What to Buy for Your Home in October

In a previous post, I talked about some grocer food items that you should get ready to buy in October, even to the point of starting to stock up on those coupons, now. There are other bargains out there in October, especially for the home. You can save a lot of money in two major areas in October, if you are ready for the sales. The first area that I want to talk about is in home appliances. Stores will start reducing appliances in late September, and the deals will culminate in October. This is because most of the new … Continue reading

How to Save Money on Carpet

In retrospect, I think we spent far too much on carpet for our family room. In our defense, this was the first time that we ever actually purchased carpet. We did do some research and got a few discounts, but we probably could have done more. Here are some of the things I’ve learned since then. Hopefully, you can use these tips to save money on your own carpet. Know when to buy It pays to know what time of the year is best for buying your carpet. The time period of December to January is probably the time that … Continue reading

Dealing with Carpet Dents

You move a table or floor lamp and are left with circular dents in the carpet that seem to exist for days if not permanently. Carpet dents can ruin the look and feel of your carpet and can force you into a permanent furniture arrangement when you can’t get them out. Here are some ways of dealing with carpet dents. We are enjoying our first experience with a nice carpet after replacing the awful vinyl flooring in our family room. The one thing I didn’t even think about when we were planning our purchase was carpet dents. Fortunately, we are … Continue reading

Extending the Life of Your Carpet 2

If you want to get the most out of your carpet purchase, you need to take good care of it. This is part two of a two-part series. Rearrange your furniture every so often to evenly distribute the wear on the carpet. This works in two ways. By exposing new areas of the carpet and covering up other areas, you reduce the chance that your carpet will be different colors due to fading from sunlight or dirt. Rearranging the furniture may also change the traffic flow of your room and prevent one specific area from becoming overly worn. If you … Continue reading

Extending the Life of Your Carpet

If you want to get the most out of your carpet purchase, you need to take good care of it. Cheaper carpets can be expected to last three to five years, while more expensive carpets can last ten or even twenty years! You can extend the life of your carpet in the following ways. Vacuum the carpet regularly. When we had out new family room carpet installed, I asked the installers about the best way to take care of it. This was their number one piece of advice. In fact, they said that regular vacuuming is the absolute best way … Continue reading

One Person’s Trash is Another Person’s Garden

Last week I put dinner in the oven, and then I went outside to see if my husband needed any help with the yard work. I found him creating a “burn” pile that consisted of about a quarter of a large forsythia bush that was in our backyard. He just wanted the thing gone. It was pretty overgrown, and he wanted a clear slate to work with for some future new landscaping. I grabbed my gloves and the clippers and got to work decimating the remaining foliage, thinking how it was such as waste. But one of the nice things … Continue reading

Help Me Entertain My Dogs!

Hard to believe that it’s been almost a year since I took my dogs on a cross-country road trip and resettled on the west coast. Time sure flies! A lot has happened in that year, too (and poor Moose was at the center of a lot of the adventures). Since I just renewed my lease, the apartment management offered me my choice of three thank yous: a carpet cleaning, a blind cleaning, or a ceiling fan. I knew the fan was out — Lally is (for some strange reason) scared to death of ceiling fans. She won’t even walk into … Continue reading

Home Week in Review: April 7 – 13

This week, our collection of articles is listed by subject matter. We hope you find something you can use or something that makes you smile: Building, Changing, or Adding to a Home Should You Hire an Architect? When you are considering a remodel of a room or an addition to your home, it might be a good idea to hire an architect. After all, unless you have experience, you wouldn’t consider designing your own car or even your own formal dress… Don’t miss part two. Other Structures More Tips for Updating a Garage Mary Ann says: “Spring cleaning can also … Continue reading

Frugal Uses For Club Soda

Club soda has many great uses beyond a delicious drink. It is also inexpensive and easy to find. Finding creative uses for products I have in my home regularly, is important to me. It helps me keep my frugal lifestyle and save money purchasing several separate products that can do the same thing. Cleaning Club soda can be used to help keep porcelain sinks and fixtures clean. Pour it right over the mess and use a paper towel to wipe it up. It cleans quickly and effectively. Also cleans counters, and other surfaces easily. Club soda can remove rust stains … Continue reading