Your toilet is useful for sure, but if it has issue, and you’re not a renter with a handy paid for maintenance crew, your toilet can cost you big time. Don’t let the toilet get your down. Try the following…

Check for leaks: Although you hear horror stories about leaks, unless they’re insane leaks, they don’t cost you that much in cash. However, wasting water is never cool, not from a green-minded or budget minded standpoint so checking for leaks is smart. A major reason to look for leaks is because one little leak may be part of a larger, more …read more

I just recently merged households with my boyfriend and his sofa was, well, very bachelor-like, and my futon was on its last legs so we had to buy a couple of new sofas. That said I’ve been sort of interested in sofa care lately. A few quick care tips I’ve learned recently…

You should vacuum your sofa (or any upholstered furniture) at least once weekly. All the crumbs, dust, and other gunk acts as an abrasive which in turn wears down the fabric each time you sit down.
You should place your furniture away from a too sunny window as the sun …read more

What’s annoying are folks who use their towel once then toss it in the laundry. Not only is this terrible waste of water and energy but it’s gonna cost you. While estimates vary, it’s likely that one load of laundry in a front-loading washer will cost you up to 34¢ per load, which sounds small but adds up quickly. Not to mention unnecessary rewashing of towels over and over renders them more likely to die off early which means you’ll need to by more towels, buy more laundry soap, waste more time and so on.
All that said, I do get …read more

One handy resource that I like to mention annually around these parts is Gourmet Depot, which sounds like a cooking site but it’s actually a small home appliance parts shop.

Gourmet Depot specializes in parts and accessories for small electric appliances and personal care products, such as blenders, food processors, stand mixers, electric shavers, hair clippers, and more. Their handy search tool makes it easy and fast to find the part you need which means if an appliance you own dies, you may be able to fix it before you have to fork over the cash to buy a new one.
The …read more

Organizing your user manuals and warranties can save you big money. If you’re not making sure you hold onto these items, it’s a mistake. Here’s how user manuals and warranties save you cash:

If it’s broke you can possibly fix it. Many user manuals cover small fixes and repairs that your product may require. Fixing is cheaper than buying again.
If you don’t understand a product you may replace it unnecessarily. Say your coffee pot makes a funny noise but only at certain times. You may think. “I should get a new one” but reading the manual may reveal that it’s supposed …read more

If you’re longing for a new kitchen but don’t have the budget try some easy, low-cost DIY fixes. The DIY part is key. Make sure you choose updates you can actually do yourself. As soon as you bring in others to do the work for you, the costs climb. The ideas below are easy enough that most folks can do them on their own.

Paint – SO EASY and can make a huge difference. Choose a low or zero VOC paint because if you’re repainting, why not paint clean? Choose bright colors for a smaller kitchen or even go two toned …read more

Housing is likely where the largest chunk of your cash flow goes each month (unless you’re ultra lucky). The good news is you can save here and there on housing costs, that when piled together can save you lots…

Buy only the amount of house you really need. And by really need, I don’t mean as storage. If you’re moving, and looking at extra space just because you haven’t worked through your clutter issues lately, it’ll cost you. Consider loosing some stuff, making do with 2 bathrooms instead of 3 or 4, doing away with guest rooms (people can crash on …read more

Sprucing up your home seems like a good plan, but when money is tight, big projects are out of reach. However, you can make some smaller, inexpensive changes that won’t kill your time or budget.
Keep it clean: Ideally you should have a basic weekly home cleaning schedule along with a quick daily pick-up. Honestly, if your house is clean, you’ll be happier and feel less like you need decor changes and other improvements. COST: Free if you’ve already got cleaning supplies – especially inexpensive if you stick to homemade cleaners.
Fresh paint: One coat of fresh paint can make a huge …read more

A reusable coffee filter – why buy all those paper filters. Bonus points for being a green and thrifty move.
A white board or chalk board: These save you money because they help you plan. It’s a nightmare to plan grocery lists on the fly and you’ll end up spending more if you rush through it. A board allows you to jot down what you need and you can build a list from it.
A spatula – Cheap and easy way to use up all the food – the sauce, the peanut butter, the cake batter.
Ice pop molds – A great deal …read more

You see scissors on sale for $2 and buy a pair. Two weeks later, the handle snaps. Six weeks later, you lose another pair. When you add up the cost of all those cheap scissors, you realize you spent about $10 in one year and all you have to show for it is one very flimsy pair of scissors. Suddenly, they don’t look like such a thrifty purchase after all!
I was once one of these flimsy tool buyers, too. Then, my brother walked in on me struggling to repair a dollar store pair of scissors and said, “Here, …read more