to buy one. Lots of men crave those extra leftover cans of latex paint. Maybe they need your punch bowl and glasses for a big party. Maybe they’ll want the entire Season 3 Tivo of “Ugly Betty” or “30 Rock”. Think about offering a night’s stay on a drive traveling or overnight privileges of recreational vehicle parking. Be flexible and see what happens.
There are eco-friendly ways to plow that forest acreage or saw those pesky stumps without burdening the landfill 20 years down the line. Lessening bit-ticket big-box consumables is one way to keep the landfill fodder and total net waste profile slimmed down. Organize those earth and gravel mounds or dig those project shed or garden pagoda trenches you’ve been daydreaming about.
Try sourcing creatively the hedging, leafing, raking, and lawn mowing toys. These tools are dedicated garage fence-sitters for all but the most wooded of estates. The dump yards are filled with ailing weed whackers and unneeded tool implements. Don’t contribute to this pile.
Low on cash? Maybe you can barter a day’s use of your Playstations or x-Box for a trade. Post it on Freecycle and see what happens. maybe somebody in your area would like chopped logs from the trees on your acreage, or an artist with a qualified handyman garage might appreciate carvable wood chunks and stumps for projects.
Try getting a meeting of guys and dolls from your area via Freecycle or Craigslist to get the most out of a rental. With some planning, some green-minded environmentalist might even let you borrow them. Mow the leaves or de-clutter the yard beyond without dragging a ground mower all around with a blower just like the “pros” use.
Go in with a friend or neighbor on some landscaping machines instead of carting the big box expenditures home. The weed whacker and mini-harvester might be needed for a day or two, but few really need to buy their own. Adopt the re-use green philosophy and incorporate smart resource use as a group effort.
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