Recycled plastic buckets: Twenty-liter plastic buckets have a multitude of uses, from storing extension cords to mixing paint or plaster. Food preparation stores, which buy many ingredients by the bucket, are good sources of free or cheap buckets. If you have small children, be sure to empty a bucket after each use and store it [...]

Extension ladders Hand over hand: To raise an extension ladder, place its feet at the base of the wall. Starting at the top, walk the ladder up, hand over hand, until it is vertical. Then pull its feet out from the wall, extend the ladder to the height you want, lock the extension, and set [...]