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Frugal Furniture Made from Books

I just came across a cool article about tables make from books. I have always wondered about ways to make something out of nothing. I have explored furniture made from pizza and delivery boxes but somehow it never looked sturdy or sanitary. They do serve as good supports for temporary bookshelves though. I’ve looked at furniture made from plastic or wood crates as well too, but it’s just appeal to anyone over 21. (You can use them as the base of a bed though without anyone ever knowing they are under there. Just make a platform out of the plastic … Continue reading →

Three Home Businesses that Can Get You Out of Debt

To speed up your debt recover, consider starting a home business. It can help you earn extra income that can be applied directly to paying off your debt. Best of all? Most home businesses can be done at home, on your terms, and take as much time as you want to spend. This makes home businesses ideal for retirees, stay at home moms, stay at home dads, and even students. In fact, any one can start a home business to get out of debt. When selecting a home business to pursue for the goal of getting out of debt, it … Continue reading →

Raising Kids On a Budget

Money is always a concern, even more so when you are a single parent. Kids need lots of stuff. They start off so small but quickly seem to take up so much space and need so many things. Some things you should not scrimp on, car seats, cribs, things that are important for your child’s safety. There are plenty of other areas to save money. Let’s start with clothes. Babies and toddlers in particular grow so quickly, clothing is usually outgrown long before it is outworn. Take all the hand me downs that are offered. They won’t all be to … Continue reading →

Getting Artwork for Pennies

Did you know that your local thrift store can supply you with high quality art? Yes, I know what you are thinking, all of those paint by number paintings or water damaged prints are not your idea of good art. But that isn’t what I am talking about at all. Here is how to get some real treasures at your local thrift store. First of all, go right past the art section without passing go. Okay, you can peak at it if you like, but you will probably be disappointed. Instead, go to the book area. Pull out any books … Continue reading →

The Reality of Homemaking

This month, I’m substituting in the Home category here at Families.com. As I sit here in my living room, I have to laugh. Me? Blog about the home? Let me draw you a picture. My computer desk is completely trashed—papers, pens, receipts, and books are piled everywhere. Behind me, the couch is stacked with clean laundry. Toys are scattered all across the floor. I’m not sure if the carpet needs to be vacuumed – I can’t see it. The dishes are done, but only courtesy of my husband. If he hadn’t done them, they’d be up to the ceiling. Yes, … Continue reading →

Testing the Yard Sale Merchandise

On Sunday, I had a double blessing. It was both Mother’s Day and my birthday. My wonderful husband made reservations at a nicer restaurant for all of us, and I was pretty excited. After church, we had a little time before our seating, so we stopped by a local yard sale that was held over from the day before. As you can imagine, the sale was pretty abandoned and picked over, but my father, who was with us, found a few treasures. There was a large stock pot that I admired. Something that large would allow me to do a … Continue reading →

Closing Sales Aren’t Always What They Seem

I am in the market for new dining chairs. My old kitchen chairs were scratching the floor, so I moved my dining chairs into the kitchen and my teak kitchen chairs onto the deck. This left me looking for new dining chairs. In my travels today, I came across a discount furniture store that said it was having a closing sale, and I went inside. We saw some great items we wanted, and the sales person tried to get us to buy today because it is a closing sale, after all. In my typical frugal fashion, I was not in … Continue reading →

Bad, Bad Particleboard

According to National Geographic’s Gree Guide, “Pressed woods—particleboard, medium-density fiberboard and some plywood—contain, and release, vapors of formaldehyde, a volatile organic compound (VOC) classified by the EPA as a probable human carcinogen.” Ouch. Considering that many furniture items in our home have at least some particle board, medium density fiberboard (MDF) or plywood, I am concerned, both for the environment and for the health of my family. But what can you do if you are concerned about particleboard. After all, particleboard is inexpensive and easy to use. Few of us can afford higher end furniture, such as all solid wood … Continue reading →

Evaluating Quality in Used Items

Not only can you save money by buying used items, but you can often get a better quality product that when you buy something new. There are two reasons for this, and I’ll give you the details below. Buying used items may be hard to do at first because of any misallocations you might have about getting things second hand. So if you need to, start small, with bright items that are easy to clean, or items that are easy to consider used, such as books or DVDs. You’ll soon see that there is plenty of good quality merchandise to … Continue reading →

Keeping Things Out of the Landfill

Did you know that our landfills are filling up at an alarming rate? In fact, in the United States alone, in any given day, at least two landfills close when they become filled. This is a serious problem. Here are some easy ways to reduce the amount of things that your household contributes to the landfill. Get Used Instead of buying something that is brand new, why not explore the benefits of getting a used item? Not only will you be keeping that item out of the landfill and reducing greenhouse gases that might have been made during the manufacturing … Continue reading →