28 Reader Tips That Save Time and Money

I was having a heck of a time digging a posthole in a tight space alongside a wall until I came up with this approach: Start a hole a foot or so deep, fill it with water, then suck out the mud with a wet-dry Shop-Vac. Keep adding water and removing mud until you're done. I "dug" a 42-inch hole this way in less than 2 minutes.

—Royal Ottmar, Roscommon, MI