Just because you pay your bills on time.....
myfask
17 years ago
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Chemocurl zn5b/6a Indiana
17 years agolast modified: 9 years agoharriethomeowner
17 years agolast modified: 9 years agoRelated Discussions
How much do you guys save on your grocery bill from your garden?
Comments (22)We live in the mountains of North Carolina, at 4200 ft. That makes gardening a challenge, since so many days aren't quite as sunny or warm as they are in the valleys. That established, we grew our own tomatoes last year for the first time. We found that the south side of the house was ideal in terms of the quality of the sun, and the duration. We only spent $2.00 per plant at Walmart, and had 5 plants. We didn't spend money on cages. We just staked with stuff we had. We did have to spend on a couple of beers to trap the slugs/snails. We didn't buy a single tomato as long as our plants were producing (which was about July through September). when the harvest ended, it was really a disappointment to have to go back to buying them -pricey and not very tastey. This year we decided to grow veggies in some pots that we had saved from previous nursery plants. We have been experiencing a severe drought in the South East, so we are conserving water. I figure that watering potted plants is more conservation-friendly, since the water doesn't just get swallowed-up by all the dry adjacent soil/plants. We have tomatoes; yellow bell peppers; zuchinni; and yellow squash, all growing in their own individual 5 gallon pots. We also decided to try our own romaine. I planted all nine plants in a large, clear plastic storage tub. We lost two plants to wilt, but the rest have been growing, and we have already been harvesting outer leaves for salads. I suppose the plants will eventually stop producing new leaves in the center, and grow rather leggy, but til then the romaine is really tender and nice. We had to spend more for the plants this year ($2-$3 per plant),and some potting soil, but we had the pots. We did buy some tomato food, too. Being a farmer isn't cheap....See Morejust because you get or buy them .....
Comments (18)yes rhiz.. of course ... but i wasnt concerned with your comments about PROFESSIONAL INSTALLATIONS ... it was moot to my point ... as much as i simplify things for newbies and those with lesser experience [which at times makes your head explode... lol] .. sometimes your stuff is so overly professional .. and i mean that in a good way .... [it makes my head want to explode] ... regardless you are a savant as far as i am concerned... if i can figure out what you are talking about.. lol which.. as is not uncommon... apparently i wasnt clear about my idea ... the simple idea ... is that ... again ... on any plant ... in any region ... there is a 'proper planting time' .. for me in MI .... you dont find some bargain in august.. when its 100 during the day.. 80 at night .. a tree ... and go plant it ... you simply wont be able to give it enough water to sustain it [well you can give it the water.. but can the roots pump it fast enough.. after you disturbed them] ... so why not wait 2 months.. and plant it in fall ... when its in the 70s.. and 50s at night ... so much easier ... buy it when you can get it.. but think about if its really the best time to plant it ... throw the pot in bright shade.. and nurse it along for a month or two ... [never put a black pot in sun.. you will cook the roots] the other end of the spectrum.. with frost/freeze liable plants.. dont rush out to plant them when its really too cold ... pot them.. and leave them in the garage ... warmish during the day ... but tempered night temps to avoid crystallizing the tender leaves ... and the coolness keeps them in slow motion ... as compared to forcing them large in the house .... babs ... i though i used words broad enough... for every region ... i am sure.. even you your eden.. there are better times to do things .... and the point was that simple ... peeps will think about plant culture... sun .. soil.. fert.;.. water .. and all these other variables.. and forget about TIMING ... so i guess the post is all about TIMING ... within the variables of plant culture .... ken ps: and here is the easy way to understand... you mail order from z8 WA ... and the plants are in a certain stage of growth ... and you are in z5 MN ... how about you plant them.. when as of today.. your weather is equivalent.. to the z8 they came from.. which probably means mid may ... but to take them outside.. and put them in 40 degree earth.. that is a recipe for disaster .... so one might think of the potting.. as 'hardening them off' to your conditions ... Here is a link that might be useful: rhiz ...you are a scientist.. i am a guy who has dirt under his nails.. and killed a lot of things... lol...See MoreDo you check your meter readings against your bill?
Comments (3)True, meter readings can definitely be in error, but keep in mind that these errors are not going to cost you any money in the long run. In the case of your water bill, for example, your bill for water usage the next month would have been zero because the meter reading still probably would not have come up to the figure they erroneously recorded on the previous month's bill. The same would be true of gas and electric meters. (There may still be a monthly service fee you pay, so the bill wouldn't actually be zero, but you'd pay that anyhow. The bill for your actual usage will be zero.) However, some people may object to "lending" the utility company money in the form of paying a big bill this month, even though that money is going to be paid back to them over the next few months in the forms of very low or non-existent bills. These people can simply do as you did and read the meter themselves if they get an overly high bill, and the utility company will make the appropriate adjustment....See MoreWhat if you dont pay electric bill?
Comments (10)I'm in Canada, particularly Ontario and it's a common misconception here that they can't shut off your power in winter months. But they can. Call them and set up a payment plan. Something is always better than nothing and if you make an effort, they can see that. So many people prefer to ignore their bills instead of calling the company. A few examples: We're having a bad month. I forgot to pay the rest of my cell phone bill so I called the provider and let them know I would pay it today. And I did. There was no lecture but instead she said, "Thank you for calling us and letting us know." When we were building our house, our furnace wasn't hooked up yet so after the drywall was done we had to keep the house heated. We set up multiple electric heaters. I got an over $900 hydro bill. Although I paid what I could, when I could, I couldn't keep up. I called them and they put me on a payment plan for a year which just adds a bit of that amount on to every bill. It's way more manageable. Other companies are great. Our propane company is not corporate owned. Again, the costs of installation were high. I called to tell them when I would be making another payment as I was behind. The lady was really nice and said to me, "We understand that the initial costs are high. As long as we see that you are paying it down, you won't have any issues." It took me maybe 2 months but I got it cleared. You need to call and see what they can do to help you. Ignoring it is never the answer. And consider moving. I'm not sure if that's an option for you but lots of people here live in apartments with baseboards and then wonder why their bills are so high. Baseboards and oil are terrible. Natural gas, propane and pellet stoves are much, much cheaper. I've been there. My first year of college my husband and I were basically living in one room of our apartment with a space heater because we couldn't afford to heat the entire place. We are obviously a lot better off now having just built our first home. Even now, we live in the dark 75% of the time. Not because we can't afford it but rather why pay for it when you don't need/use it? We have beautiful outdoor lights and never turn them on. The inside of our house is dark aside from the room we are spending time in. We don't unnecessarily run our furnace or AC. We take advantage of the sun, open windows etc. As for legal repercussions, they aren't just going to write the debt off. They WILL come after you regardless of whether it's off or not. How they might do that, I'm really not sure....See Moremyfask
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