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I make it a habit to feed the birds primarliy in the late fall through early spring. After that, they "might" get a suet cake of some leftover seed, but I prefer to let them fend for themselves.
The main reason for stopping the bird seed gravy-train is that since the majority of the feeders are sparrows, I want them to do what they do best during the summer: eat bugs, lots and lots of bugs.
Sparrows LOVE mosquitos, and do a real good job of keeping them at bay.
If you are keen on bird watching, and want to cut down on the expense, build a few birdhouses (cheap and easy to build) and watch the bird population grow year by year.
We had one house on a tree in our front yard (tree recently removed) that had returning sparrows that raised successive generations of sparrows. You were able to see the parents return with beaks packed with bugs and see the young taking their fledgling flights. There are just a few specifics you need to be aware of.
1.) hole size. The entry hole size is specific for certain bird species.
2.) Reinforce the area around the entry hole with wire mesh or metal plate. Everyone will want to move into an "open house", and if that means enlarging the hole you started with, so be it. Heck, even the squirrels with try to move in.
With proper care and cleaning (annually) they will last for years.
I've had some that lasted close to 10 years, and then they needed some basic repairs.
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