So with that said, what to do when you lose a manual? If your appliance or other product breaks and you don’t have the manual you may not be able to figure out if an easy (and cheap) fix is needed. That sucks and you could end up paying a lot to get your item fixed or even shell out cash for a new one. Instead head to Diplodocs first and try an easy search to see if you can find your manual. Diplodocs carries manuals or users guides for about 1,870,000 products and 5,600 brands.You can search for manuals by product name, manufacturer, or even do an advanced search. Manuals are available in tons of languages and all are free to download.

If you happen to have a sought after manual that’s not already available at the site you can help improve the site by uploading it to Diplodocs. You can even browse to see which manuals people are actively looking for.

Visit Diplodocs and learn more about this free service today.

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

Since having kids, things seem to mysteriously appear throughout my house.  No matter how many times I clean and tidy up the house, there seem to be things out of place.  To make up for some of the extra time I spend mothering and tidying up the house, I’ve had to figure out some quick cleaning tips.  Here’s a few to try:

1)  Clean your bathroom while your kids are taking a bath.  Be sure to use safe cleaning products such as vinegar.  You can also take this time to clean out a bathroom drawer.

2)  Keep a few extra trash bags in the bottom of your trash cans.  When you take out the trash, there will be a clean bag waiting.

3)  Do a quick 10-15 minute family clean-up.  Set the timer for 10 minutes and have everyone participate in cleaning up the house.  At first you may have some resistance but if you make this a daily routine, the kids will know what’s expected and participate.

4)  Grab a basket for a quick pick up of out of place things.  Put items into the basket and it will be easy to put them away as you walk through each room.

5)  Before leaving a room, make sure you take something with you.  This goes for your car too.  Each time I get out of my car, I usually pick up a few pieces of trash or grab a few things that need to go into the house.

6)  Do a load of laundry each day.  This will avoid laundry piling up and will make it easier to put away each load as it’s completed.

7)  Unload your dishwasher as soon as the load is complete.  It’s easier to keep dirty dishes out of the sink if the dishwasher is ready to be loaded.

8)  Keep cleaning supplies in each bathroom and in the kitchen.  Using an all purpose cleaner such as vinegar will cut down on the supplies you need.

9)  Assign daily chores to each person in the house.  Each person needs to contribute and if each person has a regular job, they will know what’s expected of them.  The chores need to be age-appropriate.

10)  Do a quick vacuuming in common areas once during the week.  Save the time consuming vacuuming and furniture moving for cleaning days.  Having clean floors makes a home more attractive.

What time saving cleaning tips can you share?

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Post from: Thrifty Mommy

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 costly issue.

To check for toilet leaks…

Quiet leaks are tricky. Unlike a running toilet, which you can hear and does waste a ton of water, a quiet or silent leak won’t make an obvious sound. Flush your toilet and as the reservoir is filling, add 2 or 3 drops of food coloring to the water. Have a cup of tea, then head back to your bowl. If the water in the bowl changes color, the flapper valve should be replaced.

If you get a leak or another sketchy toilet issue, you can try to fix it yourself (ONLY if you’re sure you won’t make it worse). Toiletology 101 offers many excellent tips and tricks for all sorts of toilet problems. Or you can consult your own handy fix-it book, which, if you own a home is really a super smart investment. The Official Rent-A-Husband Guide to a Safe, Problem-Free Home: Quick, Easy, and Effective Solutions for Do-It-Yourselfer Improvements and Repairs – this book has a stupid name (um, yeah, only men can fix things – lame), but is actually pretty good for simple home fixes. Another more in-depth  book is Black & Decker Complete Photo Guide to Home Repair: with 350 Projects and 2000 Photos.

To save more money…

Take a picture. Toilets have some seriously weird components at times. If you’re not sure what a part is, or if you should mess with it, take a photo then head to the local hardware store. The folks there should be able to tell you what you need to fix it.

Make sure people are using the toilet correctly – for example, you may think your toilet is acting up, but really people just aren’t flushing right. With many low-flows you really do need to hold that handle down for a count of five. Also instruct family not to put things in the toilet that could damage it in the long term. Most toilets can’t handle small toys, tampons, and other stuff.

Don’t wait too long to call a professional. Seriously, water damage to your home is WAY more costly than any toilet repair – heck, you could put in a brand new toilet for less than what water damage will cost, so don’t under budget for a repair that you really should hire help for.

[image via stock.xchng]

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

• 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 can weaken furniture fibers and break down the color pigments embedded in your furniture. Not actually an issue here in rainy Oregon, but it might be for you.
• You should protect your furniture with a covering of say Scotchgard.
• If you’re very into saving that sofa try using a sofa slip cover, although, you do need to remove it and vacuum under it and also it seems like a lot of excess after already buying a sofa. If I were you I’d just buy a darker color piece. We’ve got three kids between us so that’s what we did.

[image via stock.xchng]

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

All that said, I do get the ordeal of having a large family and all sorts of wet towels to contend with. It’s not THAT big a deal because if you actually showered, your towel is not getting dirty, BUT when someone (who will remain unnamed in my family’s case) leaves their towel on the floor, which is not so clean it gets tricky.

What to do…

Hang a peg rack rod. Such as one of the choices above from the container store. Then grab some multi-colored towels – i.e. white for dad, blue for mom, yellow for little Jim, and so on. Allot each family member a hook, a color, and now you’ll be able to tell who has which towel plus you’ll be able to find out which of you keeps tossing that towel onto the carpet.

A second idea is to snag towels that feature monogrammed names or for smaller kids pictures. I’ve tried the whole idea of hanging towels behind the door in bedrooms instead of in the bath, but that never seems to work out because someone always forgets to grab their towel then you have yelling going on, “Can someone bring me my towel!”

How do you help your family to remember which towel is which?

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

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 company also offers factory refurbished units, which as you might guess, can offer you great savings. While Gourmet Depot is headquartered in the SOMA district of San Francisco, they will ship anywhere, including internationally, and even offer free shipping on all Cuisinart, KitchenAid, Krups, Mr. Coffee, Panasonic, and Sunbeam-Oster part and accessory orders over $60.00 (with a few stipulations).

So the next time an appliance of yours is giving you a headache see if you can’t fix it first and save some cash.

Visit Gourmet Depot to learn more.

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Post from: Thrifty Mommy

• 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 to be making a noise.
• If it’s really broke you might be able to get a refund. Keeping your warranty and receipt obviously insures that you’ll get a replacement or refund if yours breaks in some oddball way while it’s still under warranty.
• If there’s a recall you can prevent costly accidents by finding out. If you organize your product warranties from the get-go you should be sending in the little cards. If there’s a recall, you’ll be notified.

Need help getting organized? Read:

• Organize Your Warranty Information – What You Should Keep
• File Drawer Storage for Warranty Information

[image via stock.xchng]

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

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 – i.e paint the ceiling one color and the walls another or choose some nice trim colors as accents (say around windows and doors).

Hardware – clean your cupboards and drawers and polish them with a nice wood oil, then switch out the hardware. New shiny hardware makes a BIG impact for very little money.

Change the lights – new lighting can be inexpensive if you shop around but can make a nice difference. You can even install a dimmer fairly easily and have less glare in your kitchen.

Bring in some green – plants can really make a kitchen look nice. If you have room above your cupboards that’s a good place for plants that don’t need full sun. If you have a sunny window place a window box of pretty herbs or flowers.

Update your backsplash – putting in new tile is easy once you get the hang of it and you can be really creative with colors and designs. If tile feels like too much work, try some wall paper or decals on the backsplash.

Clear out the curtains – curtains and blinds are ok, but you’d be surprised at how nice a kitchen looks with a clear open window and nothing to block it.You can even decorate the window sill as an update with fresh flowers, pretty vases, or other cool objects.

What easy and inexpensive kitchen updates do you suggest?

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Post from: Thrifty Mommy

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 the couch), and consolidating, such as having one, not two living spaces.

Live close to work and shops. Some of us REALLY want to live in the country or even out in the middle of nowhere, but America Saves notes that, “Driving 5,000 fewer miles a year can lower transportation costs by more than $1,000.” That’s a whole lot of savings if you live close to everything you need.

When completing repairs or remodels make sure you do one of the following…

• KNOW what you’re doing: Many people take on home repairs and remodels on their own, but often they don’t know what they’re doing and that can cost both time and money. It’s cheaper to do your research well first or hire a pro.
• Get all repair or contractor fees in writing before the work starts.
• Shop around and choose down seasons. Summer is big business for many contractors. Doing some remodeling in the winter or near a holiday can usually save you some cash.

Don’t let things go forever. Regular upkeep and little improvements should be part of the plan if you own your home. Leaks always get worse, curb appeal is easier to keep up with gradually, and once too many things need fixed it’s easy to get seriously overwhelmed and ignore it all. Ideally, you should set aside a small annual budget (or more if you can) for home improvements. Even if you don’t have much cash there are small inexpensive home makeovers you can try that won’t break the bank.

[image via stock.xchng]

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

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 difference. Even just painting the trim can make a dent in how you feel about your home. In small spaces use brighter colors to open the area up. COST: About $15 per can of paint for a nice zero VOC, non-toxic brand.

Replace outdated lighting: There are a few areas you can make changes when it comes to lighting. You can switch out lamp shades (easy and less expensive), switch out light fixtures, or install new lighting (say, cool track lighting in the kitchen). If you install dimmer lights you’ll not only get new lighting, but be able to soften the colors and vibe in a room with just a turn of the switch. COST: Varies, but if you look for deals you can do a few lighting projects with a minimum budget.

Change the little things up: You can get new throw pillows, clean out the old candle holders and place out new fresh candles, change family photos in frames, put down new shelf paper in the cupboards, change the hardware on all your cabinets, and more. Look at the little things around the house that bore / bug you and change them. COST: Varies, but small item changes are way inexpensive.

Place out fresh flowers: Any room improves with flowers. Fresh flowers year can be had for super cheap if you garden, but even if you don’t simply visit wholesale shops and ask what’s in season or what’s on the way out. It’s the rare once yearly items that cost more, but flowers that are easy to get year round don’t cost as much. OR you can always do what I did once and get a job at a flower shop PT (I did it for the free flowers, and it was totally worth it). COST: Depends on season – but to fill your home with flowers (even all summer) can cost under $30 a week if you shop around or get in good with a flower shop. If you can’t afford flowers, consider some new plants that look great but don’t need to be replaced.

[image via stock.xchng]

Post from: Thrifty Mommy