If you have reviewed your household budget lately, you might have been amazed by how many recurring monthly charges have added up over the years. One that jumped out at me recently was the amount we spend for my home security system's alarm monitoring.ADT service starts at about $30 a month. … [Read more...] about Save money with your own home security system
Home Improvement
Get tax savings with solar or wind energy systems
With today's available tax credits, this is a good time to install renewable energy upgrades, such as a solar power system, solar water heater, wind energy system (turbine) or geothermal heat pump. Through 2016, homeowners can take advantage of tax credits for residential systems. Additionally, … [Read more...] about Get tax savings with solar or wind energy systems
New book shares easy DIY home decor projects
Kelly McCants, a Virginia-based author, entrepreneur, blogger, seamstress and mother of two teenagers, has a new book out. It’s called At Home with Modern June: 27 Sewing Projects for Your Handmade Lifestyle. Modern June, in case you’re wondering, is McCants herself, who also wrote Sewing with … [Read more...] about New book shares easy DIY home decor projects
How to get Bill Gates’ billion-dollar art collection for free
In the 1990s, Microsoft founder Bill Gates created a 22-foot-long “video wall" in his Seattle lakefront home. Gates spent many millions of dollars of his own money to create the world's largest digital art library. The library contained thousands of digitized images of fine art and classic … [Read more...] about How to get Bill Gates’ billion-dollar art collection for free
Best way to buy and sell furniture on Craigslist
The garage and the basement are full. You can’t stand that old entertainment center. You really want a new sofa but don’t want to pay new-furniture prices.In decades past, you might have put up a notice on the bulletin board at your local coffee shop or checked the newspaper classifieds. But … [Read more...] about Best way to buy and sell furniture on Craigslist
8 ways to save when moving into a new home
Congratulations: You’ve been given the keys to your new home. Now the physical work begins. Moving, even locally, can be a very expensive process. Here are eight money-saving tips that I discovered during our move within the same city last year. Get free boxes and use towels as packing … [Read more...] about 8 ways to save when moving into a new home
5 best websites for do-it-yourselfers
A lot of my DIY knowledge came from my father. He taught me at a young age that French cleats are not shoes, tire irons do not flatten tires, and doing things myself can bring satisfaction. I held onto those tattered old Family Handyman books for years before passing them on to one of my sons. But … [Read more...] about 5 best websites for do-it-yourselfers
How to donate, trade or recycle your stuff
If you want to get rid of extra stuff around your house, but don’t want to bother with selling items online or holding a garage sale, here are our frugal living tips for good ways to trade, recycle or donate unwanted items.Trading or swapping gets more of what you want without spending any cash. … [Read more...] about How to donate, trade or recycle your stuff
How to sell stuff online via Craigslist and eBay
Would you like to learn how to sell your unwanted stuff online and turn it into cash? Two of the most popular websites to sell things online are Craigslist and eBay. Before you can make money online, you need to learn the basic process and to understand some of the risks.For your first online … [Read more...] about How to sell stuff online via Craigslist and eBay
DIY plumbing projects that save you money
When you think about some of the most expensive home improvements and repairs, plumbing problems no doubt make the short list. After all, since the largest expense of a repair is labor and you likely have little to no plumbing knowledge, it follows that you are doomed to call in the experts and … [Read more...] about DIY plumbing projects that save you money
Get charities to take your unwanted stuff
You'd think charities would do back flips over your unwanted items. But unless you have the ability and strength to get them out of your home, you'd be wrong. When I recently combined two households I called all the biggies (Goodwill, Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity), anxious to donate quality … [Read more...] about Get charities to take your unwanted stuff
Free wheelchair ramps and home repairs for needy
If you or your parents or grandparents need help with home renovations you can't afford, Rebuilding Together may be able to help. The nonprofit organization builds free wheelchair ramps and provides FREE critical home repairs, modifications and improvements to low-income, elderly and disabled … [Read more...] about Free wheelchair ramps and home repairs for needy
