Rain Barrels

It is raining again here tonight. However we have had some pretty bad droughts recently and I have heard a lot about the advantages of collecting rain water from the roof. When you look into a water collection system there are the really expensive barrels you can buy and when you look at the DYI videos on the internet you see some cheap, sketchy systems people have rigged up. I thought I was going to get the best of both worlds when my wife found some rain barrels at an estate sale. The last day of the sale the barrels were down to $25 and so I snagged one. No hassle trying to build my own and the barrel looked like it cost as much as $175 on the internet new.
However, my fun was just beginning. The barrel leaked the first time we put it up. So I brought it in and my son tried to help me repair it. Still leaked, so I tried sealing it with cement and the hole was plugged but then a new leak sprung around the overflow drain. So two months, 3 trips to Lowe's and at least $25 more, The barrel is out collecting water but it is too early to know if I have all the leaks plugged.
Collecting your own water and using it in the garden: great idea. But ready made systems are expensive and do-it-yourselfing doesn't seem to work. This would be a good industrial design project, someone needs to put together a DIY kit so more gardeners can take advantage of this free, eco-friendly water source.