Tag Archives: home repair

8 DIY Spring Home Maintenance Projects to Try

In some parts of the country there is still snow on the ground. Yes, I am talking about my own backyard. Still, it will all melt at some point, right? Unfortunately, even though we have done all of that shoveling, the home work is not yet done. Of course, it will be wonderful to work outside in warmer temperatures, with the sun shining down and the gentle spring air. Annual spring maintenance is important to keep your home running well, and to avoid larger, and more expensive problems later. The more than you can do yourself, the more money you … Continue reading →

Benefits To Being A Single Parent

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As a parent, every day I’m amazed to see the young woman my daughter is turning into. I think that is true for all parents, we look at our children and there is so much joy that we get to be a part of something so wonderful. As a single parent there is a little sadness mixed with that joy, sadness that our kids don’t get to grow up in an intact family, that Daddy doesn’t help tuck them in every night. But always there is joy and pride in watching them grow and seeing the men and women they … Continue reading →

Used Appliance, New Appliance: Ah, The Agony!

For the third time in four years, our dishwasher is broken. Our home came with a complement of not-really-working appliances, and in the last four years we have replaced our furnace, our toilets, our bathtub, our freezer, our washer, and our dryer. We’re also replaced countless other items around the house. As I ponder the potential demise of our dishwasher, I wonder about used and new appliances. I love to recycle, and reusing used appliances is certainly recycling. If someone is getting rid of a nearly-new appliance just to keep up with the next appliance fad, I’m happy about that. … Continue reading →

Habitat for Humanity HomeStore

If you are looking for a frugal and feel-good way to update, renovate or redesign your home, check out this great resource! As you know, we have a great older home nestled in two acres of woods in Pennsylvania. We love our home, but is serious need of some updating and renovation. Our next major project is going to be updating our kitchen. And of course, we don’t want to spend a lot of money. You can ready about our kitchen adventures in the Home Blog. Click here for the first article. More articles on our update will be coming … Continue reading →

Home Repair: Balancing Spouse Responsibility

Is it really Friday already? It feels like this has been the longest and the shortest week on record. It’s been crazy busy here with my husband and I both working diligently on a variety of different projects, the not the least of which is getting our fence repaired. We’ve been trying to balance what the two of us have both done to get estimates, file the insurance claim and hire a contractor to do the work. Wind Storms & Storm Damage A few weeks back, just two days before I had my surgery, we had a major windstorm here … Continue reading →

Do it Yourself: How to Caulk Your Tub

Putting in a new tub? Maybe your existing tub is just looking a little worse for wear. Aside from making your tub look better, you can save yourself a lot of money with this simple do it yourself project. For less than $20.00 worth of supplies and under half an hour of your time, you can avoid paying a plumber or a handyman for a service call, and you may also avoid hundreds, even thousands of dollars in repair bills. Old caulk can develop mildew and it can also allow leakage, causing water damage to walls and floors. Look for … Continue reading →

Selling Your Home? Do the Work

If you want to sell your home quickly, sell it for top dollar, or both, it is important that you do the work. You can get lots of great tips and ideas from shows like Designed to Sell on HGTV, but you can also learn a lot by having an open mind. Ask a friend or family member to look over your home and give you a brutally honest assessment. Ask your realtor to tell it like it is. Remember, this is for your own good, so don’t be offended by their comments. We tend to get sidetracked by sentimentality … Continue reading →