This year, many of us at Cyberhomes have resolved to tackle both major and little fixes on our homes this year. I'm planning to paint and decorate a new bedroom for my daughters (I've bought the paint, but haven't gotten started yet), while others of us here at Cyberhomes are hoping to renovate a bathroom, tackle some gardening and spruce up a garage.
Perhaps I should have read Marcia Layton Turner's "Home Improvement, On the Cheap" article in Good Reading before buying that paint. In the article, she details ways to save money on materials for your next home improvement project. Some suggestions for places to go to save money are things you'd might expect, like Craigslist.org -- where you can purchase vintage or lightly used lighting fixtures and other items for you home -- or Freecyle.org, where Turner says she's seen even a porcelain sink and ceramic tiles offered up for free. She also details a way to get a gallon for paint for less -- and it's not by waiting for the next sale at the local home improvement shop, like I did. Maybe I'll take a look at Freecycle and Craiglist before shopping for those twin beds I hope to purchase. I'd be great to save a few extra dollars!
For more tips on how to save on your next home fix-it project, read Turner's story.—Lauren Baier Kim