Diy Water Fountain Easy Cheap

Took some inspiration from an old post on this subreddit to make some cardboard hills and rock formations! Was dead simple, used some cardboard to make the basic shape, watered down pva and toilet paper for the base cover, covered it in pva and a bit of sand on the bits I wanted sandy and then a black base coat, then painted grey, and grassed on the bits that felt right plus some bushes! May have put too much grass on the bottom of the smaller hill but it still does the job. Felt like my games were missing a bit of height and they all feel a bit too linear at the minute so hopefully this might help! Will see how they go tomorrow! submitted by /u/Jhadle1994 to r/TerrainBuilding [link] [comments]

Don't see much about Marella here so hopefully someone will find this helpful. Warning it is a long read...! Took my partner for the first time - done a few Marella cruises in the past with my elderly mother and found them to be ok - nothing amazing - the all inclusive aspect is great - but this itinerary was brilliant and took us to a few places we've never been to plus revisiting a few old favourites. We usually do road trips which we love but are generally very busy so thought it would be nice to have a lazier holiday. As it turned out this was just as hectic - doing excursions 6 days out of 7 but at least most things were organised for us and we didn't have to worry about finding accommodation or places to eat or drink. Marella includes flights from/to the UK plus the transfers and this makes for a very easy & stress-free trip. We sailed on Marella Voyager on a repositioning cruise - one way only as opposed to the usual return trip - from Palma in Mallorca to Ajaccio in Corsica, Rome, Naples, Messina in Sicily, Kefalonia and ending in Corfu Town. Honestly, it was the best cruise I have ever done. Having previously sailed on Discovery, Discovery 2 and Explorer 2, the Voyager was definitely the best so far. The Summer House at the back of the ship was lovely. It didn't have an indoor pool though but fortunately we didn't need it on this trip. It was definitely more modern than the Discovery ships. All the ships are easy enough to navigate after a few days, they're so small compared to some other ships out there. In the past the food was ok - it was better prior to Covid but after that clearly cuts had been made which is fair enough - but this time it really was very good! The new addition of the included Piccadilly's restaurant was fantastic - we really did feel that we were eating in one of the speciality restaurants. They've also done away with the buffet restaurant and now have The Kitchens instead - and the food was a lot better for it. There were freshly made sausage & bacon baps which were heated up for you and were a great option for a morning when you had an early start for an excursion and no time for a proper sit down breakfast. The evening entertainment on Marella has never been great - apart from some of the Broadway shows - but this time it was much better with a singer playing great songs with his acoustic guitar and a very good comedian. We did upgrade to a balcony cabin - well worth the money especially as we sailed past an erupting Stromboli in the early hours - such a special moment to be sat out there 🌋 There was one sea day on this itinerary and they always get a bit chaotic so it was nice to have that peaceful space to just watch the sea go by with us taking turns to go to the bar for drinks 😁 There are also proper shower doors on Voyager (as did Explorer 2) unlike the dreaded clingy shower curtains we got on Discovery, although that may have changed now. Lots of storage space too for such a small space & plenty of hangers even for my excessive amount of packing! We upgraded to the Premium All Inclusive to get better drink choices - again well worth it. My partner generally only drinks cider and he had the choice of bottled Bulmers and Magners instead of just Strongbow on tap. Good coffees and teas to in The Coffee Port which otherwise would not be included. Be warned however - you cannot get bottled water even on Premium AI - back in the day even on basic AI package you'd get a bottle in your cabin every day. Not any more. There are water fountains all over the ship though, you just have to be vigilant about keeping your bottles topped up! Marella offer some brilliant excursions but be warned they are not cheap...! We were tempted to DIY it at a few stops but in the end decided to do a few just for the ease of it and it was well worth it, particularly for Pompeii and for getting to and from Rome. We did pre-book hire cars for our stops in Kefalonia and Corfu and it was great to have that freedom. Marella has a bit of a 'Butlins at sea' reputation which is very unfair in my opinion. I have never seen any awful behaviour - sure there are lots of people who go just for the all inclusive and do just spend all day drinking but everyone's just jolly, friendly and having a great time! Even though there are lots of passengers getting on in years there are just as many couples in their 20's/30's/40's/50's plus lots of family groups. I think that just about covers it, feel free to ask any questions! submitted by /u/Prize_Technician_459 to r/Cruise [link] [comments]

Since my last post has gone viral I thought I'd give you ladies & gentlemen a quick crash course in how you can make you're coral reef look as epic and dense as mine!! And maybe a little helpful info relating to all your water troubles!! 😊😊 First things first.......SEEDS.....and you are gonna need allooott of them, trust me!! 🌱🌱🌱 What you see and have seen in the previous post is over 2000 flower seeds collected over the course of a week visiting hundreds of people's islands raiding their shops and it hasn't even scratched the surface of how big I want this reef to be!! You are gonna be sowing & harvesting for a while thats for sure as you can not keep up with how many you end up using in a small space when going for the full packed in "no-gap" look!!🌼🌸🏵🌺💠 *I am aware of photos and printing....personally I found it to take far too long to grind for the pokemetal at dream islands (even with efficiency of Graveler) and each single flower will cost you 4 Pokemetal each to print so the price will rack up very quickly and I chose to keep most of mine for future builds* TIP 1: WHAT TO USE AND WHAT NOT TO USE!! ✅️🚫 In my opinion roses didnt look right and still looked like a rose just underwater and so I did not use them...as well as any bushes/hedges!! 🌹🚫 I used every colour of every other type of flower (5 colours total across 7 types) AND the 4 different colour grass patches to simulate patches of seaweed within the reef 🌿🌿🪸🪸 TIP 2: MAGNET RISE IS YOUR BESTIE!! 🧲🥰 You will struggle very hard if you try attempting this before beating the main story and getting your last ability!! Magnet Rise will help you dive underwater to be able to place those flowers exactly where you want, even multiple at a time if you are quick enough on the trigger!! Get used to coming up for air and finding that sweet spot where you can stay down there to the very last second till you know you gotta rush back to the surface; you gonna be doing that alot too along with the sowing & harvesting!! It is also super helpful for if you place a flower somewhere you are not happy with you can just dive down and hold Y to retrieve the whole plant without have to destory & replant it again!! 😊😊 TIP 3: YOU CAN PLACE THEM AT DIFFERENT DEPTHS TO CREATE COOL EFFECTS!! 😎😎😊😊 From testing the bottom of that bay area in Bleak Beach where I have been working is 7 blocks deep and I can NOT plant or pick up anything from the sea floor there so it seems you can go down as far as 6 blocks to create your reef 🪸🪸 You can witness this in the last 4 photos where I've placed a bunch 6 blocks down and up against the window of the pirates underwater plundering tunnel that's leads from the ship to the small island in the back corner that ive just started working on * TIP 4: RANDOMNESS IS KEY!! 🔑 If you plant too many of the same colour or same type next to each other it begins to look a little weird and just patches of flowers in groups....Try starting out with the 4 grass patches beginning with Green and plant 5 or so randomly...then go with the Yellow, Red & then Pink....a couple of patches next to each other look great here and there but for the most part keep gaps ready for your flowers!! Just like the grass go one type at a time and pick a colour and then move on to the next type and colour....if you have done all 7 types, come back to the first and pick a new colour and go around the area again and dont miss a spot to really get that full packed in "no gaps" look!! A couple here and there of the same type but a different colour next to each other looks great but same colour and different type looks even better.......Throw a few of those combos into the mix to change it up along with the random placing * 😊😊😊 TIP 5: ADD A PERSONAL TOUCH TO CHANGE IT UP!! 🤷😄😄👌🏼 My "Port Royal" dock is using Mushroom Streetlights (That way im not dealing with the WiFi boxes & Generators under the dock/water/sand) so my personal touch is that there are a bunch of the Glowing Mushrooms (Pick up with M.R and holding down Y to retrieve them) and Mushroom lamps throughout the reef AS coral because the idea is that whomever created the dock took the coral from the reef to create the lights for said dock!! 💡💡😊😊 THE WATER MECHANICS!! 💧💦⛲️ It took a bit to get a hang of it but now its super easy for me as shown in this 1 min video for demonstration (granted deeper water can be trickier but its the same principles) TIP 1: MASTERING THE ADJUSTING 🧙‍♂️🧙‍♀️ You can adjust not only the height of which you'd like to place the water but also the water depth its being placed at too!! Seems like most of Bleak Beach was done with the shallow water so change the water level by holding down ZL and using the left or right D-pad; the same place as to which you can also change the height of placement by holding ZL and using the up or down D-pad!! 💧💦😊😊 You need to master those inputs because they are key to making it all flow back together as one!! 😁😁 TIP 2: TAKE YOU'RE TIME AND DON'T STRESS OUT!! 😇😇 As demonstrated in the video once you have your correct water level go over to the area and stand (build a block platform for deeper water) in that exact 1 block space where the waterfall is happening next to it....thats the block space that needs to be fixed!! 😄😄 Adjust the height of positioning as mentioned above in that 1 block space you are standing on and get it level to the body of water you are fixing up!! 📏📐 For me in that area shown its just a single push up on the D-pad for the 1 block im underneath the water Spit it out and move onto the next open space block.....sometimes it will fill 2 or 3 spaces so just move along to the next open one...Looking down helps to get the water exactly on the block you are fixing Once the ZL and D-pad buttons are mastered you will be able to do it on the fly in now time like the video I hope this post has been super helpful for you and im glad you all are loving my work for Tortuga and I can not wait to show you more of what is happening in this pirate port!! ☺️☺️🏴‍☠️☠️🦜🏝💰🪸 Anymore queries just shoot me a comment and I shall answer away!! 😇😇 submitted by /u/Thedude8450 to r/Pokopia [link] [comments]

I used to eat a lot of those instant ramen/lo mein meals and always thought the little veggie packets were great. I recently learned that you can purchase those veggies in bulk! They're shelf stable for years, super convenient, and very cheap. There are plenty of options on Amazon, just search "freeze dried veggie medley". I've been using Augason farms, but they all look more or less the same. Will probably try a different brand next time to test. They come in a huge can and are intended for stews, but they work great in many things. I cook pasta and ramen in a sauce pan and toss in a cup of these veggies with some extra water. They rehydrate nicely and soak up the flavor of whatever they're cooked with. You can even just toss them into a bowl with water and microwave them. It's been gamechanging for my meal prep and diet. Super easy way to add more nutrients to what you're eating! Edit: The question of how nutrients are affected by freeze-drying has come up in the comments. From my research, freeze dried veggies fare significantly better than other preservation methods (i.e. canning). This is because freeze drying "pauses" veggies in time without heating them. Freeze dried veggies retain the majority of their original nutrient profile. submitted by /u/99OBJ to r/LifeProTips [link] [comments]

Just landed last night after a 6 days (5 nights) trip to Austria with my mom. This was my first time truly onebagging, and now i’ll go over it all in ridiculous detail. Me (28f) and my mom spent 3 days in vienna before heading to the viennese alps to catch some snow and explore some nature. My one rule of onebagging was: as long as it makes things easier, not harder. The second i would start feeling like i was compromising, the second it was more trouble than it was saving me, i would give up and use another bag. Spoilers: that did not happen. My bag: the one and only osprey daylite 26+6 in blue. What can i say that hasn’t been said already? I love this beast. Took everything i threw on it and more. Didn’t need to extend once. Last day i had to carry it around full after we checked out of the hotel, and while it wasn’t fun it was still very manageable, as long as i took some breaks from time to time. Clothing: 2 pairs of pants - jeans (worn on the plane and for most of the trip) and one pair of REI hiking pants, both thrifted*. If we hadn't gone hiking\playing in the snow i would’ve been fine with just the jeans, but even then i would’ve been glad for the backup. 4 tops: 2 t-shirts, one polo, one button up. All thrifted for a combined $18. Used all of them, could’ve easily done with one less, two if i felt like doing laundry. Pajamas: thermal top (synthetic), stretch cotton sleep pants. I liked having a dedicated clean set instead of using my normal t shirts, and they didn’t take up that much space. 6 pairs of boxers: did not succumb to the urge to take one more for backup. Right call. 5 pairs of darn toughs: what the hell was i thinking? Complete overkill. Would’ve easily managed with 3, could’ve swung 2 as well (they are so easy to wash, i did it the first night out of curiosity). Even though snow got in my shoes, i went home with 2 clean pairs still in the packing cube. Do not let your anxiety pack for you, it apparently has more legs than a spider. 3 pairs of cotton panties for sleeping: used 2, but they pack super small. 2 sports bras: only used 1. 1 cotton sweater: thrifted for $15. Has stripes. Fjallraven oban jacket: thrifted for an embarrassing $124 but i love this jacket and wear it all the time. It has 7 pockets. Perfect for the day time when it was not that cold (especially since we were walking around so much) combined with the sweater and jeans. Fjallraven ovik lite down jacket: thrifted for $70, perfect for the evenings and the days in the snow. This was my first time wearing it (it wasn’t cold enough for down before) and i was really impressed by how convenient it was - warm when i needed it, light and packable when i didn’t. Silk square neckerchief: found on the sidewalk for $0. I was pleasantly surprised at how warm it managed to be while barely taking up space and looking very stylish to boot. It was a bit annoying having to retie it every few hours as it got loose, but at this price it’s hard to beat. A pair of merino blend gloves: it was a good call to bring them. Would’ve worked better if i had bothered actually using them, alas. Electronics: Airalo e-sim: worked very well. used less than 3 GB out of the 10 i bought. Don’t let your anxiety buy your internet packages, apparently all it does is stream avengers: endgame on repeat. XIAOMI Mi Power Bank 3 Ultra Compact: cheap, small, worked well. Cables: Usb-c (phone) and micro (kindle)+ wall charger: didn’t use the micro, nice to have regardless, very small. Polaroid hi-print portable printer: for journaling. Used every day, didn’t use the backup cartridge. Worked well, almost did the gorgeous views justice! Kindle keyboard: maybe not the ultralightest out there, especially with the case, but i’ll be using it until it dies and then i’ll give it a viking funeral. Has no built in light, the reading light in the case stopped working mid trip :( book was: road to roswell by connie willis (i like starting a new book on the plane so i’ll always associate it with the trip. 60% in, so far highly recommend.) Sony linkbuds s earbuds: barely used, very small, even with the silicone protector. Toiletries: Folding travel toothbrush, small travel toothpaste: worked well. Dove roll-on deodorant: my go-to. Venus snap with mech3 head: worked well, very small and convenient (i shave my armpits but not my legs, so it might be different for other people). Tweezers: tweezers. Dove beauty bar: broke off a tiny piece of it to be more #utralight, which was silly of me. Yes, it lasted the whole trip, but who likes using the last bit of bar soap? Am i being punished? Full bar next time, especially since at one point i used it for body, hair and face (didn’t like the smell of the hotel soap). Menstrual disc (hello disc): if you’re on the fence, this is your sign to get one. I got my period on the second day of the trip. The first two days are my heaviest, but if it wasn’t for some slight cramping, i would’ve forgotten i was even on my period. The autodumping meant I didn’t have to take it out to clean in gross public bathrooms, the large capacity meant i didn’t need to fear any leaking. It turned what could’ve been a trip-ruiner into an afterthought. Oh, right, i’m on my period. Almost forgot. Packs small and flat, too. I swear this is not sponsored or anything i just love my disc!!!! Pimple patches: the other reason i couldn’t entirely forget i was on my period - i break out. The patches helped. Collapsible travel bidet: i don’t go anywhere overnight without it. A roll of toilet paper, some wet wipes: barely used, but good to have. Could’ve thrown away if i didn’t have the space, but i did. First aid kit: some painkillers, iron, band aids, etc. didn’t use the tourniquet (anxiety won here too, alas). Wipes for cleaning glasses: barely used, nice to have. Alcohol spray: packs small, useful in a pinch. Other equipment: Fjallraven travel toiletry bag, converted into the best crossbody bag with two keychains and a strap: it’s convenient. It’s stylish (emphasis on the ish). It was thrifted for $5. It holds my kindle, wallet, water, traveler’s notebook, key and first aid kit with ease. I used it as a day bag in vienna and it folded fairly flat while in my backpack. I use it almost daily, and it did not disappoint. 8l dry bag: for laundry. Worked fairly well, but next time i’ll look for one with an air valve - it was impossible to get all the air out. Didn’t wash clothes in it this time, but i know it’s possible. DIY traveler’s notebook: for journaling, sketching and keeping a schedule. This thing is like a daughter to me, i don’t go anywhere without it. Used with a pentel sharp kerry mechanical pencil with blue leads and a kaweco al sport fountain pen (f nib, kaweco ink). Pencil case: with dry gouache, some markers, glue runner, etc. has bears on it. Large packing cube from decathlon: for all the clothes, plus some gifts and the polaroid printer. Worked very well, even better than two small ones would’ve (this was my original plan, but i lost one somehow). Wallet: austria is big on cash. I was glad to have a wallet with space for coins. Nanobag: used once, folds small. Looks pretty. Overall thoughts: Everything worked a lot better than i expected, and both me and my mom had a blast on our trip. Vienna is magical with its christmas markets, architecture and art. The viennese alps are breathtakingly gorgeous. This was my first time seeing snow! And first time crashing into it at full speed while going downhill on a sledge. It was awesome. *while i was conscious of things like how much space things take, how practical they are, drying times, etc. i feel like people in this sub often go the very techy, very dedicated (and expensive) route when it comes to clothes. I wanted to pack clothes i would wear in my normal day to day life, clothes that didn’t make me look like a tourist or that would have me spend more on equipment than i was saving on a suitcase. I’m mentioning what was thrifted and for how much to show that you don’t have to break the bank to fly on a budget. submitted by /u/tubluen to r/onebag [link] [comments]

submitted by /u/HillBlossom to r/mainecoons [link] [comments]

I grew up in a small coastal town in south Florida, where my daily girlhood ritual consisted of sunflower seeds and a slushee from Wawa, slathering myself in Maui Babe tanning lotion and attempting the perfect seashell shaped tan-ttoo, and finally putzing around the mall with some sticky-fingered friends until my mother called me home to supper. It was the sort of idyllic cool-girl vibe that was made possible only by the fact that amidst the Presbyterian churches and cow pastures, my town had a Pacsun storefront situated in what was widely considered the beach babe corridor of our derelict shopping plaza (a 2000s Florida teenager’s holy trinity: Hollister, Pacsun, RonJon’s). And within Pacsun was a highly coveted little jewel of an elixir; packaged in an unbearably cute and holdable bottle, with an unassuming and decidedly cool lower-case label and the perfect splash of lime-green rubber grip. St. Augustine’s fountain of youth had absolutely nothing on the classic Nollie. The snowbirds had their designer scents from the Sephora inside JC Penny’s— Carolina Herrera Good Girl abounds!— but to me, Nollie is the smell of Childish Gambino’s Because the Internet album on CD in my beater with no AC, the smell of skipping Sunday service to practice french kissing with my best friends in the girl’s bathroom, the smell of pretending that you like coconut water (it’s pretty gross, babe, but it’s super good for you). It’s awesome. Don’t get me wrong— you pilfer your mom’s Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy or D&G Light Blue on special occasions, but Nollie is your ride or die. You tan easy, and you never really use sunscreen, like, ever. And you wouldn’t be caught dead without your watermelon Bubblicious. Now I’m in my late twenties and I’m ruminating. I have an office job in the Midwest and the winters keep me sickly pale. I meal prep and network and I generally don’t smell like sour green apple and DIY lemon juice highlights. I go for “skin scents,” because they’re office appropriate/respectable and if I’m being totally honest they’re pretty delightful. Basically, I grew up. L on my forehead. I suppose overall Nollie is a metaphor for the ephemerality of my sunkissed teenaged years— juicy, summery, and begging for an extra spritz. It sticks around in places you wouldn’t expect, but for me, becomes undetectable too soon. This perfume smells like a citric acid head rush tempered by light, bright, addictive tropical fruits. And maybe I’m biased, but I actually don’t think Nollie reads as immature or sickly sweet. True to form, this is the smell of your best friend’s intimidatingly cool older sister. You wear it because you wanna be her, or be her boyfriend (?), or maybe you wanna be the perfume bottle on her dresser (??), like you really wanna be the cute round glass that she holds carelessly in her fingertips and then tosses onto the bed while she’s getting ready (????), you want to be the little nozzle that she suspends teasingly just above her pulse in a casual, nonchalant way (????????), and then ten years down the line you’re in a Pacsun in a strip mall somewhere and the smell of this perfume makes you realize that your lesbian tendencies were never quite latent. You might be thinking, ‘Girl, calm down, it’s cheap, it’s childish, it’s obnoxious, blah blah blah.’ Well, now I know you’re probably a snowbird because spraying then overspraying Nollie for the first time is a spiritual rite of passage rivaled only by, like, successfully orchestrating a game of spin the bottle. And you probably reapplied sunscreen, like a noob! To the real Nollie girls out there: where are we getting our Botox done. The years of competitive tanning have caught up with me. And to my childhood best friend’s older sister: thanks for the weirdly sexually confused relationship I now have with fruity gourmands. submitted by /u/bluerotundas to r/fragrance [link] [comments]

I got these at a surplus store, i bought ~50 cctv boxes ( each cctv box has 1-2tb hdd ( surprisingly i got regular hardrives instead of the ones used for recording), got the whole thing for 2000 php (~$40), i still have more hardrives, this is just my diy dock, And yes i manually change that usb to sata adaptor if i want to use the other hardrives submitted by /u/Undead-dead-44 to r/PiratedGames [link] [comments]

If your outdoor space feels tired or just not working for your needs, a garden redesign might be in order. But that doesn't mean you have to spend a lot of money. I recently gave my garden a big refresh using a mix of reused materials, simple planning, and a few budget hacks. Thought I’d share what worked in case it helps someone else. Start With a Plan Before buying anything, think about how you want to use the space. Do you want to entertain friends? Grow your own food? Have a quiet place to read? Sketch a rough layout. Make a list of what you already have. Check how much sun different spots get. If you can, test the soil. This will help you avoid buying stuff that won’t thrive. 1. Wildlife Garden (aka let nature do the work) Want more birds, bees, and butterflies around? Plant a mix of flowers and shrubs to attract bugs (bugs bring birds). Let some lawn grow wild to give insects shelter. Skip pesticides. Make a small pond from an old bucket or tub. Add rainwater and a few stones. Use cuttings, seed swaps, or wildflower seed packs (cheap and easy). 2. Entertaining Space on the Cheap If you want a spot to hang out, here’s what worked for me: Create “zones” using tall plants or vines instead of fences or walls. Use gravel or slate as flooring. Way cheaper than pavers and better for drainage. Thrift or check Freecycle for tables/chairs. Sand them and repaint if needed. Add solar lights to make evenings cozy. A winding path from recycled bricks makes the whole thing feel more inviting. 3. Kitchen Garden Without the Raised Bed Price Tag Growing food saves money long-term. Doesn’t need to be fancy. Reuse scrap wood to build beds, or plant directly into the ground. No garden? Use pots. Even a balcony works for herbs and tomatoes. Compost your food scraps for free fertilizer. Choose high-yield, low-maintenance stuff like lettuce, herbs, or zucchini. Start with seeds. Swap with neighbors or buy cheap mixed packs. 4. Sanctuary Garden (aka stress relief zone) Create a quiet corner to sit or just breathe. Use bamboo screens or shrubs for privacy. Add a small bench (I got one used for $10). Plant lavender, rosemary, or other scented stuff, easy to grow and smells good. DIY a fire pit from old bricks or metal barrels. Plant a small tree for shade. Bare-root trees are cheaper and grow fast. 5. Mediterranean Vibes on a Budget If you're in a hot area or want low-maintenance: Plant drought-tolerant stuff like rosemary, salvia, or lavender. Swap lawn for gravel. Easier to care for and cheaper long-term. Use terracotta pots from garage sales or reuse old containers. Add a vine-covered trellis for shade and style. A simple DIY fountain adds that calm water sound (use a recycled pot + pump). Bonus Budget Tips: Join local garden groups to swap seeds and tools. Check Freecycle, Craigslist, or neighborhood apps for free materials. Reuse bricks, pallets, or even broken concrete for paths and borders. Take cuttings and divide existing plants instead of buying more. Shop end-of-season plant sales. Use compost and rainwater to cut down on ongoing costs. Apps like PlantNet or GardenTags help ID plants and give care tips. submitted by /u/Academic-Leg2279 to r/ThingsForTheHouse [link] [comments]

We bought this property a few years ago, and the driveway is... less than ideal. It was asphalt but the previous owners had made all the "repairs" in concrete, and they've been quickly disintegrating. We have toased a few on there for a quick cheap bandaid also. From what I can tell, there is nothing under the asphalt but straight clay. To make matters worse, one of the gutters drains directly down it, washing out everything it can. It is actually in a bit worse condition than the pic now. This was just googles most recent. Can grab more recent pics after work if needed. The slope is probably somewhere north of 30 degrees. It's quite steep. The plan is to either redo the entire thing, or just the ramp portion, and leave the flat for a later project. I plan on adding at least one gutter line under this when it's dug up. A culvert goes under the driveway, the rest drain into that, so the new ones can just follow suit. We don't have to haul anything away, as I can use it for fill on the property also. I have also never used a bobcat. What is the best way I can go about this? Any tips besides just bust my ass with a hammer/crowbar/wheelbarrow? Money is a major limiting factor. This property is an endless stream of repairs, so every dollar counts. Also, what material would be a better replacement for the new driveway when it's done. submitted by /u/methiel to r/DIY [link] [comments]

Been doing this for the past week. Hardboil a bunch of eggs, these pre made chicken packs are very good, chop it up and cover with 1/2 a container of Kirkland guac. Also could be sh*#ty food porn but it's good and filling. submitted by /u/Osz1984 to r/MealPrepSunday [link] [comments]

submitted by /u/Luis_9466 to r/FenceBuilding [link] [comments]

Because flavored processed oats in a single use bottle for $3 is certainly better than the cents it costs to make some with a jar at home. submitted by /u/StabbingUltra to r/Anticonsumption [link] [comments]

With real feel days of over 100 and it's barely June. Disney World is not prepared for the realities of the global warminf future with summer heat. They need to do something, every inch of shade and cool is occupied during the heat of the day. Disney needs to do more, string up big canopies over the walkways, add more fans outdoors and AC to places that are even partially indoors, water fountains need to actually work and be more plentiful. submitted by /u/-MERC-SG-17 to r/DisneyWorld [link] [comments]

submitted by /u/BitterFuture to r/insanepeoplefacebook [link] [comments]

submitted by /u/Sikdr to r/nostalgia [link] [comments]

G'day. ​ Let's face it, I have a turnip problem. I've tried to dance over the subject by occupying myself or joking about it. But I can't escape the hard facts, I am unable to stop myself when those little bundles of potential profit come to this island. Even if they are riding on the head of my one true enemy, the pork princess herself Daisy Mae, I cannot resist their allure. I'm always game for a root. Even as I jot down my journals I find myself trying to avoid the subject, to keep my mind off of them I even avoid typing their name out. Panic filling my heart if I feel I may have let slip the mere mention of a turnipy plural. Unable to submit these pages if I have written the forbidden word down anywhere amongst their ever growing paragraphs. Luckily the submit button is disabled if t*rnips is typed out. But let's face it, as much as I fight with Daisy Mae, she's my dealer. I feel less antsy once i've bought a bunch or 50. My palms are less sweaty and I can focus better on the day at hand. I suppose I could just avoid the morning she visits all together, sleep through until midday when she pops back on the flight off the island to head back to her aunt/boss Sow Joan. Or as she is better known amongst the produce dealing circuits Swine-senberg. Perhaps it would be better if I just try and join a Turnip Anonymous group? Or at least to uninstall the Turnip exchange app I downloaded onto my Nook phone. Even my dreams are controlled by the ever changing flow of the stalk market. Waking up in a cold sweat of a morning after the shock of being told that prices had once again dropped to 40 bells each. What a horrific nightmare. Thankfully my fear was flushed out of the room by the sweet melodious sweep of another morning announcement. Isabelle had finished tending her flowers for the time being and was greeting the island with the news I already knew was coming. But I was excited for all the same. ​ Frère Jacques, Dormez-vous? Jacques had hit our shores overnight, piloting a one bird vessel, which he had promptly disassembled and turned into the interior of his new house. I had never seen anything like it, how could a single little sparrow pull apart a ship in such a short amount of time? Let alone panel beat, weld and rivet all of the pieces together as a spectacular waterproof wallpaper? I would need to grill him on efficiency and discipline at a later date. But, for the time being, I left him to face the dread of the post move unpacking. Even this little hard worker couldn't escape the moving box blues it seemed. ​ Is that why Coach is always on about getting Jacque'd? Thoroughly inspired by this little birds industrious nature, I set out to tend to all of my daily duties as quickly as possible. Focused purely on doing the maximum amount of work as efficiently as possible. I grabbed a shovel for fossils and rocks, some stone axes for wood, a net for those pesky wasps and of course a fishing rod or two for the inevitable fish I would greet along the way. Working clockwise across the island, I skimmed the sand for any stray shells to collect and sell of for a little extra bells. Not only was this a little island beautification, but a neat little excuse to visit the T twins later on and peruse their wares without making it seem like I was simply a shopaholic. I passed by the still closed Able tailor shop and slipped past the fountain. I figured it would be wise to get some rose watering done while the idea was fresh in my mind. After all, those hybrids take a long time to get going and I wanted to make sure I was giving myself the best chance at increasing my future flower variety. It seemed, however, that I had already given myself a good start. ​ Well, that was quick. A single patch of black roses had seeded right next to it's big red brothers. Like a trio of little budding babies reaching up for their first taste of sunlight. This was certainly a good start to the day, a little bonus that would bring a rosy shine to even the grumpiest of cheeks. I scattered a hearty helping of fresh water across these flowery fineries before heading back along my path across the island. Ignoring the Turnip exchange pings that were lighting up my pocket in favour of more comfortable company. After all, that app only brought sorrow and shame, I don't need it. ​ How foreboding. Hazel was up, earlier than she usually could stand, and wandering about doing her daily dues. We stopped for a brief chat, discussing potential ideas for the future of the island. She mentioned that we should perhaps, one day, rearrange the housing situation now that it was at its max. Offer islanders new and more interesting places to call home now that we had an idea how much space it would take. I thought this would be a great idea, we could discuss with each resident their ideal location to wake up and greet each day. Letting them pick a spot for relocation and letting the island's design flow around their choices. I had one little problem with it though. We hadn't yet been able to get permission to do any major landscaping work from the Don. It seemed he was fixated on getting this concert to promote tourism and wouldn't take suggestions for any new project we had in mind until it was made a reality. Even if said projects would expediate the rise of our island's popularity. Kind of backwards if you ask me. Plus, relocating all villager houses and potentially other buildings, would burn a major hole in our pockets. Lloid does good work, but good workers don't come cheap. Hazel advised that I not worry about that for now. After all, her morning tea leaves told of a fortune of bells on the horizon. Well I couldn't let that hint go to waste. I head off to see Timmy and Tommy. ​ I don't need it. Brushing off a few more app notifications, I checked in on the T twins and their daily stock. None too subtly checking on the current buying price of the dreaded T word on our little island. 151 bells a turnip? That was a hefty increase from the day prior. It seemed we were on an upwards spiral and perhaps a little more patience would reward me with a slighly higher profit margin. I also wondered if I should just take the current profit and call it quits for the week. Let my brain relax and ignore these pesky parsnips for a few days. My brain was thumping, too many options and not enough willpower. I tore myself away from the store in order to finish my chore run. Swiping yet another notification from my phone screen on the way. "An island near you has just listed turnip prices at over 400 per......" "No no.....shoo.......I don't need it." ​ Hastily I ran the remaining circuit of the island, a fine coating of sweat peppering my forehead as I intently focused on.....well, focusing. A shaky net nabbed angry wasps from the sky and my shovel was practically a jackhammer whilst held in my unsteady hands. A high pitched, tinitus like ring filling my ears as my body succumbed to this vegetable withdrawal. As the last stack of wood clanked into a neat pile in my pockets, I felt a wave of relief wash over me. A small victory had been won this morning and I triumphantly marched back homewards to deposit this stash in storage. Dora the dorado acting as my logistics manager as she awaited the fated day that I would introduce her to CJ. All was well......well, until Coach dropped by that is. Coaches knocks on my front door rang out through the silence like gunshots. Awakening me from my self congratulating stupor. His muscle bound knuckles practically bashed my door down, my once rival and always friend barging in and demanding I pay him attention. I fixed us both a cup of tea and settled down to allow this excitable young bull a moment to distract me from my worries. Flipping a low card to his high card and exchanging somewhat random gifts whilst relaxing on the sandy floor of my front room. It was a welcome distraction, until he asked for a tour of the remaining rooms. Now, normally this wasn't too much of an ask. A little embarassing to be sure, a bathroom and four empty rooms sitting on the outskirts of my main, shark centered abode. But this week, due to requests from the local council. (Isabelle mainly). I was storing my excess stock in my attic and basement.....which meant a rather uncomfortable confrontation. ​ Hot with the flames of profit! Coach perked up, remarking on my good choice of buying week and giving me a pat on the back. I was confused, but mostly because I was blocking out the information I already knew was there. And then he pulled out his phone. "Sango locals post price of 445 bells per turnip. Stalk marketeers advise to buy before day ends." No....nono ​ I don't need it. I don't need it........... ​ I NEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEED IIIIIIIIIIIIIT ​ Don't look at me like that Orville......i'm ashamed enough as it is. I sat, eyes cast down to the carpeted floor of the Dodo seaplane that I had bargained my way on to, filled with shame over my weakness. The pigs had won once again, I was stuck in the endless loop of buying and selling, orchestrated by the vegetable Yakuza. The only force out there to rival the Tanuki mafia. I watched out of the window as several, well maintained and planned islands passed by underneath, envious of their direction. Those shopping districts, those kid-core playgrounds.........my god, that one even has a waterpark. Their representatives must have had a firmer grip on their faculties than I. Ignoring their baser instincts in order to work for the greater good of their communit......wait.....is that a turnip patch? It was.....and another....each of these well funded isles seemed to be woven deep into the tapestry that was the ever growing stalk market. Funding their furnishings with weekly gambles and hastily dumped crops to reach a profit. ....I guess i'm not in it alone at least. ... Touching down on Sango, I was lead, rather formally to the local shop. A small and polite queue forming at the door as people awaited their turn to bargain with the local shopkeeps and snatch away a large chunk of bells. I struck up conversation with another visitor, asking how many vegetables they were flipping today. I was full up at 40 stacks. They scoffed at me, telling me they were already on their third and final trip and that if they had time they'd zip off to sunday and grab even more to sell. I didn't quite understand what they meant. Surely time was linear and by the time Sunday came around and their dealer was visiting this price would have already plummeted? They dismissed my turnip novice musings, pointing out that they were an amateur when it came to the legend himself "Pharty" The man had already visited Sango 11 times this fine morning, dropping stack after stack in the shop before heading on back to his millionaires retreat to grab another pocketful. It was at this point that time seemed to stand still. I couldn't get another word out of my mouth as a forboding chime rang out across the island. Every Nook phone temporarily shut down and every islander ended thier conversations out of sheer shock. The legend had returned..... ​ Such a presence. Pharty himself had stopped by to round his trips up to a dozen. Throwing finger guns to the Dodos as he passed by them like an old friend. The rest of us were in awe as a man with such a commanding nature so humbly joined the back of the shrinking queue. Standing just behind me. I was flabbergasted. How could someone even fit that many stacks on an island and still move? Did he know how to get them into storage? Did he cordon off a segment of island for his own personal needs? I turned to ask him, anything. But all I managed was a squeaky and embarassing "Hi, i'm ostrich." Oof. Couldn't even get the bird right. Thankfully I was saved by the bell. Local brotherly duo Jimmy and Johannes welcomed me into their store and looked me up and down with an exhasperated sigh. "Turnip prices?" They asked. "T-turnip prices" I shakily replied. They counted out my stacks and pulled from an already counted pile of bells to refill my pockets. I would have felt dreadful about my greediness had I not seen the seemingly infinite stack of bell bags they had piled in the back room when Johannes slipped through. Still, I perused their wares whilst I was there, buying a few wallpapers that were not available on 'Straya to feed back into their economy. And then, I shuffled awkwardly past Pharty and made my way back to the airport. It was time to deposit this bundle and work on our own island. ​ Not much, until you take into account that I no longer have loans! I slinked past the Don and fired up the CDB, dropping the mountain of profit into my account and letting the wave of euphoric relief pass over me. I had not managed to avoid this fix. But I had learnt that it was less of a stigma than i'd thought. And I was in no way alone in this battle. I resolved myself to make sure that this wasn't just a victory for greed. I needed to use this financial boost for the good of 'Straya. The question was, how? I turned towards the one name I knew would help me to spend a bell or two. Tom Nook. He recommended that I finish setting up thoroughfares across the island. This would make for easier work when the construction crews came to work on the island or set up the golden tanuki statue. There was only one spot that wasn't easily accessible, the now barren fishy fields. I picked out a bridge kit and headed up. Choosing a spot near the new incline for easy passage. ​ Drop the plans, pay the man. Wait a day. With the change from my bridge fund burning a hole in my pocket, I figured it would be a good idea to funnel it through the local small businesses. Help out our island's growing shop and fashion scene as much as I could. I head on over to the now open Able sister's tailor shop. and perused their wares. A helmet for those more adventurous days, a face mask....would have come in handy yesterday but it's still useful. Some cowboy boots? Hell yes. Oh, why not grab a skirt for those special occasions? After thoroughly stocking my wardrobe at home with items that would probably never see the light of day. I said my goodbyes. I just wasn't expecting this lore bomb on the way out. ​ Such a group of sisterly sweeties. Sable and Mabel were reminiscing over their childhood and gushing out loud over their successful sister who was jet setting about the place with her own fashion line. They lamented that they didn't get to see her much, but touched base as much as they could via post or over the Nook phone. I recommended that they invite her over to see our little slice of paradise. They considered it, but thought that she would most likely be preoccupied selling her wares to more well known islands. She had just made a million bell sale on the infamous island of the one and only turnip magnate Pharty after all. "Well" I thought out loud "All the more reason to increase our image!" I spent a short while listening to stories from the girl's childhood, simply soaking in the wholesomeness of the moment and the sheer amount of words I was getting out of Sable today. ​ Oh no she di'int! Sable holds grudges I see. I excused myself from the now bickering hedgehogs, it's always that way with siblings I find, and set out towards resident services for one final financial foray. I passed by my fuzzy little friend Leif earlier as I was shamefully depositing my gambling winnings. I felt it only proper to head back and give a proper greeting and browse his wares now that my head was back to normal. ​ It certainly is a plant based day Leif. I regailed him with my Rosey success, earning his respect in the art of pouring water over quickly growing plants. Then, I asked him what he was offering. A few chrysanthemums, they would do well once I thought of where to plant them. Roses.....no I had enough of those. Oh! some new shrubs. My hydrangeas had stopped blooming, so I was in the market for some flowery replacements. And hibiscus was certainly a very 'Straya sounding shrub. I bought a good dozen or so then turned my eyes towards the vegetable starts. Perhaps pumpkins would be a suitable vegetable replacement to ween myself off of my habit? I bought enough seeds to choke an emu before heading off to do some bush bashing. Shortly after, I had replaced all non blooming shrubs with fresh new seedlings. I checked in on the neighbourhood to make sure that locals were happy with the scenery change. I wasn't the only one doing the rounds though. ​ What are you implying Hazel? Cyd had stopped by Hazels for a tipple of OJ and a game of high card low card. He was basking in his apparent victory as I stepped past the threshold. Hazel, now fretting over her lack of bumrests with a second visitor in her house. Was now frantically trying to find a spot for me to sit and enjoy a fresh tipple with them. I told her it was fine, she didn't need to fret. But Cyd interjected and called me over. He noted that Hazel was the type to worry about her hosting abilities even if she had a maitre'd sitting at her front door. And that I should let her go through the motions even though we both knew I was perfectly fine with sitting on the cold floor if it meant visiting a friend. Hazel was overcome with emotion at the little community we were building and was buzzing with excitement at being at the very epicentre of it. It was best to just let her fuss about and thank her for the effort......I reluctantly agreed. She did seem happier once the dust had settled after all. ​ I'll trust your wisdom, oh punk elephant. A few hours later, after having lost a frankly staggering amount of high card low card games, it was time to head out.....I mean, surely the one is the ace? That's eleven in my books. On my way back home I was chased down by local bandage hound Lucky. He was proud of his latest DIY invention that was inspired by the ant that lived behind his sink. A recipe for a bamboo bench that he thought would be a great addition to our little growing barbecue spot up in the hills. Now, as luck would have it, I had just come into a sizeable stack of bamboo and used only a fraction of it to make a hearth for the very same area. So I promised to get one of these made and set up as soon as possible. I mean, who could say no to that gentle eye? ​ It's called a bumrest buddy. But I know what you mean. A short session with the hammer and saw later and a tiny bit of customisation, I was ready to head hillward. Plucking the oversized hearth from storage and readying myself for the hike. It took a while to choose a spot for the seat, but I settled on a nice little alcove overlooking the small pond and waterfall on the eastern side. It had a nice view of the night sky for star gazing and was a perfect spot to sit and let the world pass you by. ​ A lovely spot, but a little lonely without a second bum on the rest. ​ I feel I didn't let my vices take too much control of the day. Sure, I didn't exactly show full restraint when I was tested. But there isn't much you can do when the universe puts everything in your path. I must stay strong. Daisy Mae might win these little battles. But I will win the war. ​ Emu out. ​ ​ ​ .... ​ ​ ​ ​ Oh and I visited Ed too. ​ WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN??? submitted by /u/The_Great_Emu to r/ac_newhorizons [link] [comments]

There's loads of info online, and it's very easy to do. MORE INFO: You need to be careful with the seeds you use; no seeds treated with chemicals like the kind you'd find in a garden store, and the seeds must be clean and healthy. I'd suggest going online and researching thoroughly how to sprout safely as, like most things, there are risks if you jump in without doing due diligence. An excellent source of sprouting seed, equipment and info is sproutpeople. ​ submitted by /u/sixup604 to r/LifeProTips [link] [comments]

When I’m depressed I often have a hard time motivating myself to cook, but ordering takeout gets expensive and leaves me feeling even worse. These are some tried and true depression meals that don’t require you to chop anything, can be done in 15-30 minutes, and aren’t too expensive. Spinach and egg scramble on toast. - Sauté a few handfuls of spinach in a pan with some olive oil or butter and salt. - Whisk up 2-3 eggs in a bowl, optionally add some milk or shredded cheese if you have it and can make the effort. (If you are feeling especially miserable or want to avoid the dishes you can honestly crack the eggs directly into the pan and sprinkle cheese on top, it’ll work.) - Toast whatever bread you have, whole grain is ideal for fiber and protein. Once it’s toasted you can spread on some goat cheese, avocado, butter, cream cheese if that’s your style - whatever you want to add some more creaminess or fat in a low effort way. If you have none of these things, it’ll still taste good. - Serve your egg & spinach mixture on top of your toast and voila: you have a meal with a serving of vegetables, protein, fats, and carbs that took 15 minutes and didn’t require you to chop anything. Shakshuka (eggs poached in a cheesy/spicy tomato sauce). This is an incredible depression meal that deserves more attention. When I’m not incredibly depressed I make a high effort version of this dish that people rave about but ya know...that’s not always an option. - When I feel like crap I do the following: add some olive oil to a pan, smash and peel two garlic cloves and get them sizzling a bit in the olive oil but don’t let them burn. - After about a minute I pour in a jar of basic tomato sauce (I have even done this with pizza sauce and it worked) and heat it through so it’s bubbling. If you like spice you can add in some chili flakes. - Then I make four small indentations in the sauce and crack in 4 eggs. You can pop a lid on and cook it through on the stove or you can put it in the oven at 375 for 5-10 minutes. Watch the egg yolks - you want them to still be runny. - When the eggs are almost set I sprinkle some cheese liberally all over the top - feta, goat cheese, mozzarella, whatever, then put the lid back on to melt the cheese. - If you want to make an effort you can garnish with chopped cilantro, basil or scallions. - For extra credit you can add frozen spinach or kale to the sauce before you add in the eggs for extra veg that you can’t really taste. - I eat this with a piece of toast or a pita. Peanut noodles. Slightly higher effort but cheaper than takeout and more filling than ramen. - I boil a handful of noodles from the Asian/International Cuisine aisle of my grocery store. There are tons of different types available and basically any wheat noodle or ramen style noodle works - ideally avoid using pasta. - When there’s a minute left in the cook time in the noodles, add som sort of green veg like broccoli, green beans broken in half, edamame, etc. I choose green veg because I like the flavor and find you don’t have to chop it (I will just tear broccoli florets apart and throw them in the water when I feel particularly shit.) - While it’s cooking I make a sauce in whatever bowl I want to eat out of. The sauce is about 1 tbsp of smooth peanut butter, a spoonful or two of soy sauce, and some generous squirts of a hot sauce like sriracha or garlic chili sauce. - If I want to make the effort and have the ingredients I’ll add a few drops of sesame oil, a splash of rice wine vinegar and a pinch of sugar but it’s not necessary. - When the noodles and veg are cooked I drain them and add them directly to the bowl. Stir it up vigorously to coat all the noodles and veg in the sauce. - Garnish with scallions or cilantro if you can be bothered. I also occasionally eat this with a fried or boiled egg if that’s your thing too. submitted by /u/noodle-on-it to r/EatCheapAndHealthy [link] [comments]

​ https://preview.redd.it/t5c443u2eht51.jpg?width=2048&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4275e79399ae7998f28b9b81f3e8dfdc76719fa2 I know that perhaps this topic has been covered or over done to some extent. I'm new to fountain pens and immediately discovered I love all the different inks. I wanted to try to create my own ink but finding recipes beyond mixing brand named inks was impossible. I have some cheap fountain pens and decided to give it a go. Here's what I did. I purchased refillable inkjet ink in the 100mL CYMK bottles off Amazon. I purchased the craft grade fine mica powders because I wanted to create shimmer/sheen inks. I purchased cheap empty ink bottles from Goulet Pens (they resell the empties for cheap and the bottles are cool). I downloaded an easy color wheel mixing chart and printed it our for reference. Noodlers Ink also publishes a mixing chart that is very useful especially if you want to mix their inks. I used the little dosing cup that comes with kids medicines to do the mixing. I did a very easy mix of half red 3mL, half blue 3mL to create basic purple and then I added just enough of the mica powder to coat the bottom of the storage jar I was using (~half tsp). I swabbed the newly created ink onto strathmore 24lb paper. there was no bleed through. The ink dried almost instantly on the paper. The ink is water resistant but has similar bleed as other inks in a water test. There is minimal feathering. I added the ink to a Jinhao medium nib pen and the ink flowed normally and I was able to write just fine. The next day the ink was still fluid and flowed fine. I emptied the pen and clean the nib and didn't notice anything weird about the ink. There was actually less sedimentation than some other brand inks....but after sitting for one day that's not surprising. I added a single drop of dish soap to the bottle of ink just to aid in flow since it seemed very dry and volatile on paper I thought a bit of surfactant would help. I refilled the fountain pen. After week or so the ink flows great, shimmers awesomely and hasn't clogged. The particular brand of inkjet ink I purchased is filtered through a 0.2um filter to reduce particulates.......far smaller than the grooves in a fountain pen and easily suitable for a medium or broad nib pen. This was insanely fun! I can create all sort of shimmering inks without using my expensive brand named inks. I would love to hear any recipes you guys have for making your own ink or your experience with trying. Disclaimer....this is purely for fun and I would not put this ink in my "treasured" fountain pens! ​ ​ Pardon the messing writing. lol submitted by /u/westworldabc to r/fountainpens [link] [comments]

Warning: Long post ahead So living in Melbourne has its perks, one of them being really soft and tasty tap water. I always knew that water quality was important for coffee, but never bothered looking further into it - It was tasty and safe for my espresso machine, so that was enough for me. Then I stumbled upon Barista Hustle’s water recipes and realised that because Melbourne water is super soft, I didn’t have to faff about buying litres of demineralised water to use, I just needed enough of it to make the concentrates that I would need to add to my tap water. I had all the necessary ingredients lying around the apartment, including a litre of demineralised water sitting in storage (originally purchased to carefully clean my fountain pens with). Barista Hustle’s website has a handy calculator that allows you to plug in the GH, KH and TDS of your tap water and tells you how much of buffer and hardness to add to make up whatever recipe you desire (I went with the BH recipe). I found the annual water reports for the water treatment plant that supplies my suburb, plugged in the relevant numbers into the calculator and voila, recipe complete. I used the DIY water for filter coffee as I figured DIY water wasn’t going to make a noticeable difference to my lattes once milk was added. The Results: Wow. Turns out I actually enjoy fruit forward filter coffee when brewed with DIY water. I don’t have a refined enough palate to tell you exactly what changed, but the coffee just tasted better. The acidity was still there but balanced, and the coffee just had.. more body? Like the difference between juice and juice diluted with water? I dunno man. It was just better. Tap water coffee just tasted sad in the side by side comparison. I am converted. tl;dr If you live in a soft water area and have not tried DIY water, do it. It’s so easy to just add it to your tap water! And so cheap. Only a few grams of baking soda and Epsom salts to make a litre of solution. You won’t regret it. EDIT: If anyone has recommendations for DIY water recipes, I am all ears. submitted by /u/bacafreak to r/Coffee [link] [comments]

Even though I've been married a few years now, I subscribe to this sub because I like reading the posts and giving advice! I see a lot of posts here about sticker shock or how to cut costs, so I thought I would offer to share some of the ways I cut down the costs of my wedding. It is important to remember, however, that my preferences and yours may not be the same. I may have made compromises in areas you aren't willing to budge. That's okay! This is your day, and the most important thing is that you are happy with the final outcome. So, I'll get started with a few of the ways we saved money, and you all can feel free to ask me any follow up questions you may have! The biggest two areas we saved A LOT of money compared to most weddings were on the food and the venue. Venue: We rented a government owned rec hall (exterior pic, interior pic). My sister lived in that county and got us a residential discount on the rental, which ended up costing ~$400. This was 5 hour rental, so we did have to do a lot of last minute setting up and the wedding couldn't have gone on until midnight (not that we would have wanted it to). Food: we chose not to serve a formal dinner at our wedding. We had a summer wedding which started at 7 pm, and we specified on the invitations that an "hors d'oeuvre and dessert reception would follow the ceremony" so people would know not to expect a full meal. We had a buffet style menu with meatballs, chicken salad, cookies, a chocolate fountain with fixings, and some other stuff I can't quite remember. My family members helped make most of the food, and my mom hired a friend of hers to keep the table stocked and in good order throughout the night. Photography: Another area we saved a lot of money was on the photography. My BIL had a friend who had been doing photography for a while, and wanted to get into wedding photography. It's hard to get your foot in the door with no prior wedding experience, because no one wants to be the guinea pig. We agreed to let her shoot ours as her first wedding. Photography cost ~$400. I realized this may or may not be an option for everyone, but just remember that amateur photographers will likely be cheaper than more experienced ones. Flowers: My husbands grandmother put together our flower arrangements for us using fake flowers. Not everyone is willing to do fake flowers and that's okay. I think they turned out nice and it was hard to tell they were fake, although his grandmother didn't listen to my wishes very well regarding the color scheme. But all in all, they turned out alright. Music/DJ: We created a playlist ahead of time and asked a friend to hit play/pause throughout the night when needed. For the ceremony he just hit play for each song, and then queued up our first dance, father/daughter dance, etc. Once the dancing started we just had a playlist and let it play through. As far as unnecessary wedding expenses go, DJs are pretty high up the list IMO. Especially with spotify these days, it's super easy to DIY this yourself. Decorations: Purchased white round table cloths and fish bowls on craigslist. After the wedding I sold the table cloths for about what I paid for them. The fish bowls I put colored rocks into, filled halfway with water, and floated a tea candle on it. Very simple and cheap DIY centerpieces. resold the bowls after the wedding also. That is all I can think of for now, I'm sure I'm forgetting something. But feel free to ask me any questions you have if I left out a subject and you wanted to see how we approached it, or if you want clarification on anything! Good luck to all of you throughout your wedding planing endeavors! Edit: I just remembered I also bought my dress for $200 on clearance and it didn't need any alterations. This saved me a lot of money too! The dress was very simple, so may not be everyone's style (which is totally fine!) but I didn't have the budget to get a $1k+ dress so I made due with what I had. Also the cost I posted does not include our rehearsal dinner, which was held at a restaurant which my in-laws paid for. submitted by /u/soswinglifeaway to r/weddingplanning [link] [comments]