Your baby’s nursery should be a calming retreat where you can bond and lull your little one to sleep, but that doesn’t mean it needs to cost a fortune. Save the money for items you’ll really need like diapers and wipes (although, the cloth options would help save there, too!).Once you decide on … [Read more...] about 7 DIY projects to decorate baby’s nursery on a dime
Home & Garden
How to get the best refinancing deal
If you're paying an interest rate of more than 5 percent, now may be the time to refinance your home mortgage.Although interest rates have risen slightly in the past few weeks, they are still at historic lows. The average rate for a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage was 3.89 percent in the last week, … [Read more...] about How to get the best refinancing deal
33 ways to save water and reduce your water bill
Whether or not you live in an area of the country that is currently experiencing a water shortage or drought, adopting daily habits that save water can also help reduce your water bill and save you money. Here’s our list of ways to change many daily habits that help conserve water. Since most homes … [Read more...] about 33 ways to save water and reduce your water bill
Downsize your home and build wealth
For many years the mantra, when buying a home, was you should buy the biggest home you could afford. This may have made sense years ago when homes were a better long-term investment. Nowadays that mantra may just be self-serving advice from real-estate agents and mortgage brokers. The more you … [Read more...] about Downsize your home and build wealth
How to get rid of your timeshare
In the glow of the vacation moment, it seems like a wonderful idea: Buy a timeshare so you can return every year to relive the wonderful experience again and again.But years later, when your life has changed and you no longer want to return to the same vacation spot, getting rid of that … [Read more...] about How to get rid of your timeshare
17 habits you can change to save money
Everyone wants to save money. It can be easier than you think. Here are 17 everyday habits you can change to stretch your hard-earned dollars. From the fridge to utilities to bill paying and even at work, revising even just a few of these habits could add up to significant savings.Seven food … [Read more...] about 17 habits you can change to save money
Is the tiny house movement for you?
When life seems too complicated, some people advocate this solution: Move into a smaller home to have a bigger life.For some, the tiny house movement has become a way of life, adjusting to a smaller space and fewer possessions, with a goal of saving money and focusing on relationships and … [Read more...] about Is the tiny house movement for you?
Age in place by joining or forming a retirement village
For every retiree that packs up and moves to Florida, Arizona or some other warm-weather spot, another four or five prefer to stay right where they are. But as they get older, many people find themselves needing more help, whether it's a referral to someone who can fix a leaky toilet, a ride to the … [Read more...] about Age in place by joining or forming a retirement village
How to put on a perfect real estate open house
When a home hits the market, one of the first tasks for the seller is to put on an open house. If your home is listed with a real estate agent, your agent will tell you how to prepare your home and organize the open house. If you list your home without an agent, then it's all up to you.Either … [Read more...] about How to put on a perfect real estate open house
Is it time to buy a home?
With interest rates expected to rise later this year, you may be wondering whether you should buy a home at today's low rates. The average rate for a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage was 3.85 percent last week, according to Freddie Mac’s weekly mortgage market survey, about what it was at the end of … [Read more...] about Is it time to buy a home?
Should you get a home equity loan? It may depend on the reason
With home values rising, more Americans have equity in their homes. That has generated plenty of cheers from homeowners, and it’s also brought back the home equity line of credit as a popular option for the first time since before the Great Recession.Americans took out $23.4 billion in home … [Read more...] about Should you get a home equity loan? It may depend on the reason
How to pay off your mortgage early
The mortgage-burning party may have gone the way of the rotary phone, but that doesn’t mean Americans don’t own their homes free and clear anymore. In fact, about 34% of homeowners in the United States no longer have a mortgage, according to U.S. Census data.The stories of people who pay off … [Read more...] about How to pay off your mortgage early
14 tips to make your home sell faster
The peak spring home-buying season is approaching, and you're ready to sell your home, the quicker the better. How can you make it happen?First, of course, you want to make sure your home looks its best. “Curb appeal is everything,” says Michael Mahon, general manager of HER Realtors in … [Read more...] about 14 tips to make your home sell faster
How to find and hire a good contractor
For most homeowners, the hardest part of any home renovation project isn’t the work itself, it’s finding a competent and reliable contractor to do the job. Installing kitchen cabinets, knocking down a wall or retiling the bathroom is simple compared with the struggle of hiring a quality contractor … [Read more...] about How to find and hire a good contractor
How to decide whether to get a home-equity loan
With home values rising, more Americans have equity in their homes. That has generated plenty of cheers from homeowners, and it has also brought back the home equity line of credit as a popular option for the first time since before the Great Recession.Americans took out $23.4 billion in home … [Read more...] about How to decide whether to get a home-equity loan
