When you think of the basics of a civilized family existence, a decent home is foundational. Doesn’t grace at your table frequently end with thanks for “the roof over our heads”? But not all home repair jobs are equally vital. The roof? Yes, you need a good roof. But, if you’re facing financial difficulties, a [...]
Archive for the ‘House & Home’ Category
Three Urgent Home Repair Jobs, and Three You Can Skip (or at Least Delay)
Filed under: Frugality, House & Home, Saving & Investing
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Living in a Small Space Can Pay Big Dividends
When we got married, our first apartment was a very tight fit. It was a small, one-bedroom apartment with an awkward layout. Our living room had to be creatively arranged to accommodate a small couch, a television, and a chair for any guests that might drop by. There were also no locks on any of [...]
Filed under: Debt Reduction, Frugality, House & Home, Saving & Investing
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Saving Money When Buying a Washer and Dryer
My husband and I bought a washer and dryer a little over a week ago. We knew that we’d eventually have to make the purchase, as we’ve been making do with a set that we bought awhile ago on Craigslist for $150. This time around, we followed our own advice on making big purchases and [...]
Filed under: House & Home
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Home Improvement: DIY and Save Money
Being new home owners means we’re facing a number of new expenses. These include HOA fees, property taxes, and of course mortgage payments. In addition, we’ve been working on some home improvement projects that have the potential to be an additional drain on our budget.
This is all part of the process of making a house [...]
Filed under: House & Home
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More Thoughts on Paying Off Your Mortgage Early
About a month ago, we had a pretty lively discussion about whether or not you should pay off your mortgage early. A number of readers made great points on both sides of the debate. Since that time, I put together some thoughts on how to pay off your mortgage early for those that are interested [...]
Filed under: Debt Reduction, House & Home, Mortgages, Real Estate
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Gardening for Health, Wealth, and Independence
“How fair is a garden amid the toils and passions of existence.”
-Benjamin Disraeli
In recent years, the adoption of an independent and sustainable lifestyle has become increasingly attractive to a growing number of people. I am one of the many who seek such a lifestyle and, though I am far from reaching this goal, my journey [...]
Filed under: Frugality, House & Home
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Save Money (and Water!) With a Rain Barrel
Installing a rain barrel is an excellent way to reduce runoff, keep storm water out of the municipal system, and save money. Pure rain collected from your rooftop has relatively few contaminants, and is perfect for a variety of outdoor uses.
The idea of harnessing rainwater has intrigued me for years now, but I’ve never gotten [...]
Filed under: Frugality, House & Home
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How to Pay Off Your Mortgage Early
Should you payoff your mortgage early? I asked that question a couple of weeks ago, and the majority of respondents said “yes.” With that in mind, I thought I’d put together a list of strategies for doing just that…
Refinance your mortgage to a shorter term
If you refinance your mortgage to a shorter term, say from [...]
Filed under: Debt Reduction, House & Home, Mortgages
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Hurricane Preparation and Survival Tips
This morning I wrote about the high cost of hurricane insurance. Since today is the first day of hurricane season, I thought I’d follow that up with a list of tips from the National Hurricane Center on preparing for and surviving a hurricane.
While some of these tips are hurricane specific, others make good sense in [...]
Filed under: House & Home, Insurance, Planning
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Hurricane Insurance: Do You Need It? Are You Covered Already?
The 2009 hurricane season officially starts today. As such, I thought I’d talk a bit about hurricane insurance. Unfortunately, according to recent reports, hurricane insurance rates are on the rise. Beyond increased premiums, issuers have been increasing deductibles and, in some cases, dropping policy holders in high risk areas.
These changes have been driven by a [...]
Filed under: House & Home, Insurance
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