Stay on top of your home’s regular maintenance, and you’ll have fewer costly repairs to make. Here’s a seasonal home maintenance checklist to help you stay on top of everything that needs to be done.
I found this vintage metal loveseat at a yard sale last summer for $20, but it sure didn’t look like this when I got it.
Take care of your wood cutting boards and someday they’ll be heirlooms. It only takes a few minutes each month to keep them in tip top condition.
Last week our upstairs HVAC unit stopped working. My husband climbed up into the attic to troubleshoot, and quickly determined that we had a clogged condensate drain line.
If you drive a high-mileage vehicle, your headlights probably aren’t as clear as they used to be. All of that exposure to sunlight is tough on plastic, and over time it causes headlights to become foggy and yellowed. That doesn’t look very nice, and it isn’t very safe either. Foggy headlights don’t give off as much light as they should, and that really hurts your ability to see – and be seen – at night. In fact, Consumer Reports did a study, and found that foggy headlights can cut your visibility by as much as 80%. Yikes!
Fortunately, cleaning your headlights, can remove that foggy haze in a matter of minutes. My husband cleaned the headlights on our Jeep yesterday, and I documented the process, so you could see what was involved. Check it out.
A year and a half ago, we bought a little Jeep Liberty. It has over 200k miles on it and a peeling clear coat, but it’s perfect for us. It’s nimble; has a good towing capacity; and does just as well on road as off. What isn’t perfect, however, is the angle of the windshield. In the short time that we’ve owned our Jeep, we’ve chipped or cracked the windshield three times.
We had to replace the windshield last fall, after a black walnut hit it and left us with a big running crack. Then, last week while we were headed to our cabin, a rock flew up and chipped that new windshield. Argh! I crossed my fingers that it wouldn’t run before we got home, so we could just repair it, and luck was on our side this time.
Instead of hiring a glass repair company to fill the chip, we decided to save some money and do it ourselves. This was new territory for us, but at $10 for a DIY repair kit, vs. $99.95 for someone else to fix it, we were up for the challenge.
My husband picked up a Rain-X Windshield Repair Kit, which had everything needed to do the job.
In fact, it came with enough resin and curing strips for several repairs. Apparently it was made with Jeep Liberties in mind.
And here’s the chip that we were up against. It was just a small, dime-size chip located in the top of the windshield on the driver’s side. That box in the corner of the photo is a close up of the damage.
My husband read through the instructions that came with the kit, and followed them to tee. If you’re thinking about tackling this project yourself, here’s what’s involved.
Earlier today, while headed back from thrift shopping, our Jeep hit 200,000 miles. So, naturally, we did what any frugal person would do: we pulled over and snapped a picture of our odometer. Because hitting the 200k mark is cause for celebration. It might even be something to brag about. Forget about fancy cars and car payments; driving a car until the wheels fall off – that’s much more impressive.
In the past month, I’ve redyed fleece, towels and now jeans. Yep, it’s fair to say I’m on a bit of a redying kick. It’s just such a cheap and easy update; I can’t help myself.
I’m a big believer in buying well-made shoes. They’re more comfortable; they’re better for your feet; and they usually last longer, too. But even a good pair of shoes wears out eventually. So, what then? Most people would say you just toss them out and buy another pair. A few people might suggest taking them to a cobbler for a repair. But, I’ve discovered a third option that’s a heck of a lot cheaper: repairing them yourself.
When we got married, I registered for white towels. Bad call on my part. I know a lot of people swear by white linens because they can be bleached, but I don’t like to use a lot of chemicals, and I’m not a fan of making extra work for myself.
So those white towels, they got dingy, and then they got shoved in the back of the linen closet.
Now, we use chocolate brown towels, and that’s a much better fit for our lifestyle and my tastes.
But every time I opened the linen closet, I’d see those towels, and think it was such a waste that they weren’t getting used.
Well, I’m happy to say I’ve solved that problem.
In the 11 years that my husband and I have been homeowners, we’ve had:
Washing machine hoses. You probably bought a set when you bought your washing machine, installed them, and then forgot about them. Am I right? If so, you’re taking a major risk. Because washer hoses, they wear out.
Stand there and watch the next time your washing machine fills up, and you’ll see just how much pressure those hoses are under. It’s crazy!
And if your washing machine hoses are over five years old, you’re really flirting with disaster. Because if one of those hoses fails, guess where all of that water is going to go. Yep. Right into your house. That’s bad if your washer is in the basement, and really bad if your washer is located on another level of your home.
Because, let’s be clear on this point: If a hose fails, it will continue to pour water into your home, until you catch the problem and manually shut off the valve. There is nothing to stop it. No fail safe to save the day.
Just imagine how much damage could occur if a hose were to fail while you were at work or worse while you were on vacation. We’re talking catastrophic flooding. We’re talking call your insurance agent, pay your deductible and hire a construction crew to come tear out damaged dry wall and flooring. It is not a good way to spend your time or your money.
So, pay more attention to that washer hose. Replace it if it looks worn; and swap it out every five years, even if it looks fine. It’ll cost you $20 tops, and it could help you avoid thousands of dollars in damages.
According to the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety, the average washing machine failure costs $5,308 after deductible
Suddenly inspired to replace your washer hose? Here’s how it’s done.
I invested in a label maker last week, and I’ve been finding lots of great uses for it. Our latest project? Labeling all of the water shut-off valves in the basement.
Done with your mower until next spring? Before you put it away, set aside an hour to winterize your lawn mower, so it starts right up next year. Here’s how it’s done:
Refrigerators are expensive and a major pain to move, so take care of the one you have. Just vacuuming your refrigerator coils regularly will greatly extend the life of your fridge, and it’s a task that you can knock out in 15 minutes or less.
Not sure how it’s done? Here’s a walk-through:
If you come across something that you’ve been looking for at a yard sale, but it has a broken or missing piece, you can often order a replacement part from the manufacturer for a reasonable price. Here’s where to go to get what you need:
Have a hole in one of your window screens? Keep the bugs out with a simple patch job. Here’s how:
Two summers of intense hail storms left our window screens in bad shape, so we’ve been working on replacing them this week. Need to replace some of yours, too? Here’s how it’s done:
A well-made wooden spoon is a joy to cook with. I have my great grandmother’s wooden spoon, a couple hand-carved spoons that I bought from a local craftswoman and a couple more oldies that I picked up at estate sales. I love them all. The weight of them. The way they fit my hand. Their beautiful shape. Their wood grain. Using them just makes me happy.
I want them to last a long time – long enough for me to pass them on to my daughters, so I take care of them. I seasoned each of one when I got it, and I re-season them regularly. It only takes a few minutes, and it’s well worth the effort.
Feel the same way about your wooden spoons? Here’s how to season them:
Leaky garden hoses are an easy fix. Once you learn how to repair your own, you may just find yourself rescuing hoses from curb piles, like I do.
Hi, I'm Erin
Take a tour of my frugal home, and find new tips to put to work in your frugal home.
Visit the Forum
Join us over on the forum to discuss money-saving ideas and participate in monthly challenges.
