Bought a $250 rain barrel, saved my yard and my water bill

I grabbed one of those big rain barrels off Craigslist for 250 bucks back in March. Hooked it to my downspout in Decatur and figured it was just a gimmick. But after that dry stretch in June, I was hauling watering cans all over the place and my bill hit 90 dollars. That barrel stored maybe 200 gallons through two good storms, kept my tomatoes alive, and cut my bill to 55 last month. Anyone else run a rain barrel setup, or is it not worth the space for your yard?

2 comments

Log in to join the discussion

Log In

2 Comments

the_gavin1mo ago

Did you have to mess with the downspout much to get it set up right? I always figured those barrels were a waste of money, but seeing the math like that makes me want to grab one for next spring.

6

johnh821mo ago

Took me three trips to the hardware store and one very soggy afternoon before I stopped leaking water all over my foundation, but the barrels themselves are solid once you get the downspout pointed right. Definitely grab one, just keep a towel nearby for your first attempt.

5