Making a homemade rain barrel is cheap and easy.  All you need is a heavy duty plastic garbage can, a spigot and an off valve.  That’s it!

A couple years ago, my daughter’s husband, Tom, took the lead on this project.  He put up a birdhouse for me and assembled my rain barrel, while Amanda and I planted the garden.  What a great day that was!

Tom drilled a hole for the spigot and value to fit into and used a little plumber’s tape to make a seal.  Then, he cut a hole in the lid and attached an old fan case to the inside of the lid, to catch leaves and debris.  It was that easy!  (Tom, let me know if it was more difficult than you made it look!)

I attached my hose and waited for the rain!

When it rains, I will usually run out and flip the lid upside down so the rain running off the end of the gutter has a larger target to hit.  I know rain isn’t supposed to run off the end of a gutter.  I didn’t fix my gutter properly the first time and now going back up and re-fixing it is WAY down on the list of things that are important…so, I just make the best of it.

I have been happy to have my rain barrel during dry periods and my plants have been loving the rain water I’ve captured!

Here are 4 things I have especially enjoyed about my homemade rain barrel:

1. It saves a natural resource that I can put to good use over the summer.
2. It saves me lots of money.
3. It keeps chemicals like fluoride out of my garden.
4. It reminds me of the great day we had working together in the yard!

The cost of my rain barrel was $32.76.  Buying one new and ready made would have been around $100.00, so I saved $67.24.  But here’s the shocking part.  My water bill two years ago was $115.00.  Last year, it was 46.50.  A savings of $68.50, so it paid for itself by double!

MONEY SAVED $135.74!!

🙂