This post was featured in the 18th Carnival of Money Stories – Labour Day Edition on The Canadian Finance Blog.
Making Dirt – Part 1
This is part one of a two part article on compost.
Read part two – DIY vermicomposting worm farm – here
I knew I was getting old the day I started to think that making my own garden dirt was cool.
Don’t get me wrong… I don’t think I’m old, and I don’t dislike the fact that I am getting older, actually I think it’s pretty cool. I just find it amusing the way our thinking changes as we age. The one wish I do have is that I knew what I know now when I was 16!
Kitchen Compost Buckets
Today I want to follow up on a promise I gave to several FiveCentNickel readers in my “Breaking Free From a Culture of Temptation” article a few months back. I promised I would write a post detailing how I constructed a kitchen compost bucket for very little money. In the original article I mentioned how I was tempted to purchase a kitchen compost bin rather than make my own. Here is the snippet from the original article:
A store-bought kitchen composting bucket ($20)Here again, I made my own… And only spent $1.50! This will likewise be the subject of a forthcoming post.
Both of these compost-related purchases were very tempting, and I really had to fight the urge to buy and instead choose the frugal road. Beyond saving money, I have more pride in these possessions — partly because I made/improved them, and partly because I know that I sacrificed my short-term wants for my greater goal.
Making my own bin was easy, cheap, and satisfying. Much more satisfying than buying one for $20, or worse yet buying one for $50! If you are not into making your own, you can purchase one of the two I was debating between. They are both high quality options that I would have went with if I weren’t über frugal!
Store bought kitchen compost bins
- The $56 option – a stainless steel kitchen compost bucket that employs a charcoal filter to thwart smells.
- The $20 option – this bucket is constructed of plastic and also employs a charcoal filter.
As I mention above, each of these are a solid option if your are not trying to play the role of Fruggie McFrugalpants. Prices posted were taken at the time of writing.
So What Did I Do?
I made my own of course!
My homemade, DIY kitchen compost bucket
- The $1.50 option – an empty plastic coffee can with its very own built-in charcoal filter.
Here’s how I did it:
- An old empty coffee can or similar free container with a resealable lid (I always save these from work)
- A package of charcoal filters from your local Pet Supplies Store – they sell them for kitty litter boxes (this eliminates the odor)
- A drill with a 1/4″ bit
- A hot glue gun (super/crazy glues should work fine too)
1. Start with your parts and tools
2. Drill 10+ holes in the lid with a 1/4″ drill bit
3. Hot glue the filter to the lid
4. Violá – the finished product
5. And finally, the finished product in use – right next to my homemade dishwasher detergent.
We have been successfully using this homemade, DIY kitchen compost bucket for the last 2 months with no complaints. My wife is very particular about smells and was happy to find that no odor came from our homemade bin, thanks to the charcoal filter. Just like with any other bin equipped with a charcoal filter, you will have to replace the filters every few months if you want it to remain effective.
We are very happy with the price, functionality, and general ease of use — and confidently recommend it for use in your home.
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Wish I would have seen/thought of this last year when I spent flipping $20 on a stupid plastic pail. We take ours out to our worm bin.
.-= Paul @ FiscalGeek´s last blog ..The FiscalGeek Cell Phone Trade In Program: Free Cell Phones for Life =-.
That’s what I do too. Actually part II of this post is my homemade worm bin… which will be coming out tomorrow.
Hey, a 35 pound kitty litter bucket works well for compost too. (After it is emptied of original contents, of course!) Could also be adapted with the filter. Has a built in hinged cover that seals. Cant wait to hear about the worm bin!
Wow… that’s a lot of kitchen compost!
Worm bin info coming tomorrow.
Interesting idea here, I have been wanting to do some organic gardening and this looks like a great idea to help that. I would have probably just went out and bought some compost.
Thanks for the good information.
making your own compost has so many benefits, and this cheap and easy bucket to throw kitchen scraps in is a great way to get started! enjoy…
Very cool idea and so easy to make.
Just the ticket! Thank you!
Alyzabeth’s Mommy for Eleven Months!
.-= Alyson´s last blog ..Book Swap Package! =-.
@Matt How often do you empty the container i.e. when full or every few days, etc? How do you replace the charcoal filter….just rip it off? Did the filter fit without trimming?
Mr. Vandelay…
We empty it when it gets full (we NEVER smell it). To replace the filter – yep… just rip it off & glue a new one in its place. We have had ours for several months now and are still using the first filter. It started to get a little mold on it, but the mold disappears after you empty it and rinse it out. We will not replace it until we can “smell” the bucket.
Matt,
That’s a great idea for when the weather turns bad & running the kitchen accumulation outdoors to the big tumbler becomes dreadful. I’m gonna try it.
In the meantime, what do you suggest (other than a large garbage can & heavy-duty shredder) to collect the various cardboard boxes? We have a family of 5 and cereal boxes, frozen meal boxes, etc accumulate quickly & become a tedious chore to tear down to prevent a tower from forming on the counter.
Well, my wife and I just break the boxes down and put them in our recycling pile. I suppose you could store them in the garage if you want.
What size are those charcoal filters? Did you have to trim them to fit the coffee lid?
The filters are a 5″ diameter. They fit perfectly in that coffee lid as purchased – I did not have to cut them. I bought them at Pet Supplies Plus.
Hi Matt – I made one of these kitchen compost buckets from a small white bucket (larger than a coffee can). It works very well, no smell at all. It sits on the floor next to the trash can and amazingly, my family actually uses it without even being asked! Thanks for the DIY instructions! I see a worm bin in my future…
I have all DIY tools to make my own and so cheap kitchen compost bucket except the hot glue gun, I will purchase it for sure cuz in future I can save many dollars and can make a bucket for each room separately as cost is too much low, will suggest my friends to view this post to save the money.
Thanks for saving me $20!
We just use an old half gallon ice cream bucket with no filter. It is twice the size of your coffee can which seems small for us. Smells are no problem due to high amount of coffee grounds maybe, real cheap filter. I have always been attracted to those pretty ones in catalogs and online but never caved in because you cannot beat free.
great diy! i am thinking of making a compost as well. i am going to go home and look for a plastic bin with a tight lid. thanks for the excellent idea!