First I would like to say "hello" as I am new here and this is my first post. I am also a first time brewer and excited about making my first batch next weekend (Oatmeal Stout).

I have a pretty standard beginner's kit, with a plastic 6.5 gallon primary fermenting bucket and a bottling bucket with spigot of equal size. I want to get optimal results from my first batch and will implement a secondary fermentation, but I do not have a third bucket/carboy for this.

This may seem like a foolish question, but here it goes:

Can I make the most of the equipment I have by using the bottling bucket as my primary fermenter, then move my brew to the regular bucket (the actual primary fermenter) for secondary fermentation, and then back to the bottling bucket when it's time for bottling?

If so, is it ok to use the same lid/cover for the primary and secondary fermentation as long as I sanitize it? I only have one lid, and I live in a country that doesn't sell brewing equipment so I can't just go out and pick up more equipment at a local store.

Any other useful advice or things I should keep in mind if I do this would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you all for your time. I look forward to becoming a long-term member and contributor to this forum.

You really don't need to do a secondary fermentation. Ferment your beer in the primary bucket then rack into the bottling bucket and bottle your beer. The more times you transfer the beer the more risk there is of contamination.
Keep it simple and enjoy!

Thanks for your input. I am a bit confused because all of the literature I have been reading plus many thread posts highly recommend secondary fermentation to improve the clarity and quality of my beer. Assuming this is true, my original questions are still valid and I would really like to know the answers.

I thought about trying this also except just racking into the bottleing bucket then cleaning the primary then racking back to the primary to clarify as a secondary, but didn't try. I don't usually secondary ales that a quick turn around beer (nothing like a fresh IPA). Lagers on the other hand I do to clear them up and to condition them. I also keg my lagers and mostly bottle my ales to let them bottle condition. My thoughts on the secondarying in a bucket in to make sure that it is food grade, clean, and sanitized(lid too, the secondary must be very clean and sanitized). Being your first batch and the style (Oatmeal stout) you may not gain that much by secondarying. Homebrewing is all about experimenting and finding your ways GOOD LUCK.

I did do exactly what you're talking about before I had a couple carboys available (or a carboy was taken up holding a barleywine for 8 months)

There's absolutely nothing wrong with it - some people will scare you about the bucket and plastic, but we're only talking 5-15 days in it. For every one thing someone says to do in homebrewing, they're somebody disproving it.

On the other hand, I've seen lots of threads saying secondaries don't do anything for you...Ultimately, we're not selling our beer, and it probably doesn't matter.

Me, personally, I plan on using secondaries only if the beer is going to condition a while (more than 2 months).

Hope that helps.

No need to bother with a secondary for average beers like your planned oatmeal stout. Racking to a secondary bucket/carboy for clarifying will only lead to more chances of introducing oxygen and infections, two unwanted things in a homebrewery. Do be sure to leave your beer in the primary fermenter for at least two weeks. This gives the yeast extra time to clean up any off-flavors produced during fermentation as well as allowing some of the yeast to drop out of suspension to the bottom of the fermenter.

The only time I secondary a beer is if I'm lagering (which I do in kegs), adding oak, fruit, or bacteria/wild yeast. Besides that I will go directly into packaging after primary fermentation is thoroughly completed. Even with high ABV% beers I don't secondary. I simply give them a bit longer in primary and then keg or bottle them right after! Less cleaning, less sanitizing, less time, and less chance of oxidation and infection. Sounds like the way to me!

Another tip for your first batch, and another reason to leave the beer on the yeast a bit longer in the primary is to be sure the yeast is completely done fermenting. Be sure to check your gravity with your hydrometer after you calibrate it in pure water.
My first couple batches, I followed the '2 weeks in primary' plan and had a few beers not finish out and a few off flavors (acetaldahyde) that the yeast would normally clean up.

I'm a bit confused. You said that I should keep the beer in the primary fermenter for a couple of weeks, but then you say that when followed this rule your beers had some "off" flavors.

Was this perhaps a typo, or maybe you are trying to say that I should keep it in the primary fermenter for MORE than two weeks?

The recipe kit I have says to do primary fermentation for 5-7 days. Is it ok to disregard these instructions? I'm such a newb....