My yard's only a quarter acre, but that's common in the more rural communities. While your suggestions are excellent and welcome, let me put my location in clear perspective: the nearest Walmart of any kind is 60 miles away, and the NEXT-closest is over 80. I do go to nearby auctions etc. In fact, I'm a notorious curbside shopper for clearly discarded but still useful (to me) odds and ends left in open view.

The main trouble with auctions, however, kinda sorta rests partly on my own shoulders. Not having a vehicle means I can only go so far as my short little legs will carry me. Then too I've noticed that the better stuff tends to get brought up later than sooner. It's hard for me to spend all day there. I've seen some dirty tricks pulled too - as when the auctioneer will indicate something he knows I don't want is up for bids when all the time it's something different so his buddy doesn't have to bid against me. Most of these guys are a little too big for me to thrash and they know it. So my hands are tied even if my mouth shoots off. Probably the worst danger for me, however, is that I almost always find something I want but don't need, and that's what I bring home.

BTW, thanks for asking.... yes, I did find a willing tree trimmer at last. The majority of my paid projects around home now go automatically to the Amish, who don't care about my politics (or anyone else's either) one whit. And a little of the animosity has abated in a few other quarters too. So life here in general isn't unbearable for a liberal, congenial introvert largely content with her own company. Even though nobody around here has ever heard of a WHAT?! A Yard Bug, neighbor! I tend to address many people as 'neighbor' because I don't always know their name, even after almost a decade.

One of my friends is a bit of a McGyver type, though. I know if I can find a good design for what I need, he can at least reproduce it.