A talk with my neighbor about his rain barrel changed my whole week

I was walking my dog past his house in Denver on Tuesday and saw him filling a watering can from this big blue barrel. He told me he got it for free from a city program and it catches about 55 gallons from his roof gutter. He said it's cut his water bill and helps his garden during dry spells. It made me think about how small, cheap things can actually add up. Has anyone else tried something simple like this at home?

2 comments

2 Comments

ellis.jennifer20d ago

Actually, the free barrel program here in Denver ended a few years back. They still sell them at a discount though, around $50. The math still works out, it just takes a bit longer to pay for itself.

emeryp2320d ago

That's a solid point from @ellis.jennifer about the math still working. It feels like everything good gets rolled back slowly until you're paying for what used to be a public service. You see it with plastic bags, library fines, even park parking. The discount helps, but it's another small cost shift onto regular people. The goalposts just keep moving a little bit every year.