<I live out in the country and feel silly to admit I do not have a compost bin. I'm not really sure how to go about it either. Any help on this subject would be greatly appreciated!>
No problem ~ we are all in a constant state of learning, and it's never too late to get started on this fantastic free resource!
Finished compost is an excellent soil amendment, an ideal mulch and a perfect topdressing. It is dark and crumbly and earthy-smelling ~ more commonly called black gold by gardeners.
Composting is Nature's process of decomposition. It is so easy, FRUGAL, environmentally sound and great for your garden. And it doesn't have to be some complicated or expensive system ~ just use what you already have.
Here are a few suggestions to get you started:
1. Determine where you want the compost pile to be located. It should be somewhat close to the house or garden (I have three ~ one somewhat close to the house and one each by the respective garden sites) but not so close that it interferes with children's or pet's areas. Perhaps you have a spot near a shed with a large shrub to hide it from view or even an existing fence that can form part of a side of the compost bin.
You wouldn't want it right next to the house because of critters ~ even the best systems (unless totally enclosed) might attract a critter you wouldn't want, especially if someone forgets not to throw a meat scrap in!
Also, you need to trust your "whiffer." If your compost pile is giving off an unpleasant ammonia-like smell, there's too much green material (definition later on). Suffices to say, your compost pile can stink at times so you don't want it too close to the house. (If your pile ever does stink, then you have too much green material or not enough air. Problem is simply rectified by turning with a fork and adding a generous later of straw, newspaper or other carbon-rich brown material.)
2. Next, look at possible compost bin building components that you already have. The manufactured compost containers may look nicer but they won't work any better and can be VERY expensive.
Some possible combinations that have worked for me:
a. Wire fencing and metal stakes
b. Discarded wooden pallets (see below)
c. Cinder blocks (stagger blocks for air circulation, building 3 or 4 rounds high)
As to what you can put in your compost bin or pile, here are my choices (not in any order):
1. coffee grounds with the filter paper
2. leaves
3. grass clippings
4. weeds (but without mature seeds heads)
5. hay
6. manure
7. shredded or torn newspapers
8. vegetable and fruit scraps (kitchen waste)
9. sawdust
10. haircut clippings
11. tea bags or tea leaves
12. egg shells
13. any shredded material from fall clean-up such as branches
DO NOT use any of the following:
1. animal products (unfinished meat scraps or bones)
2. grease
3. oils
4. cigarette ashes or butts
Composting is something you get better at with experience~ there is no exact recipe. All you have to do to create compost is to pile organic materials and let them rot away. Just remember that the necessary components of a compost pile are carbon-rich materials, nitrogen-rich materials, a bit of soil and most important, air and water.
Aim for a balance of roughly 1 part "green' materials (like weeds, fresh grass clippings, food scraps, even fresh manure ~ these are components that decompose quickly because of their chemical makeup and high water content. These are the nitrogen-rich materials.) to 4 parts "brown' material (such as dead leaves, straw, dry grass clippings, newspapers, which are all carbon-rich materials). Simply put, this means you should alternate each 4-inch layer of dry materials with a 1-inch layer of grass clippings or weeds.
Also add a scattering of garden soil every few layers to "salt" the pile with bacteria and fungi to aid in decomposition.
When you have your bin built or established, begin layering the above as it accumulates. Keep a saucer shape "arrangement" going in the top layer to receive moisture and remember, if possible, to fork over the contents a couple of times during the summer for aeriation. (If not possible, don't worry about it ~ it will eventually decompose all by itself!).
My current compost bins are made from discarded or broken wooden pallets, also called skids, (the kind used frequently at building sites. I had quite a few from the construction of our home). I wired three of them together at the corners and then wired this to the pasture fence to create an open-ended box. I really like this as it is high enough to keep the grandkids and pets out of it, but is easy for me to use. To get at the compost, I will undo the wire on the front pallet. And this makes a very large compost bin, too. Same type arrangement makes up the two garden bins I have, but I had to use four pallets each there.
Kitchen scraps can be easily contained and controlled by using a plastic ice cream bucket with a lid and handle. I keep mine under the kitchen sink and empty it once a day, more if I am doing some heavy duty kitchen work such as canning or freezing.
I also like to keep most of my egg shells in another ice cream bucket in the freezer (when I have room during the winter) for use in my garden. Slugs and snails and other slithery creepy things will not cross ground that has broken eggs shells on it
When you have compost that is ready to use (and if the top layer isn't decomposed, just throw this material back in the bottom of the bin and it will be next year!), try top dressing your plants and shrubs with the compost. Within a short timeframe , you won't believe the difference it will make on plants, shrubs and young trees! And whatever compost you have left after topdressing at the time of fall cleanup goes back into the garden before you till and the garden is ready to rest. This is the soil amendment you got for free while others are buying it by the bag full at the garden center.
If you're looking for a fantastic gardening book for those of us who are frugally minded, try "Frugal Gardener: How to Have More Garden for Less Money" by Catriona Tudor Erler. It's a Rodale Organic Gardening Book and this lady has more tips, hints and suggestions for frugal gardening than any I have ever encountered. She is an expert bargain hunter when it comes to gardening!
Happy composting
Sandie
Frugal gardening 
I'm not really sure how to go about it either. Any help on this subject would be greatly appreciated!
