Yes just like the show, house repairs are unexpected and extremely time consuming. Our renovations are coming to an end inside the house thank goodness. I don’t think I ever want to look at another paint brush again. Ok so just a bit of an exaggeration, but I am happy to step back from remodeling for a few months. I plan on doing a few posts about time saving tips that I learned and just show off our projects. I’m extremely pleased with how my house has turned out so far. We saved a lot of money by tackling many things ourselves like patching drywall, caulking trim, painting, and lots of comparison shopping. I’m waiting for it to cool down (say October) before I tackle any outside projects. I want to caulk and weatherstrip my windows to further reduce my electric bills. I still have a couple of small projects to finish up, but I admit that I’m procrastinating as I’m burnt out.
Another Remodeling Project Completed
I’m remodeling our house using cash only and no credit. It’s taking us longer but it’s more satisfying knowing that each completed project is paid for upfront. I won’t have to worry about making monthly payments on them for the next five years. I completed our kitchen project last fall, but I don’t think I ever posted the pictures on this blog. We spent around $800 which included getting the ceiling cracks fixed and painted, new light fixtures, and painting the walls. It was an amazing transformation, and it was an inexpensive project. I’m still not completely finished since I still need a new kitchen floor. I also want to add a wall and base cabinet next to the stove which will give me a nice area for prep work when cooking. I can also store all my spices, baking staples, and some cookware plus my kitchen knives. By adding that one set of cabinets, then I will have more cabinet space again.
My other remodeling project we completed a couple of weeks ago was my utility room. It also had deep cracks in the ceiling and down one wall. You would never know there were ever any cracks. It looks fabulous and got a great deal for the amount of work done. I’m extremely happy and another inexpensive remodel. She not only fixed the cracks, caulked everything, painted the ceiling plus my walls. She even pulled out the washer and dryer and painted behind them plus my old wooden door. Everything looks so clean and new. I’m definitely going to use this company when it’s time to paint my house. Our next project is converting the porch into a carport. We should be able to start it either next week or the following week. Of course the worst part of remodeling is waiting on the contractors.
Save Money by Fixing Leaks Yourself
Most people want to call a plumber the moment they notice their kitchen faucets are leaking. Sometimes it’s an easy fix that could save you at least a hundred dollars or more. First turn off the main water valve, then put some rags inside the faucet neck. You don’t want water spilling on you. Then you will see a nut that connects the faucet to the fixture, so unscrew it to take off the faucet. Then check to see if the washer is old. Replace it if it is and check to see if that stops the leak when you turn the water back on. If not then it could be either you need a whole new fixture or you need a plumber.
TurboCharge Your Ride
I have a 2002 Dodge Stratus with a V6 turbocharged engine. I love having the power that it gives to my engine. I can pass people with ease, but I am careful not to speed. If you have been wanting to add one to your car, then you need to check out TurboChargerPros.com to see their great selection. You can have an audi turbocharger or any make or model of car you drive. They even offer a full warranty on the turbo. If you live in the 48 US states, then you will receive Free Shipping. Most orders are shipped the same day. Don’t hestiate to upgrade your ride today.
TMR Frugal Living Tip #15
Today’s thrifty tip is use a Brillo pad to clean tarnished brass. I have a front door handle that was from 1949 and was pretty tarnished. We lived here for 11 years and never once cleaned it so it was overdue. We didn’t want to replace the door since it’s a solid door and original to this 54 year old house. We tried polishing it first but then the carpenter suggested a brillo pad. Darned if it didn’t work. I couldn’t believe how it just melted off the brass. I was so impressed and of course it did need some elbow grease around the corners. Once it was all cleaned and dried, then we used brass polisher. I wished I had taken before pics but here is an after picture. I also read on the box that it would work on silver.
It’s Amazing What A Simple Coat of Paint Can Do
I was pondering this after my husband repainted our pantry. I’m very ashamed of how it looked before but now it’s so much nicer. We spent about $30 on a can of paint, a new CFL light bulb, and a box of those stick and peel floor tiles. We didn’t spend a lot of money, but I always try to find the cheapest solution first. Sometimes just a simple coat of paint can transform a room into something nice. Now I love going into my pantry, and I smile each time I open the door. Here are some before and after pictures. Note: The weights were to put some pressure on the floor so the tiles would stay in place.
When It Rains It Pours.
This past week has been a very hectic one. I’m just glad it’s over. Last Tuesday my hubby’s battery died in his truck so we replaced it. No biggie. Then Thursday evening the A/C decides to stop working. It’s getting hot here in the deep south. Luckily we have ceiling fans in pretty much every room in the house. The repair man comes over Friday and fixes it less than 5 minutes. It felt great having that cold air again. He isn’t charging us for the repair. So that was wonderful news.
My hubby calls me at lunch saying his glasses snapped in half. So poor baby has them taped with electrical tape so it looks pretty bad and a little funny. His right lens had also popped out. Of course we don’t have a back-up pair. Then our carpenter cancelled for the weekend so we have to wait yet another week to finish our porch remodel. I wasn’t too upset b/c we really need to finish it painting which we did. Hubby got his eyes checked on Sat. and we ordered him 2 pairs from ZenniOptical.com and I paid $70 for 2 pairs of memory titanium frames. These frames are bendable and titanium is supposed to be the new great material that is lightweight and last longer than stainless steel. I’ll give an update when we get them. It was just one thing after another this past week.
The Little Things Aren’t so Scary Anymore…..
Let me start off by saying that hubby & I used to be in financial straits. We slowly climbed out of that mess and am now Debt Free including the house! I don’t share this to sound like a braggart, but I am very proud of what we have accomplished in the last few years. We are still relatively young, early 30′s, so we are looking forward to really building our retirement fund.
Hubby stopped at a store on his way from work today and the truck just wouldn’t start afterwards. So he called me to let me know and even tried jumping it but no luck. He just happened to be near an auto parts store. One of the guys looked at it and told him he needed a new battery. He gets a new battery installed, and it was $70 w/ tax. Not cheap but not as expensive as a new starter or alternator. We had the alternator rebuilt about 3 years ago so he got a little worried.
A few years ago that $70 would have been a big deal to us because we really lived paycheck to paycheck. It really hurts not to have anything in savings for these little emergencies, but it really hurts for the bigger $500-1,000+ ones. I have several books that I really enjoyed reading and my two favorites are The Complete Tightwad Gazette and Total Money Makeover. They have both helped us, and as I said in my title the little things aren’t so scary once you have money saved up for them.
