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Getting dirty

It's amazing the things in life we can put off.

For years, I've been putting of making a compost bin. First I didn't have the space. Then I didn't have my landlord's permission.

Then ... who knows what excuse I came up with.

No more. Over the weekend, I finally got a bin made and set up in the yard.

I was happy as a clam last night as I made corned beef and cabbage and got to save my vegetable scraps in an old coffee can on the counter rather than throw them in the trash.

What can I say. It makes me happy, and it doesn't cost any extra. That's a win-win these days.

Here's what we did to make an inexpensive bin. I'll keep you posted on how well it works ...

1. We bought a large, plastic garbage bin with a lid that clamps on. The bin has wheels for easy rolling.

2. We bought a little wooden rack with four wheels -- the kind you might use to wheel things around in the garage.

3. My compost bin engineer nailed the wheels in place so they wouldn't wobble. Then he set the rack in the grass, wheel side up.

4. Next, he drilled holes for air in the sides and bottom of the bin.

5. The bungee cords hold the lid extra tight. I can take the lid off, but (hopefully) raccoons can't. We set the bin on its side on the wheels so it spins freely.

Every couple days, I'll add more kitchen scraps and some yard waste. I spin the whole bin once a day or so.

I'll let you know if it was a good way to spend $25 and 20 minutes of construction time.