Home TwinCitiesFrugalMom.com

Twin Cities Frugal Mom

Living well while spending less in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area

You are here: Home / Archives for Household

How to Save Money on Home Repair Without Sacrificing Quality

By Leave a Comment

paintbrush

Home repairs are a part of life just like fixing your car and maintaining your own health, and it can be just as costly. Fortunately, there are many money saving tips that will help you cut the costs without sacrificing the quality of your home repairs.

It’s important that you address the issues in and around your home because ignored repairs could lead to injuries. Did you know that injuries from falling (including those dreaded slips and trips kids are prone to) account for roughly 25% of all injury claims reported in a fiscal year? That’s scary!

If you’ve been looking for ways to plan and execute your home repairs that won’t break the bank, this article is just what you need. Without further ado, let’s get right into those money saving tips!

Pick Your Contractor’s Brains

Your contractor (or even a friend in the contractor business) can be very useful if you’re willing to ask. They have many leftover odds and ends after their projects that just gather dust in their storage places. If you ask nicely, many contractors won’t mind giving them to you at a fraction of the price you’d pay in supply stores. And if you’re lucky, you might just get a few things for free.

Contractors also have a lot of knowledge on how to cut costs on repairs and how to save money in creative ways. Don’t be shy to seek advice and guidance, you’d be surprised by what they tell you! For example, by installing new windows, a home can save about $456 on energy costs! There are many facts that contractors will share with people who are willing to ask.

DIY!

You can save a lot of money if you’re prepared to do a bit of hard work yourself. Fixing minor things like broken cupboards and loose floorboards shouldn’t be too difficult a task. You can also do tasks like painting and power washing parts of your home on your own. It can be very rewarding to do things yourself, and you could pick up new skills.

Call In a Professional

This may seem like a contradiction to the previous money saving tip, but some jobs are better left to professionals. Repairs that call for expertise, such as repairing your home’s foundation, shouldn’t be taken lightly. Foundation repair companies are always very careful when raising and stabilizing homes, and this isn’t something you can do on your own.

Do Lots of Preventative Maintenance

A stitch in time saves nine, and preventative maintenance on your home can save you a lot of money on expensive repairs. Routinely check your plumbing, for example, to avoid costly water damage.

Don’t Rush

One of the best things you can do when starting home repairs is to take your time. Make your repair plans, come up with a realistic budget, and do not rush any part of it. These repairs can become overwhelming once you start, so give yourself time to find the most urgent problems and fix them before moving on to the next repairs.

Keep an Eye Open For Sales

Sales of the things you need to repair your home can happen randomly, so it’s a good idea to closely watch your favorite stores for bargains you could miss otherwise. Events such as Black Friday and store-specific sales and giveaways can help you save lots of money!

Keep Calm and Expect the Unexpected

One of the best money saving tips out there is to put money away for unexpected accidents and problems. If you live in an older home, you may be stuck with residual damage (it’s actually very common), and not all cracks will close. About 20% of them will remain even when you try repairing them, with 70% being fixed and the rest becoming worse. Just keep calm and do your best!

Where to Find New Furniture At Good Prices

By Leave a Comment

living room

Staying at home a lot more during the pandemic made everyone look a lot closer at the state of their furniture. The result has been a tremendous uptick in purchases of home goods to replace those that have seen their time come and go. In fact, 56% of homeowners are looking to purchase new furniture in the next two years.

Living room furniture tends to see the most use in the home. As such, it also experiences the most wear and tear. Seven years is a good gauge of when the wear and tear start to show on your recliner, sofa, or easy chair. By the 15 year mark, it will most likely be in a pretty rough shape.

When looking for new furniture, the price will be a consideration, like it is with everything. Finding new furniture at great prices isn’t hard though. Here are a few furniture sources with quality at a great price:

Megastores For Furniture

Some furniture stores are like warehouses, and sell the furniture you assemble yourself. A high-quality, fabric sectional sofa can typically run you about $899. A modern tv stand might only be $130 and some are as little as $50. No matter what your furniture needs, going to a warehouse is a great bargain. Some will even ship straight to you if one of their stores isn’t nearby.

Shopping Online

Few things are easier than buying with online shopping. With some furniture sites, you might even find free shipping options. Orders of new furniture grew an astounding 51% in August versus sales in 2019 per research from analyst firm Smith Leonard. Sales are up 6% from last year. Staying at home has driven sales.

Recently, big-name brands have added their high-quality brand of furniture. A sectional sofa with a chaise can be as little as $856. Looking for leather? A leather, 101″ sofa is just $1,482. Other brand sofas can be as little as $600 and a great-looking kitchen table is as little as $159.

This way of shopping continues to grow and add customers by offering affordably priced and chic furniture. A sectional sofa can be as low as $499 and perfectly sized for an apartment. A mid-century modern TV stand is $101. Online shopping is beneficial to those who don’t have time to go out and look in person. You can’t go wrong with great-looking furniture shipped straight to your door.

Smaller Home Goods Stores

Want to drive to the store and touch your future furniture? Home good stores offer furniture in stores and also online. A modest leather, foldable futon sofa can be $420. That mid-century tv stand? A great-looking tv stand is $260. These stores can only offer a limited selection compared to online stores and warehouses, but the quality is very good. Shipping might also be free.

Interesting Finds

Antique shops or boutique stores have always been great places for interesting and high-quality furniture. Being able to see it in the store and haul it off that same day is a bonus. The popular sectional we’ve repeatedly discussed averages about $900 and up. The tv stand is $549.

These stores can set themselves apart with quality, solid woods that you’re happy to put in your home. Their furniture is built to last and look beautiful.

Options for new furniture abound online and down the street. It doesn’t take a small fortune to change things and make your home feel like it just got a big update. Free shipping has made ordering furniture easy and inexpensive. Whatever your furniture tastes, inexpensive and high quality can be easily found. The days of spending a fortune for great-looking and comfortable furniture are no more.

Free Printable “I Hate to Clean” 30-Day Calendar

By Leave a Comment

30 Day Hate to Clean Plan

Hate to clean? 

As much as I love having a clean house, the process of cleaning and dusting and organizing can be a pain. And there are always things I avoid doing because they’re either putsy, awkward (climbing on ladders to dust up high) or just not pleasant.

So here I have an exclusive FREE Printable “I Hate to Clean” 30-Day Plan to help make it easier!!!!!!

It simplifies cleaning your whole house by giving you one not-so-fun task to to do each day for 30 days. This way by the end of the month you’ll have all those yucky tasks you’ve been avoiding DONE!

You do get a few “FREE” days during the month too. You can use these for either resting or doing any other task you need to include on this calendar.

It’s great for any time of year. I like to get a lot of cleaning done in January when our schedules are quieter and it’s cold out anyway. Spring is another time I like to get a lot of cleaning done. 

Whenever it can help you…

Click here to PRINT this FREE 30-Day Calendar!

Want more?

More cleaning resources:

Here is a free 5-page printable spring cleaning checklist!

[Read more…]

How to Budget for Unexpected Off-Days from Work

By Leave a Comment

child home blocks

Budgeting for unexpected time off from work is the same as budgeting for unexpected expenses. You have to have a budget in the first place to cover for the times you are sent home without pay. There are a lot of reasons you may have to miss work unexpectedly and lose some income. Having a plan, and being prepared is the best way to offset some of the issues that can crop up when you are paid less than you normally would be.

Avoiding The Problem

Not every problem that will keep you home from work unexpectedly can be avoided, but many of them can be. For example, if you have kids, make sure they get the proper dental care and medical care, and here is why. About 51 million hours are missed from school because of dental-related problems. If your kid has a dental problem, that means not only are they going to miss school, but you are going to miss work. Preventive care will take this issue right out of the equation.

Other reasons that people unexpectedly miss work include

  • Transportation problems.
  • Childcare problems.
  • Illness.

Avoiding some of these common reasons for missing work can be as simple as making sure your vehicle is serviced regularly, having a backup plan for childcare, and living a healthy lifestyle to avoid getting sick. You cannot avoid every problem that will keep you home, but the ones that you can, you should.

Have a Plan In Place

It is always best to prepare for the worst and hope for the best. If you lost a week’s worth of wages how would you cover your bills? This simple question is one that everyone should be asking themselves. Deciding how you would manage before you need to manage this problem is a good way to stay prepared.

Not having a plan can back you into a corner you never want to be in. Some people make very bad choices when they are in the midst of a financial crisis. They look for quick money schemes online like payday loans with ridiculously high interest rates that affect their income for months to come. Additionally, internet crime is on the rise, and many of these get cash fast schemes are a rip-off. Internet crimes are crimes that are fraudulent representations or false representations about products or services, and many times focus on desperate people in need of cash.

Saving and budgeting is the best way to be prepared for both unexpected expenses and unexpected loss of income. Having an emergency fund will ease the stress of lost wages and let you stay home when you need to with peace of mind.

Ask Your Employer How You Can Make Up the Time

Some employers can be flexible. It does not hurt to ask your employer how you can make up the time you missed so that you do not lose the income. Your employer may or may not have options, but it never hurts to ask.

Before you make the call be sure that you have a couple of solutions in mind. For example, can you come in on the weekend or on your regularly scheduled day off to make up the time? It’s always worth asking.

Make The Best of the Situation

Yes, it can be stressful to think about losing income, but while you are home, you can actually get some work done that will save you money in the long run. In 2020, homeowners spent on average about $8,305 on home improvement. The cost of home improvement increased by about $745 from 2019 on about 2.77 projects. If you did some of the work yourself while you are at home, that could be significant savings for you.

Money saved is in fact money earned. You may come out on the winning end of things when you compare what you saved by doing it yourself and what you lost in wages for the time you were home. No matter how bad the situation seems, just keep moving forward in a positive direction and it will all work out.

3 Tips for Supporting Your Aging Parents In-Home

By

baby elderly

As the adult child of an aging parent, some days you may sit in your home and wonder how you’ll be able to make the time and resources available to care for your aging parents. There are many aspects that are challenging and require enormous responsibility, adding to the stress that many adult children with aging parents feel. Either way, when the time has come, there are a few suggestions you’ll want to keep in mind before, during, and after you begin caring for an aging parent. Before you continue reading, remember to always keep your love for your parents in your mind so you can roll out the most suitable plan to help them stay on top of their finances and security.

Prepare for Financial Emergencies in Advance

The sad thing about emergencies is they can strike you or your home at any time and any place. If you don’t have a plan or little savings aside, you can quickly find yourself in financial hardship. Chances are, you want to avoid that added stress, so you’ll do good by putting aside a set amount from your income sources and putting it towards emergencies. Even having low amounts of savings can be helpful for the worst of situations, like car accidents, falls, or reoccurring symptoms from preexisting conditions.

Still, part of winning an insurance claim is knowing how medical insurance works. In 2018, roughly 42% of 110,400 employed underwriters worked with direct insurance carriers. Knowing interesting details about how your insurance company works is also a way to stay on top of emergencies. For your aging parents, these fine details may become overwhelming due to existing health problems, so learn everything about medical insurance and be sure you have enough money to pay your premiums. Few situations are more unfortunate than having no money to pay for a medical emergency and no insurance due to a misunderstanding.

If something really tragic has happened, and you need to file a class-action lawsuit, you should also be prepared with working knowledge of that sector. Most class-action suits will be dealt with by FedArb Arbitrators in a similar fashion as to FRCP 23 rules. It’s important to have a working understanding of law should the time come where you will need to help your parents with it.

Prepare a Monthly Budget to Stay on Top of Expenses

At home, your monthly budget will create a sense of freedom and independence among your aging parents. That, in part, comes from them having to do the same things with diminishing cognitive abilities and significant medical concerns. You’ll need to implement a budget on behalf of your aging parents so they can see where their money is going, how much they’re bringing in, and where they can make improvements. Chances are, your parents want to have a budget in place anyway, and likely had one during the time they were still capable of managing their finances. In case they are not, don’t take any more control than you have to, and instead, be a listening ear as you record information and organize a budget. You won’t have to worry about filing a lawsuit if your parents were taken advantage of by a scammer.

Work Another Job or Work-from-Home

You might be tricked into believing now that your parents are aging, you need to be by their side every moment of the day. In reality, most parents will become quickly irritated and discouraged, as they’re very likely able to do a lot on their own without your assistance. However, when it comes to gathering money for a retirement home at a later date or paying for emergency repairs now, it pays to have another job in place, or at least your current job, while your parents are living with you. You might even benefit from taking up freelancing tasks or learning virtual assistant work so you can work from home while you’re parents live at your house. Most long-term disability policies will pay benefits until age 65 or Social Security Normal Retirement Age. That means your parents will have freedom and financial security up to a certain point, but your income can make a great difference. While your parents are living at home, be sure to think about the future and whether or not taking on another job might provide additional security. If so, it just might be the choice that could make life much more comfortable for your parents.

Taking care of your aging parents in-house is a huge responsibility. There will be many decisions you have to make, but as long as you have a budget in place and some emergency savings, there is a great chance you and your parents can enjoy your time together, while they also enjoy financial independence. Remember, part of taking care of your aging parents is remembering that they need to be independent, so that just might mean you need to take on extra work. But as long as you remember that you love your parents, you’ll always have a healthy financial plan developed for their benefit.

Simple Ways to Make Your Home’s Energy Costs More Manageable

By

warm home fireplace

Home bills can sometimes be a bother, especially when you are low on finances. Energy expenses have been ranked as one of the critical contributors to the increasing home running costs. This is a major concern during winter when your gas prices climb. The good news is that you can take a few steps to ensure that your energy bills don’t go overboard.

Service Your HVAC System for Better Efficiency

Your HVAC system is essential for keeping your home warm, but if it’s not maintained, it can end up using more energy to perform the same amount of work. By conducting regular inspections and maintenance on your home’s HVAC system, you can end up saving up to 30% on your energy bills. Just make sure that you choose the right HVAC company to conduct your maintenance. About 68% of clients say that positive reviews they’ve read online about a business make them trust that business more.

Lower the Temperature of Your Water Heater

During the winter, your water heater is really putting the work in to heat your water. But if you’re increasing the temperature of your water heater to get the hot water out faster, you could actually end up using more energy. That said, consider lowering your water heater’s temperature to save on energy costs. It’s also important to make sure that your water heater isn’t faulty. Proper maintenance can ensure that your water heater is running efficiently and isn’t hiking up your utility costs.

Turn Your Heat Off at Night

A great way you can cut down on your home’s energy expenses is to lower your home’s temperature at night. When we sleep, our body temperature naturally decreases, which means we sleep better when the room is cool. By turning off your heat or lowering your thermostat at night, you can cut down on your home’s energy expenses while also getting better sleep. Just make sure you’re not freezing. A good duvet or comforter can help to keep you toasty so you can stay comfortable without having to rely on your heating system.

Opt for Financing for Bigger Projects

Sometimes you need a bigger home improvement project to make sure your home stays energy-efficient during the winter months. These home improvement projects may include replacing your home’s insulation or replacing the windows to keep drafts out. To make your energy bills manageable without breaking the bank (you can automatically end up in bankruptcy if you have over $250,000 in debt), make sure that you opt for financing on these bigger projects. Financing makes it easier to afford new windows, insulation, and HVAC systems to keep your home comfortable without breaking the bank.

Having an energy-efficient home can save you substantial amounts both in the short and long run. By following the tips above, you can rest assured knowing you’ll save more on your home’s energy bills.

For more tips:

10 Simple Ways to Save Money and Energy at Home

10 Ways Save Money Home

Easy 3-Ingredient Homemade Fabric Softener

By

Easy Fabric Softener

Making your own homemade fabric softener is so easy! And this recipe uses only 3 ingredients.

Why make homemade laundry products?

My son has had eczema his whole life, and has been sensitive to certain products. Plus, my mom is very sensitive to chemicals and certain scents. So they’ve had to use products that are chemical-free, scent-free and as natural as possible.

One product that’s easy to make homemade is fabric softener, and it’s a great one to make yourself because laundry detergent affects so many things that get in contact with our skin.

With this recipe, you can even omit the essential oil for a fragrance-free option.

It uses epsom salt, which acts as a fabric softener. It actually does harden water, so if you have hard water, I recommend adding 1/2 cup of distilled white vinegar to your wash, which will also help remove odors.

Homemade Fabric Softener Ingredients

INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Mix 1 cup of Epsom salt, 1/4 cup of baking soda and 10 drops essential oils into a bowl. 

2.  Whisk together until everything is well combined. 

3.  Store in an airtight container. 

TO USE:

Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of this mixture directly into the washing machine for each load of laundry.

Homemade Fabric Softener Process

TO CONVERT INTO LAUNDRY DETERGENT:

Add 1 cup of washing soda and use 1 to 2 tablespoons per load. Add 1/2 cup of distilled vinegar for odor control or if your water is very hard. 

(Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links that help support this site at no cost to you. All opinions are 100% mine.)

Trust Dryel: Your Fabrics Won’t Shrink, Stretch or Fade

By

Dryel Dryer

I have partnered with Dryel as an ambassador and am excited to share how Dryel works and how it can help you save money! I have received free products and compensation as part of this partnership.

Dresses Galore! (Yup, I’m the dress queen)

I have SO many dresses. Dresses for summer, for work, and for every other occasion. I just wore this one above to work, and then to a Hibachi restaurant for a lovely dinner date! 

So because I wear them so much, but am honestly so busy, I need a way to take care of all my delicate clothes and fabrics so they last but won’t take a lot of my time. So that means driving to the dry cleaners regularly is out!

Thankfully I have Dryel which is super easy to use and takes care of my clothes safely.

I’ve written before about Dryel, how it works and how it saves me time & money (yay!), but today I wanted to share how it also can clean most of your fabrics without shrinking, stretching or fading them!

[Read more…]

Protective Measures That Will Make Your Home Cleaner and Healthier

By

mop cleaning

Keeping the home healthy and clean is a priority for every homeowner, as is adjusting their lifestyle in line with money saving tips that will grant more financial security for the family. If you’re looking for protective measures that you can take along these lines, have a look at the five tips below.

Make a Weekly Cleaning Schedule

With chores, you may sometimes feel like you’re doing them all the time. Making a weekly cleaning schedule will help you get things in order. When you know that on a certain day or days you need to clean, you will find it easier to get into the mental space to clean up.

Prepare the equipment you need and you will be a lot more efficient because you know where everything you need is. Sanitize while you clean because some germs are able to survive on dry surfaces like toys for hours and on moist or wet surfaces like bathroom sinks for three days. A weekly cleaning schedule accompanied by proper sanitation makes sure that harmful germs and bacteria don’t get the chance to thrive and spread.

Eliminate Pests and Rodents

Pests and rodents like mice and rats not only have the potential to ruin your house and things like clothes and furniture, but they also carry terrible disease-causing bugs. Their droppings are also potentially harmful and will aggravate allergies for many people. Take the necessary measures to eliminate rodents the moment you spot them and before they reproduce because it becomes hard to get them out of your house. Traps are better to use for households with children.

Get Your Home Tested

To make sure that your home is healthy and that mold and asbestos aren’t an issue, find a local professional to carry out tests. Other things like radon are also good to eliminate. This is because scientists have estimated that it’s possible to reduce deaths from lung cancer by 2-4% when radon levels exceeding the EPA’s action level are lowered in homes. Make sure to negotiate a good rate to keep in line with money saving tips, but don’t haggle for an unreasonable rate because you and your family’s health is worth more than the money.

Fix Structural Issues

To make sure that you’re sitting on solid ground, fix any structural issues within your home. Things like plumbing, electrical, and even fixtures like doors and windows will not only look good but will also help with efficient energy use. It’s also a lot easier to clean immaculately when there are no broken and leaking systems in the house, so do the necessary repairs or hire a professional to do them. After this, you will find it easy to clean and get visible results instantly, which is something that will keep you going!

Test Alarms Throughout the Home

Your home alarm system is your best line of defense, and for this reason, it’s important to make sure it’s working as it should. Spare some time to test it throughout the house, and fix anything that’s out of place. When you know that your home is fully secured, you will have more peace of mind whether you’re in or out of the house.

On average, a hospital stay costs a little over $10,700 in America according to the HCUP. Make sure no one in your family ends up needing a hospital stay because one of your other alarms isn’t working, such as a fire alarm or a carbon monoxide detector. One of the best money saving tips is preventing rather than waiting to fix something after it goes wrong, and your family’s safety is an important thing to keep in mind.

Making sure that your home is clean and healthy does not need to be a complex task. When you plan ahead, it will be easy to get more done in a shorter time. Give these five tips a try and see your home become cleaner, healthier, and safer for the whole family.

How to Create a Gaming Room for Your Kids On a Budget

By

board game

At some point, your children outgrow their small playing areas and need a bigger space for their activities. You then need to find solutions while keeping in mind a few money saving tips. Read on to see five such tips that will help you create a gaming room that your kids will rave about for years to come.

Decide On the Main Games You Will Set the Space Up For

Different games call for different setups. Although most games will involve similar play positions, some interactive games may need more room than others. You could choose to set up the space for the most popular game at the moment if your child does not have a defined favorite in mind. A game like Minecraft, for instance, has had more than 200 million copies sold as of May 2020. You could choose this as the basis of your setup because most games in the same period will probably follow similar setups.

Include Board Games

If you have children with different tastes, they may not all enjoy gaming on screens. If there is one child who prefers board games like puzzles, Monopoly, and Scrabble, they will be happy to be included in the setup. You can organize and space out different playing sections within the designated game room.

Set Up Good Lighting and Cable Management

Good lighting is important in enabling your children to find their way around controllers that may be lying on the floor away from their rightful place and prevent eye strain from occurring. The right lighting can also potentially save you a high energy bill, such as using LED snake lights as opposed to regular overhead bulbs which consume more power. In 2019, commercial buildings consumed a total of 18% of all the energy used in the United States. With all the gadgets in a game room, you can expect a similar rate of energy consumption unless you are proactive in keeping it low.

Get Affordable Furniture

Note that affordable furniture does not have to come at the cost of comfort. Good ergonomics will go a long way in helping your children stay in the proper positions, avoiding aches and discomfort even if they sit for a long time. Try thrift shopping to see if you will find someone getting rid of good seats and tables that you can take advantage of. One of the best money saving tips, this will help you get what may be the most important thing out of the way affordably.

Find Gaming Room Decor Ideas

If you want to get a gaming room with an edge, consider searching online for inspiration. Look through different setups and find one that you feel will work for your space and budget. Then, refine it to make it fully yours. With more than 51% of people using smartphones discovering a new company or product through researching on their smartphone, you have the power to do deep research with your own two hands!

If you are looking for money saving tips that don’t involve compromising on the quality of what you get for your kids’ gaming space, spend time doing research. Join gaming forums if you can, and don’t be afraid to ask for help. Most people will be willing to guide you in areas where you need guidance because everyone was a novice at some point. Taking the time to research will save you time and money in the long run, and it’ll allow you to set up a space your kids love!