My rain barrel setup paid for itself in 4 months

Put a 55-gallon barrel under my downspout back in March. Water bill dropped $18 a month by June from using it on my garden instead of the hose. Anyone else tried rainwater capture on a small scale?

2 comments

2 Comments

amymiller9d ago

Oh man, my buddy literally set up the same thing and his barrel cracked the first winter.

thea_carter10d ago

lol wait $18 a month? That's like what, $72 total over 4 months? A 55 gallon barrel is what, $40 at the hardware store plus fittings and a spigot? I bet you dropped at least $60-80 on everything after taxes and the little hose attachment. You're barely breaking even if you ask me. Plus don't forget the mosquito problem if you're not super careful with a screen, or the fact that you gotta empty it before winter or it cracks. And what happens during a dry spell when there's no rain for two weeks? You're back on the hose anyway. It seems like a fun little project but calling it "paid for itself" sounds like a stretch when the math is that tight.