If you’re hanging a shelf and don’t have a level handy, there’s a really simple DIY trick to get it right.

Brace the shelf against the wall a couple of inches below where you want it. Take a measuring cup, fill it to the halfway point with water and set it on the middle of the shelf. When the water is level with ...Read More

Posted in Do It Yourself 1 Comment »

ZakkaLife has a great, simple suggestion for organizing a notebook you carry around to jot ideas in. This got me thinking.

Different brains have different working styles, so what appeals to one person’s sense of organization may not appeal to another. Here are some things I’ve tried over the years that may work for you:

Tabs. I’ve used a system like the ...Read More

Posted in Do It Yourself, Organization 1 Comment »

I decided to do my taxes on Sunday. I thought it would take two hours because even though I have a schedule C and some 1099-Divs, TurboTax has always made it fairly easy in the past.

This year, I tried TurboTax online rather than downloading the software. You set up an account, do your return online, and pay when you’re satisfied ...Read More

Posted in Do It Yourself, Frugal 3 Comments »

Leases are one of the few types of contracts that are pretty one-sided. If you violate their terms, you can be evicted. But if your landlord breaks the terms, you may need a lawyer to help you. Landlords are more likely than tenants to have the money to enforce the lease, so it’s really not a fair system.

That said, if ...Read More

Posted in Do It Yourself, Scam Notices No Comments »

Those of you who like to make stuffed toys for babies will appreciate this tip from our reader, Janie:

When making toys for babies and using stuffing of any sort, get cheapie knee hi hose that you can get in all sorts of colors and put the stuffing inside.  It will help to contain the the stuffing ...Read More

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I prefer reporting about products I’ve found that really do me some good or save some money or something nice. But when I find a product that just doesn’t seem to be worth buying, I feel I should share that too so you can benefit from my experience. Of course, as with products I’m comfortable recommending, the fact that something ...Read More

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Those clever littler personal organizers with the neat-o pages of all sorts are expensive. Especially when you go to buy refills and realize how much the whole package costs per year.

Some lovely people have created an alternative. It’s a collection of free DIY planner pages you can print yourself, and they’re gorgeous. There are several different styles to mix and ...Read More

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The holidays are over, and now you’re left with a ton of junk to clean up, and very probably some debt. Once you’ve repurposed and recycled all the gift wrap and boxes, you might decide it’s time to have a garage sale, and turn some of the stuff you haven’t even touched in a while into cash.

TipNut has the ultimate ...Read More

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I never thought of making a wallet out of a cassette tape before, but what a way to re-purpose old cassette tapes! This could be a very cool party favor/stocking stuffer kind of gift, too.

You take an old cassette tape you don’t want anymore, get some glue, a zipper and some fabric, and make a little wallet like the one ...Read More

Posted in Crafts, Do It Yourself No Comments »

Christmas is just around the corner, for those of you who celebrate it, and we have DIY ornament crafts, instructions for making gifts, recipes and tips for getting the most out of your holiday season before it gets the better of you.

DIY Decor & Gifts

Since Christmas ornaments make good gifts and stocking stuffers, I’ve lumped all the links to ornaments ...Read More

Posted in Crafts, Do It Yourself, Easy Food, Frugal, Personal Development No Comments »