Surprise costs, hidden problems remodeling our 100-year-old home

My husband and I bought our Grand Haven, Michigan, home in 2000. We hoped to save money buying a 100-year-old fixer-upper for just $52,000. Newer homes that needed less work were selling for about two to three times what we paid for ours. We've had to make do with a lot of inconveniences that would cost us far more than we saved in purchase price to properly fix. Even fixing our home on a shoestring has cost us nearly as much as we saved -- around $49,000. Here are some of our costlier old-home-buying surprises.  read more

8 DIY Automotive Maintenance Tricks that Save Us Big Money

8 DIY Automotive Maintenance Tricks that Save Us Big Money Did you know that you can save yourself hundreds, even thousands of dollars on DIY auto repairs each year? By learning and practicing a few routine maintenance tips, we have saved money not only on repairs, but also purchasing inexpensive used vehicles. Maintenance saves on gas costs, too. The biggest reason most people buy new vehicles is because they need the warranty or they lack the skills to perform their own maintenance. Those skills aren't difficult to learn. Read more...

The Complete Home-owners Guide to Recycle, Reuse, Reduce, Repair, Re-Sell and Remove

Recycle, Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Re-Sell, Remove
Eco-friendly ways to clean your home, purge your things and help the environments. Green tips for complete household purge and clean-up
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Green Home Maintenance

25 Green Home Maintenance Tips; Live Green, Save Green
Checklist for green home maintenance. Go green just in time for winter white. Drastically reduce utility bills. Reduce heat loss. Green homes are healthy homes! Green homes are well-maintained homes!
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Green=Recycle,reduce,reuse,repair,resell

Recycle, Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Re-Sell, Remove
Green living starts with simple living. Do you bit for the earth with these tips for a complete household purging. Organize your stuff. Declutter your life.
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