Georgia is in prime fire pit weather right now. It's still pretty warm during the day, but chilly at night and since we are finally in the position to have a firepit (ie. we own a home and have some land), we decided to make it one of the first upgrades to our outdoor living. When we lived in apartments, we used to look up public places that allowed fires, but we never found anything. Finally, we can burn freely! Yet again, I'm coming to you with some thrifty, amazing finds.

You know those big, metal barrels that are stereotypically used by homeless people in movies to keep warm? Well, this guy was selling those cut in half, with holes (for ventilation) for $20 on Craigslist. Of course we went out right away and got one. Like many other typical house things, we also didn't have a shovel to dig it into the ground. I've said it before, and I'll say it again... ReStore!!! They had what looked like a truckload of brand new shovels for $10 each.

With these items in hand, we made our way home. Thomas dug a hole, and made sure to get airflow to the bottom of the barrel (where there is a hole with a grate over it). Next, we gathered up some paving/landscaping stones that were around little patches of landscaping in the backyard. We're going to re-do the landscaping in the backyard anyway, so it was a good way to repurpose the stones for right now.

Until we want to spend the money on nicer, matching blocks, this one will work great as a more rustic version. Seriously guys, a kit that comes with blocks and a metal ring at Home Depot will run you $200. For $30, I have no complaints and am ecstatic that we have a secluded little place for a fire, drinks, and s'mores.

So there you have it!

Metal half-barrel : $20
Shovel: $10
Paving stones: FREE

TOTAL: $30