A chat with my neighbor about her rain barrel setup got me to finally put one in

I've been meaning to get a rain barrel for like 2 years but kept putting it off. My neighbor across the street in Portland has had one for maybe 4 years. I saw her out watering her tomatoes last week and asked how much water she actually saves. She said last summer she used maybe 30 bucks worth of city water total for her whole garden. That hit different because I was spending like 60 a month just on watering. I picked up a 50 gallon barrel from the hardware store yesterday. Hooked it up in an hour. Anyone else find that just talking to someone who already does the thing makes it click?

2 comments

2 Comments

alicecooper11d ago

Yeah, that neighbor effect is real. I finally put in a rain barrel after my friend down the street showed me how he just stuck a spigot on the bottom and called it a day. One thing I wish someone had told me is to make sure you've got a good screen on top to keep mosquitoes out and leaves from clogging it up. Also, if you can, aim it at a spot where the overflow drains away from your foundation. I let mine overflow the first big storm and it soaked the side of the house. Took a bit of digging to fix that.

blake69111d ago

Talking to someone who's actually doing it makes all the difference. I was the same way with composting, kept putting it off until I ran into my buddy at the hardware store and he told me how easy it was. Now I'm on my third bin and can't imagine throwing food scraps in the trash. That 30 bucks a month savings your neighbor mentioned is no joke either, adds up fast over the season. What size barrel did you end up going with?