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

Kids furniture can cost a pretty penny. Less expensive options include thrift store or garage sale furniture you can fix up. This is a great choice because it’s also eco-friendly. Your second option is to make furniture with other objects, not simply fix up a piece. The problem is that often parents get a decent piece of kids furniture and then have no idea where to start when it comes to creating a cool piece of furniture that a kid will love.
Following are some great ideas for DIY kids furniture that’s also totally low-cost.

DIY Inexpensive Kiddie Table & Chairs!- I …read more

For the first time ever, I have three kids this Halloween.  If you’re like me, you don’t have $30-50 per kid to spend on a costume.  I’ve been searching around the internet and have found some do-it-yourself ideas.  Hopefully there will something that you like.

 
Black Knight Costume
Pocahontas
Parents has some cute costume ideas.  You probably have many of the items needed already at home.

Scuba Diver – uses 2 liter soda bottles, tubing, and goggles
Beauty Queen
Basketball Player
Artist
Mad Scientist
Rock Star
Magician
Doctor
Chef
Zoo Keeper
Construction Worker

Handmade Costumes – Most of these costume ideas are for smaller children.

Little Lamb – This one is my favorite. It’s so adorable!
Dalmation …read more

As a long time green advocate I’m a huge fan of homemade beauty products and body care products. But homemade beauty products and body care items are also an excellent thrifty habit.

Why make homemade beauty and body care products?

To avoid toxins – Skin Deep reports that many companies who make beauty care and body care products use known human carcinogens or developmental toxins in the products (as many as one third). Homemade products allow you to avoid this completely.
To save money. All that packaging and fancy advertising will cost you. It’s cheaper to make your own.
To let your creativity …read more

Last week, I discussed some ways to save on decorating your home.  We learned that money could be saved from shopping for used items by using Craigslist, yard sales, and thrift stores and also how an inexpensive item like paint can transform a room.  Today we’re going to see that there are more ways to decorate on the cheap.

4.  Repurpose what you have.  Paint that old lamp or picture frame. Change your night stand into a bookshelf.  Recover your old pillows with fabric. Use a sheet for window treatments. 
5.  Get an outside opinion.  It helps to ask someone else’s opinion for ways …read more

Guest post from Lou Manfredini of Ace Hardware
Lou here, Ace’s “Helpful Hardware Man” and today I’m sharing some great budget-friendly tips on adding curb appeal to your home this summer.

The first step to having a home that looks great from the street is a healthy lawn. It is easier and cheaper than you might think. First you’ll want to clear away any leftover debris, including leaves, branches and your kids’ favorite summer toys. If your lawn is loaded with weeds, spray it with Ortho Weed and Feed – just attach to your garden hose and spray away. It costs about …read more

Many of us think of our home as our castle.  We want it to look warm, inviting, and relaxing, yet we don’t have a lot of money to spend on decorating.  Today, I’ll begin to share with you some tips for decorating and furnishing your home on the cheap.

1.  Shop yard sales and thrift stores.  I’ve been doing this for years.  Just a few months ago I was at a yard sale and found a really nice living room couch and oversized chair.  The person I bought it from had only used it for a year.  She paid $1200 for it and …read more

I’ve known my fair share of thrifty folks who wash plastic bags. They’ll hand wash and dry and some people even toss them in the laundry on cold. This obviously reduces your trash, so saves you cash there, reduces your consumption of plastic bags, so again with the savings, and reduces your negative impact on the planet, especially if you recycle the baggies after. Still…
I have to wonder, with all the reusable sandwich and snack baggies and wraps available now, why are people still washing bags? Some may argue that you have to wash the reusable baggies or wraps too, …read more

Life isn’t all that complicated – ok it is, but there are some basic rules that can be applied to most of life’s situations. For example…

College grades
Weight loss
Buying a home
Exercising more
Eating better
AND yes, of course saving money and more

For example:
Get support – no matter what you’re doing, having a baby, learning to in-line skate, creating a workable family budget to save up for a car, you can’t (or shouldn’t) do it alone. If your family is not on board with saving it’ll be harder. Just like if you’re trying to eat better and people keep bring ice cream into the …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