Brandy:

"Hmm. That still sounds corn cobbish, doesn't it?"

 You are dressing up a plant with a caterpillar made out of old tea bag strings and a suspicious curly plastic thing that I am afraid  to ask whee you actually found it....do I need to answer that question?

But we'll call us even after that last post of mine, eh? Particularly since I am eyeing that ice chest that is in the middle of the yard looking quite abandoned and thinking "it has a drainer"

Oh, that's ok... I'll let you win this time.:)

I forgot to explain the toilet plunger. I use it to stir the clothes in the water. It's sort of like the agitator.

I figured that out LOL

I looked at both wash boards and wringer washers on ebay. Gosh, the boards were reasonable but the washers were almost the price of a new automatic! I know i saw a couple for $30 and $50 at a junk shop nearby, Guess i'll have to check it out again. I might post a wanted ad on FreeCycle too.

one thing to keep in mind is that unless the transmission is hooped, is that wringer washers are simple machines, and usually fixable  I usually do 3-4 loads of laundry with one batch of water.  The pump on mine had a hole in the housing where it had corroded away but I fixed it with some metal epoxy.  I also had to replace the drain hose.  The freind of mine who scrounged the washer for me (for free after it didn't sell at a house clearance garage sale) also found me a hose. 

But the motors are replacable.  If the pump isn't fixable, it will still drain from gravity.  The shape of the rollers are what I would be most concerned about. 

Michelle,

If I could find a wringer washer that is cheaper than an automatic, I might consider it. It sounds like that is an option for you and you are in luck as we have Jim to ask for some help in making that decision.

Gigi, are you finding that the chickens cost more to raise for food even with the rising cost of food?

Brandy,

I have chickens, rabbits, duscks, turkeys (5 down 2 to go), and goats for both milk and meat. The only way it would be frugal is if i could grow all their hay and grain.

BUT....aside from the great nutrition, it is sure wonderful cheap therapy to go and spend time in the barn with them all! That's worth a million.

PS that rising cost of food.....animal feed also rises every week like gasoline due to increase in corn costs.

there was a thread awhile back on frgal living about that.

That's a good point.