Here are four tips to lower your kitchen remodel budget.

Refresh Rather Than Replace the Cabinets

In general, all tear-out-and-replace projects are more expensive than projects that keep most of the materials. Kitchen cabinetry is a prime example of this. New kitchen cabinets can be very expensive, especially if you need custom-made pieces to fit your space. Fortunately, there are ways to refresh your existing cabinets that are both eco-friendly (because the old cabinets won’t end up in a dumpster) and cost-effective.

• Painting: Painting kitchen cabinets is a classic method of updating them. The process of sanding, priming, and painting can be time-consuming depending on how many cabinets you have. But it’s simple enough that beginners can achieve good results.
• Refacing: More expensive than painting, refacing adds a new veneer to the outside of the cabinet boxes and entirely replaces doors and drawer fronts. This is difficult to do yourself, as it requires tools and expertise that most DIYers don’t have. But it’s still cheaper than getting all new cabinets, and it will completely change your kitchen’s look.
• Hardware: In addition to the cabinet finish, consider updating the hardware. Sometimes modern knobs and handles are all it takes to make existing cabinets feel brand new.
• Shelving: Instead of purchasing new cabinets or refinishing your old ones, consider installing some open shelving. Shelves are inexpensive, and you can easily match them to your kitchen’s style, resulting in an airy feel almost like that of a commercial kitchen.

If you do need to replace cabinets, look for ready-to-assemble options. It’s typically not that difficult to assemble the pieces yourself, so you won’t have to pay for labor costs. But getting the right fit for your kitchen can be a challenge, especially if you have odd angles.

Refurbish the Appliances

In the past, many appliances were sent to the landfill during the course of a kitchen remodel. Thankfully, that antiquated thinking is on its way out, as municipalities have enacted restrictions against sending appliances directly to landfills.

Now, information about fixing kitchen appliances is readily available. And there’s a thriving online service parts marketplace. This makes it possible for many homeowners to refurbish their own appliances, rather than paying for a professional or spending money on something new.

Some appliances you can fix yourself include:

• Dishwasher
• Refrigerator
• Microwave
• Water heater
• Water softener
• Garbage disposal

Of course, the ability to repair an appliance depends on your skill level and whatever’s causing it not to function like new. But it’s often worth an attempt to DIY before you shell out more money.

Keep the Same Kitchen Layout

Dramatically changing the kitchen layout is one sure way to drive up the remodeling budget. For instance, moving plumbing for the sink, dishwasher, or refrigerator entails hiring plumbers. They’ll have to punch holes in your walls to run new pipes, which means an added cost of materials in addition to the labor.

On the other hand, keeping your kitchen layout essentially the same while updating the elements within that framework is incredibly cost-effective. You generally won’t have to add any new plumbing or electrical. You also can keep your existing flooring if you wish. (Flooring often doesn’t run under cabinets, so if you change the layout, you’ll have to deal with gaps in the flooring.) And you still can achieve a whole new look and feel in the space.

Furthermore, galley-style or corridor kitchens often have such limited space that footprint changes aren’t possible unless you want to spend a lot of money on major alterations to the home’s structure. One-wall kitchen layouts allow for a little more flexibility because they have an open side. In this case, adding a kitchen island is a great way to gain more prep space and storage without expensive layout changes.

Do Some Work Yourself

Do-it-yourself home remodeling projects allow you to pay for the materials while bringing labor costs down to zero. Some remodeling projects that require beginner to intermediate expertise from DIYers include:

• Interior painting
• Tiling
• Flooring installation
• Changing outlets and lights
• Hanging drywall
• Installing baseboards and other trim

Local hardware stores and community colleges often have how-to classes and demonstrations for common home projects. Plus, hardware store employees are usually available to offer advice on products and projects. Even better, these educational resources are often free of charge.

However, in addition to cost, an important factor to consider when deciding between DIY and hiring a professional is time. While a tight timetable typically means hiring a team of professionals, if you have the luxury of time to complete your kitchen remodel, you can do much of the work yourself.

Cover the floor with carpets

When it comes to thermal insulation, carpets are on par with fiberglass and ten times better than the floor itself. Because they trap the heat within, they can lower energy expenditures and thereby greenhouse gas emissions. It is preferable if a room can be carpeted from wall to wall in order to minimize the loss. Not only that, but fluffy rugs keep you and your feet warm, preventing you from turning up the thermostat.

Put aluminum foil behind the radiators

Heat can easily be lost via external walls when radiators are mounted to them. Applying aluminum foil behind the radiators to push the heat back into your room is one innovative approach to combat this. You can only utilize the foil you already have in your kitchen if it is of excellent quality. If not, a foil manufactured specifically for this purpose can be purchased for under $10

Wrap your pipes to prevent them from freezing

Pipe sleeves, heat tape, and heat cables are some of the materials you can use to protect your pipes from breaking. And that’s a pretty normal thing to happen if the temperatures reach very low levels. We realize that this might be a bit too much for your budget, so in that case, you can do something else. Wrapping your pipes with something as simple as newspapers can prevent them from bursting.

Put plastic bubble wrap on the windows

Windows are indeed one of the biggest sources of heat loss and bubble wrap can easily put a stop to that. On a single-pane window, it can reduce heat loss up to 50%, and on a double-pane window up to 20%. All you need to apply your bubble wrap is a pair of scissors and a spray mister to stick the wrap on the window. It’s recommended that you buy wrap with larger bubbles since they will allow more light to get in your house.

 Adjust the ceiling fans so they spin clockwise

It is vital that you change the rotation of your ceiling fans from counterclockwise to clockwise during the cold months of the year. This will allow them to send the warmth trapped at the top back to you at the lower levels. This slight change can save you up to 10% in heating costs since your main heating will be working less. Let it be noted that you should turn the fan off if a room is unoccupied to save up energy.

Install shelves above your radiators

If you have very tall ceilings or your radiator is placed under a window, a shelf will redirect the heat to your advantage. Instead of the heat going to the top of your ceiling, it will be hitting the shelf and changing direction. In the case where your radiator is below a window with long curtains, heat is usually trapped between the window and the curtains. However, if you install a small shelf you will manage to keep heat from being lost through the window.

Install a door sweep

Sometimes we don’t realize how much heat is exiting our home through the bottom of the door. A door sweep is like a thin, long broom that you will need to install at the inside of your door. It is very cheap and easy to install and you can cut it based on the length of your door. You will only need 4-5 screws to nail to place and it will keep that cold breeze outside where it belongs.

Americans spend around $2,000 on energy bills per household on a yearly basis. This huge amount of money can easily decrease by making small changes. For example, by investing in a “smart” thermostat, you can save up to $100. Something even simpler, like replacing all light bulbs with LED bulbs, can cut $50 from your electricity bill.

Use dryer balls when putting your clothes in the dryer

Compared to other home appliances, a dryer spends the biggest amount of energy. That’s why some people tend to air dry their clothes. However, if that’s not possible with you, you can simply add a wool or rubber dryer ball with your clothes. These simple things have the ability to separate your clothes and give them some air to dry faster.

The wool balls especially can absorb some moisture which helps the whole drying process finish faster. Another pro is that dryer balls reduce static, which means that you won’t need to change your dryer sheets as often.

Cook with the lid on

A nice habit that you can pick up while cooking is to simply put lids on your pots and pans. This way, you can set a lower temperature and decrease cooking time. This happens because you don’t allow the steam and heat to leave the pan and therefore your food is ready in less time.

What you will also decrease by following this habit is the energy you consume by up to 66%. Another helpful tip is to match the burner with the pot size so that no heat is escaping from the sides. Using unmatched burners and pots will result in up to 40% energy loss.

Increase the temperature in both your fridge and freezer

Many people believe that the lowest the temperature, the best it is for preserving your food. However, your fridge doesn’t have to be set lower than 38°F (3°C) and your freezer will operate just fine at 5°F (-15°C). It has been suggested that if you set them at least 10 degrees lower than that, you will spend up to 25% more energy.

If your frozen goods look like they are melting after you’ve increased the temperature, you might need to call for a professional. Another helpful tip to help your devices operate at their maximum efficiency is to keep them at least 3 inches from the wall. This way the air will have enough space to circulate.

Use an electric kettle to boil water instead of the microwave

It’s early in the morning and you only need a cup of tea and you have both the microwave and the kettle near you. According to a researcher, you should go for the electric kettle since it will do the job much faster and using less energy. As he found, a microwave loses 50% of its energy while converting electricity into microwaves. On the other hand, a kettle is very well insulated and loses only 20% of the total energy it uses.

Turn your blinds off to save up on air conditioning costs

Around 30% of a house’s heat is escaping through the windows during wintertime. And almost 76% of the sunlight that hits our windows enters our homes and turns into unbearable heat. Now, blinds might not be able to control the loss of heat in the winter, but they are very capable of keeping our interiors protected from the sun’s powerful rays.

More specifically, highly reflective blinds can shield the interiors from extreme heat. Especially the horizontal ones can reflect the heat on a light-colored ceiling, which will then diffuse the warmth.

Clean your dryer’s lint trap

Letting your dryer operate with its lint trap full of dirt, will only result in it being less efficient at its job. The dirt forces the device to work harder, taking up more energy and time to dry clothes. Depending on how dirty the lint trap is, the dryer could be spending up to 75% more energy than it normally would. That’s because the dirt doesn’t allow the air to circulate properly, forcing it to work extra hard.

The first thing you need to do often removes the lint trap and clean it. If you are still noticing issues with your dryer’s performance, you might need to check the exterior vent. If no steam is coming out while the dryer is working, then you probably need to do some cleaning there too.

Plug all your electronics in power strips

Not everyone realizes that our electronic devices still consume energy even when we have turned them off or put them to sleep mode. That’s why plugging everything in a power strip will give you the ability to completely disable them when you are not using them. Remember that you have to push the on/off button when you want to disable them. If you don’t, then your devices will keep on consuming energy.

Keep the oven door closed when broiling

Back in the day, ovens didn’t have any air circulation system and that’s why cooks used to leave it open a tiny bit to prevent a fire breaking out. However, modern ovens have great air circulation and systems that can prevent overheating. Also, most ovens don’t allow you to keep the door open unless you are holding it. This means that they are telling you in their own way that you need to keep the door shut.

The biggest drawback of keeping the oven door open is that you lose about 50% of the heat. This means that you will need to cook your food for double the time and therefore spend double the energy.

Switch to a low-flow shower head

The average showerhead uses around 2.5 gallons (9.5 liters) of water per minute. However, you can easily switch to a 1.7 gallon per minute (6.6 liters) showerhead. This change will save more than 11,000 gallons (42,000 liters) of water and 1.180 kWh of energy per year. You will also notice a huge difference in your water bill, which can vary based on where you live.

By Manasa Reddigari

All Sorted

Is your jam-packed kitchen cabinet just one pot or pan away from a cookware avalanche? Arrange bargain paper sorters on your shelves to instantly curb cabinet chaos. Situated horizontally or vertically, these racks can wrangle cookware, cutting boards, and even recipe books!

Hanging Out

If your cleaning supplies are running amok in the kitchen cabinet under the sink, rise to the occasion with this crafty sink storage solution. Hang bottles of household products from a tension rod installed inside the cabinet, thereby freeing up the floor of the cabinet for sponges and other cleaning companions.

Flip Your Lid

It takes just minutes and a few jar lids to create these oh-so-sweet storage cavities for loose toothbrushes. After cutting a notch into the lids and spray painting them, adhere them to the wall with Velcro for an off-the-wall storage solution.

Totally Tubular

If your current shoe storage solution is all tied up in knots, gather cardboard shipping boxes and try this zero-dollar geometric shoe rack on for size. Fold flattened boxes into triangular tubes, then stack and glue them into alternating rows to give your sandals and sneakers a luxury footrest.

A Crate Start

This durable wine crate shelf takes an elevated approach to countertop clutter. To achieve a similar look, thoroughly clean a wooden crate, stain it as desired, and mount the bottom of the crate on the wall, over a microwave, or under a cabinet to serve up stylish storage.

Out of the Woods

The ruggedness and rustic charm of this DIY hanging pot rack make it the perfect addition to a farmhouse-style kitchen. Traipse through your own backyard to look for branches of birch or other durable woods. If you find a long, sturdy one, hang it above the stove to stay organized and connected to nature at the same time.

Take Charge of Cords

Don’t discard that old shoebox; it’s more powerful than you think! Cut large holes in the back of the shoebox and smaller holes in the front to accommodate bookplates. After you apply a coat of paint in an energizing color, stash a power strip inside your DIY charging station to combat cord chaos.

New Keys on the Block

Round up lost keys with this playful key ring holder and note board in one. After affixing a Lego baseplate to a wall, thread several small Lego plates that have holes in them onto key rings, and attach them to the baseplate. Add additional Legos to form words, or a hinged piece to hold everyday reminders.

Reinvent the Wheel

When your little ones are done taking a whirl on the half-pipe, repurpose their sports gear into this skateboard shelf by screwing L-brackets to the wall and resting a skateboard on top. When the shelf isn’t supporting toys and trinkets, lift it from the L-brackets to take it for a ride!

Stepped-Up Storage

Upcycle an old ladder and harness its vintage appeal with this DIY laundry shelf. Screw wood planks to the underside of the ladder rail and attach wooden dowels to the rails to make a hanger rung. Drill the angled rail flush against the wall, and you’re ready to stash towels, wicker baskets, and more!

Below the Belt

Inspired by the work of Dutch painter Evert Collier, this clever craft repurposes old garment belts into a modern memo board. It’s assembled simply, using two wood planks strung horizontally with belts. Mount the plank to the wall with picture-hanging hardware to keep your photos, notes, and reminders within easy reach.

Take It From Your Tool Kit

This homemade coat rack pays homage to one of the most essential tools of the DIYer’s trade: the humble screwdriver. After dip-dyeing the handles of clean screwdrivers, drill holes into an oak table leg and insert the tools into the holes. Affix the coat rack to the wall to leave your wet winter gear high and dry.

Expensive Taste

Thirsty for an affordable DIY project? Upcycle your coffee cans into this color-blocked wine rack. Spray-paint the inside of label-free cans in a vivid hue, and the outside in white for a two-tone finish. Arrange and glue the cans in stacked rows for a wine stash that makes a splash!

Cold Case

Instead of giving your old ice cube trays the cold shoulder in the kitchen, put them to work in the bedroom or garage. When housed in drawers or cabinets, an ice cube tray offers fingertip access to bracelets and necklaces or DIY must-haves like nails and screws.

Making Broom

With a bit of ingenuity, you can repurpose a dusty old broom head into a crafty supply holder—without harming a bristle on its head!

Putting a dent in your home improvement to-do list can often put an even bigger dent in your wallet. But these humble DIY projects reduce, reuse, and reimagine what’s already under your roof to yield big results—and even bigger savings.

Homeowner Hacks

It’s no secret that owning a house comes with a lot of responsibilities—and costs. Even when you budget for certain repairs or tune-ups, there are plenty of other times when unexpected hiccups occur. That’s why it’s always useful to have a few home maintenance hacks in your back pocket. From the garden to the garage, these tips and tricks help you save money while still keeping an orderly home.

Sponge Split

Sponges soak up everything in their path, including the funds required for frequent replacement. Fortunately for the budget-conscious, half a sponge packs as much grime-fighting ability as a whole sponge. So, you can get twice the utility out of one sponge by cutting it into two pieces.

Hosed Down

Just as hosiery brings polish to an outfit, it can add luster to surfaces around the house. Slip old, outworn tights or pantyhose onto your hand like a glove, and then buff dusty lamps, dingy furniture, and other accessories to achieve polished perfection—no commercial cleaners required!

Stay Afloat

Unless you own a dual-flush toilet, you’re probably dumping way too much water down the drain with each flush, which in turn raises your water bill. Flush smarter by adding a brick or full plastic water bottle to the toilet tank. The extra bulk will raise the tank’s float arm faster, which means you’ll need less water to fill the tank.

The Razor’s Edge

Before you dispose of disposable razors, try sharpening them with an adaptable accessory already in your wardrobe: a leather belt. The particulate grit on the underside of a belt acts as a strop, refining the dull edges of the blade until it is as sharp as ever and ready for many more shaves.

Cleaner Coils

Grit and gunk that collect on your refrigerator’s condenser coils can put the hardworking appliance into overdrive—and this can lead to sky-high energy bills. Using a vacuum cleaner with a crevice-friendly attachment, banish unsightly accumulations from the coils for improved energy efficiency.

Running on Empty

Don’t cry over spilled milk! Instead, put that empty container to good use. Empty milk containers or other large bottles placed in a half-full fridge can help increase cold air circulation and reduce your electric bill. Those frosty empty jugs keep the surrounding items cold, maintaining a low average fridge temperature—and a lower utility bill.

Mesh Well

The flexible mesh bags that commonly house store-bought onions and potatoes can be given a second life in the kitchen as pot scrubbers. Start by cutting and folding the bag into the desired dimensions, then use a yarn needle to stitch the edges closed with rug yarn. That’s it! You’re ready to take your new scrubber to the sink and start cutting through grease!

Clean Sheet

Single-use commercial dryer sheets can make laundry day more luxurious and fresher scented, but who needs them when you can make your own! To create an all-natural equivalent, dip clean, cut-up rags into a solution of vinegar and essential oils. The sheets can be stored in an airtight container until needed and then reused for countless spin cycles.

Recycled Regimen

If you’re down to the last few shards of that bar of soap, don’t replace it. Instead, reconstitute the soap slivers into a like-new beauty bar! Start by melting the soap scraps over the stove. Then, pour the mixture into soap bar molds, letting the bars dry before you lather up.

Stylish Stowaways

In lieu of buying expensive organizing solutions to declutter your workshop, let mason jars or other glass containers take on the job. Rinsed, dried, decorated, and filled with fasteners or tool bits, these easy-to-come-by vessels become storage-smart accents suitable for indoor or outdoor use.

By Jill Nystul – One Good Thing

Wax paper has always been a staple in my kitchen, even though I typically haven’t used it very often. It’s useful in certain situations for keeping food from sticking, and every so often I’ll use it as a medium to preserve flowers and leaves.

But most of the time, my roll of wax paper simply sits in a drawer—at least, until now. Because today I’ll be sharing 13 brilliantly practical uses for a wax paper that I hadn’t considered before!

Easy Fridge Cleanup

Line the drawers in your fridge with pieces of wax paper for easy cleanup. In the event of a spill, drip, or splatter, you can just toss the wax paper out and replace it with a fresh piece.

Ice-Free Ice Cream

While it’s certainly better than eating no ice cream, eating icy, rock-solid ice cream isn’t the most pleasant experience. Luckily, a little wax paper can help keep your ice cream ice-free!

Just press a piece of wax paper onto the surface of the ice cream before replacing the lid and putting it back in the freezer.

Keep Cheese Fresh

After cutting into a block of cheese, wrap the remaining cheese in a piece of wax paper before putting it back in your fridge. The wax paper will allow the cheese to “breathe” without drying out.

Baking Helper

Wax paper can be a huge help when you need to roll out dough for a baking project. Place a piece of wax paper between the dough and the rolling pin to prevent the dough from sticking without the need for extra flour.

Fast Funnel

Need a funnel but don’t have one on hand? Just roll a piece of wax paper into a cone shape. This is especially helpful when dealing with liquids because the liquid won’t soak through the paper.

Unstick A Zipper

Stuck zippers used to be a huge pet peeve of mine, but now I know that wax paper can help both solve and prevent stuck zippers. Rub a piece of wax paper over the teeth of a zipper and it will glide more easily, which can help unstick a stuck zipper or prevent it from sticking in the first place.

Cork Helper

If you’re struggling to get a cork back into a bottle, wrap the cork in wax paper! The waxy coating will help the cork slide back in without compromising the airtight seal.

Shine Your Faucet

Wax paper can keep your faucet shiny and free of water spots. The next time you clean your faucet, finish by rubbing it down with wax paper. The paper will leave behind a thin layer of wax that will add shine to your faucet and help keep it clean!

Photo Rescue

Spilled water on a special photo? Lay it out to dry on a piece of wax paper. The wax paper will help the photo dry out without sticking to it.

Microwave Protector

The next time you heat up food in the microwave, put a piece of wax paper over it first. The wax paper will help prevent splatters and keep your microwave much cleaner.

1. Liquid Soap

Shampoo makes an excellent liquid hand soap, and it’s loads cheaper than any soap refill that you can buy. Just fill your soap dispenser about a third of the way with shampoo; fill the rest of the space with water, and give the dispenser a good shake to combine everything.

Have a foaming soap dispenser? You can use shampoo to make your own foaming soap refill, too. Just dilute the shampoo even further.

2. Shaving Cream

Cross shaving cream off of your shopping list for good. A squirt of shampoo works just as well, and will never leave those nasty rust stains on your tub.

3. Body Wash

Save some cash and cut down on the number of bottles in your shower by using shampoo in place of your body wash. It will lather up beautifully and leave you smelling great. You can also add a capful of shampoo to your bath water in place of bubble bath or mix some salt or sugar into your shampoo to create your very own body scrub.

4. Hand Wash Laundry Detergent

Forget about buying special laundry detergent for your delicates. A squeeze of shampoo in a sinkful of water is all you need to clean undergarments, sweaters and anything else that you like to handwash. Think of it as an emergency laundry detergent substitute.

5. Laundry Stain Remover

Blast away your toughest laundry stains with a squirt of shampoo. It works especially well on oil and blood stains. Just work a bit of shampoo into the spot; let it sit for a little while, and rinse clean. Repeat if necessary.

6. Carpet/Upolstery Stain Spot Treatment

Work a small amount of shampoo into any carpet or upholstery stain. Then, simply dab the spot with a damp rag until the stain lifts. If you’re worried about colorfastness, test this trick out in an inconspicuous area first.

7. Kitchen Degreaser

Use shampoo to remove grease buildup from your kitchen counters, walls, and appliances. Just apply a small amount of shampoo to a wet rag. Work it into the area that you wish to clean, and let it sit for a few minutes. Rinse clean, and all that grease should be gone.

8. Floor Cleaner

Make your own mopping solution by adding a capful of shampoo to a bucket of warm water. It’ll do a great job on your linoleum or ceramic tile floors.

9. Bathroom Cleaner

Shampoo is designed to cut through oil and hair product build-up, so it works great on soap scum, too. Use it to clean your tub or shower, and you’ll drastically reduce your scrub time. Just apply shampoo with a rag, let it sit for a bit and rinse clean. That’s really all there is to it.

10. Bubble Solution

Keep the kids entertained by making bubble solution from diluted shampoo. It works just as well as store-bought, and costs way less.

By Michelle Ullman

Not Changing Air-Conditioning Filters

If you rarely—or even worse, never—change the filters in your HVAC system, you’re lowering its efficiency while raising your energy costs. To keep your air clean and your energy bills low, change your filters seasonally. Switch them out more often if you live in an especially dusty area, smoke, have pets, or suffer from allergies.

Not Taking Care of the Small Stuff While It’s Still Small

Putting off home repairs is a very common—and very risky—mistake. That slow leak or cracked fixture might seem like a minor inconvenience that has little bearing on your daily life, but left unattended, that damage could escalate into an emergency situation. What might have been an inexpensive fix in the beginning could cost you hundreds or even thousands of dollars in repair costs.

Using Old-School Light Bulbs

If you’re still holding on to your incandescent light bulbs, it’s time to let them go. While CFL and LED bulbs might cost more up front, they ultimately save you big through longer life and superior efficiency.

Hanging On to Inefficient Appliances

Are you still using a dishwasher, washing machine, clothes dryer, or refrigerator from the last century? If so, you’re passing up the considerable energy savings to be found with today’s high-efficiency major appliances.

Paying for Services You Don’t Need

Hiring out services such as pool or yard maintenance, housecleaning, small repairs, or minor home remodeling projects does save you time, but it costs money that might have been better spent (or saved) elsewhere in your budget. Instead of engaging a professional, have your teenage son or daughter handle pool or yard care, and consider tackling small DIY and maintenance tasks yourself.

Buying Extended Warranties

If you’re buying a new major home appliance, the salesperson will probably pressure you to purchase an extended warranty. Although this may sound like a money-wise choice, the truth is that many consumer advocates advise against them.

Not buying enough insurance coverage

Having the right insurance — including medical, automobile, homeowners, long-term care, life and disability — is key to good financial planning. While it can be difficult to figure out the kinds of insurance and the amount of coverage you may need, not having the right balance of insurance can be disastrous if you’re hit with an unexpected expense.

It’s a good idea to review your insurance coverage each year and determine which policies you may or may not need based on any major life events you’ve experienced. For example, if you’ve purchased a newer, more expensive car, it’s time to reevaluate your auto insurance. If you’ve recently gotten married or added a baby to your household, it may be time to take a look at your health insurance. If you’ve completed a major, value-adding home remodel, it’s probably a good idea to increase your homeowner’s insurance. It’s not enough to have just any old insurance coverage in place; you need to make sure the insurance you’ve bought will cover the full value of your growing assets.

Lacking an investment strategy, or not sticking to one

 If you invest in stocks or mutual funds as part of your savings plan, it’s important to have a strategy for that money. Too many people let their emotions get in the way and end up buying or selling on impulse. Another common misstep is spending too much time and effort trying to time the market, hunting for the “big payoff” or chasing the investment of the month (or week or day). Instead, you need to decide on a strategy and stick to your plan.

Neglecting to Save for Emergencies

Nobody can foresee when household emergencies will strike—whether it’s a hole in the roof, a rusted-out water heater, or a doomed central heating system. But these malfunctions are all part of homeownership and it’s best to be prepared when they do occur. If you don’t set aside a portion of your savings for these types of home emergencies, you’ll end up having to pay for repairs on credit and get hit with a double whammy: the cost of the repair and the interest on your credit card.

Planting High-Maintenance Landscaping

While every home’s curb appeal can benefit from attractive landscaping, it’s best to pass up on extravagant or delicate plantings that will require a professional’s expensive care. Instead, choose hardy greenery that will thrive with minimal maintenance, and liven up the yard with attractive and affordable annuals planted in pots and window boxes.

From the garden to the garage, these tips and tricks help you save money while still keeping an orderly home.

1. Sponge Split

Sponges soak up everything in their path, including the funds required for frequent replacement. Fortunately for the budget-conscious, half a sponge packs as much grime-fighting ability as a whole sponge. So, you can get twice the utility out of one sponge by cutting it into two pieces.

2. Stay Afloat

Unless you own a dual-flush toilet, you’re probably dumping way too much water down the drain with each flush, which in turn raises your water bill. Flush smarter by adding a brick or full plastic water bottle to the toilet tank. The extra bulk will raise the tank’s float arm faster, which means you’ll need less water to fill the tank.

3. The Razor’s Edge

Before you dispose of disposable razors, try sharpening them with an adaptable accessory already in your wardrobe: a leather belt. The particulate grit on the underside of a belt acts as a strop, refining the dull edges of the blade until it is as sharp as ever and ready for many more shaves.

4. Cleaner Coils

Grit and gunk that collect on your refrigerator’s condenser coils can put the hardworking appliance into overdrive—and this can lead to sky-high energy bills. Using a vacuum cleaner with a crevice-friendly attachment, banish unsightly accumulations from the coils for improved energy efficiency.

5. Hosed Down

Just as hosiery brings polish to an outfit, it can add luster to surfaces around the house. Slip old, outworn tights or pantyhose onto your hand like a glove, and then buff dusty lamps, dingy furniture, and other accessories to achieve polished perfection—no commercial cleaners required!

6. H2-Whoa!

When water is at a premium, save your wallet and the environment by DIYing this slow-drip watering device for your garden bed. Constructed from a perforated water bottle filled with absorbent socks or strips of denim, the device can be planted next to young seedlings to continuously hydrate growing roots.

7. Running on Empty

Don’t cry over spilled milk! Instead, put that empty container to good use. Empty milk containers or other large bottles placed in a half-full fridge can help increase cold air circulation and reduce your electric bill. Those frosty empty jugs keep the surrounding items cold, maintaining a low average fridge temperature—and a lower utility bill.

8. Mesh Well

The flexible mesh bags that commonly house store-bought onions and potatoes can be given a second life in the kitchen as pot scrubbers. Start by cutting and folding the bag into the desired dimensions, then use a yarn needle to stitch the edges closed with rug yarn. That’s it! You’re ready to take your new scrubber to the sink and start cutting through grease!

9. Clean Sheet

Single-use commercial dryer sheets can make laundry day more luxurious and fresher scented, but who needs them when you can make your own! To create an all-natural equivalent, dip clean, cut-up rags into a solution of vinegar and essential oils. The sheets can be stored in an airtight container until needed and then reused for countless spin cycles.

10. Keep Your Cool

Skip the AC (and the AC bills) this summer by creating your own DIY air conditioner. Consisting of an old fan placed atop a bucket that holds a natural cooling source—frozen water—this quick hack will help you stay cool and comfortable as you soak up summer.

11. Recycled Regimen

If you’re down to the last few shards of that bar of soap, don’t replace it. Instead, reconstitute the soap slivers into a like-new beauty bar! Start by melting the soap scraps over the stove. Then, pour the mixture into soap bar molds, letting the bars dry before you lather up.

12. Stylish Stowaways

In lieu of buying expensive organizing solutions to declutter your workshop, let mason jars or other glass containers take on the job. Rinsed, dried, decorated, and filled with fasteners or tool bits, these easy-to-come-by vessels become storage-smart accents suitable for indoor or outdoor use.

13. Canned Response

A can of soda offers more than just a sugar boost. It can also boost a weak Wi-Fi signal, and as a result, your Internet speed. Cut off the bottom of the can, then slice off the lid, leaving an inch or so connected to the can. Cut and unfurl the can, slip the mouth of the lid over your router’s antenna, and again enjoy buffer-free streaming sessions—all without having to buy an expensive name-brand signal booster.

14. Looking Sharp

If your tools aren’t the sharpest in the shed, skip the trip to the knife sharpener and consider storing them in this specially outfitted repurposed planter instead. When painted, sealed, and tightly packed with sand and mineral oil, a commonplace terra-cotta pot can help keep your gardening gear clean and the blades sharp, all at the same time.

15. Right as Rain

Why consume extra water to hydrate your homegrown plants when you can capture and reuse your roof and gutter runoff with a rain barrel? Installed below the eaves for optimal water collection, a bargain barrel can reduce your next water bill and help you pep up your plants.

16. Weed Out Weeds

Lush foliage is a pleasant surprise anywhere but near your HVAC unit, where it can cause the system to run less efficiently. Maintain proper airflow and reduce electrical consumption by plucking weeds and pruning bushes in the immediate vicinity of the unit.

17. The Final Curtain

When your shower curtain liner has become mired in mold and mildew, replacing it is sometimes easier than cleaning it. But if you keep an eye out for early signs of these unsightly intruders, you can keep the curtain looking good longer. When you spot the first bit of buildup, trim the bottom of the curtain with scissors to keep grime from encroaching any further.

18. High-End Fashion

Few can resist the warmth and fragrance of garments fresh out of the dryer, but that experience becomes somewhat less appealing when you think about all the energy it takes to machine dry. A clothesline or drying rack works just as well, and using one will not only save you money on your electric bill, but it can also lengthen the life of your threads.

19. Fair-Weather Fan

Before you turn up the dial on the air conditioner—and pay the price later—consider installing a ceiling fan. A fan not only allows for greater comfort and energy savings in the hot summer months, but if you go the extra mile of switching it to run clockwise when the weather gets cold, the fan can help warm up the room come winter.

20. Home Free

For a freshly manicured lawn on the cheap, don’t call your local landscaper—call your local parks department. You may be able to obtain mulch and compost from them at no cost, allowing you to beautify your front yard for the bargain price of nothing.

Remove the battery

Do it. Immediately. “I know it’s tempting, but resist the urge to power up your phone to see if it works—just turning it on can short out the circuits,” writes Joel Johnson of PopularMechanics.com. And if it still is on, turn it off. Take out the SIM card, too, which may retain data like contacts even if the phone itself is fried. The only case where this rule doesn’t apply is…

A shocking situation

If your phone came into contact with the water while plugged in, ignore all of the other steps. Unplugging the phone could be dangerous and could cause an electrical shock. The best thing to do in this case is to call a professional to turn off the main power switch so that it is safe to touch the phone again. Trying to get your phone back immediately is not worth being electrocuted.

Try to dry

Your goal is then to try to speed up the drying process without damaging the phone further—if the phone stays wet for too long it will start to corrode. Skip the hairdryer, as it will just send the moisture deeper into the phone. Plus, even a hair dryer’s cooler settings will likely be too hot for the tech. Instead, try a can of compressed air, an air compressor set to a low psi, or a wet/dry Shop-Vac. Using a small vacuum can be very effective in coaxing out moisture. However, if you do go with this method, be careful not to hold it too close to the phone. Vacuums can cause static electricity, which can be just as bad for your phone as water.

Check your cupboards

The next step—or the first, if you don’t have a compressed air source—is to wick any remaining moisture by submerging the phone (and the battery, separately) in a bowl or bag of uncooked white rice. Silicates also get the job done if you have them handy. (That’s the granular stuff that comes in those tiny “do not eat” packets at the bottom of aspirin bottles, beef jerky, the pockets of new clothing—instead of throwing those away, keep them handy in case of a phone emergency.) PopularMechanics.com recommends keeping it there overnight, to allow the rice or silicates as much time as possible to work their magic. Besides, you really shouldn’t be using your smartphone in bed anyway.

Soak up the sun

If your phone wasn’t in the water for very long, the sun might just be the only cure it needs. If it’s a hot day, try putting the phone—still with the battery removed, of course—on a dry towel outside in the sun. However, don’t leave it in the sun for longer than 20 minutes, as it could overheat.

Freeze!

OK, you’ve ransacked the house for rice and a can of compressed air to no avail. Don’t despair. If the phone wasn’t in the water for long, you may be able to freeze the phone to fix it. Again, make sure the phone is off and the battery is removed before placing the phone on two to three layers of paper towel (to prevent frost damage). Then put it in the freezer for about 15-20 minutes. Replace the battery and power up to see if the phone works. If not, remove the battery again, wait 5 or 10 minutes, and then stick it back in the freezer for another 20. Chances are you’ll have a working phone after a couple of tries. Here are some more clever ways to use your freezer that don’t involve food.

Don’t get salty

It might sound crazy, but if your phone took a swim in saltwater, you should probably submerge it again in fresh water to save it. Saltwater can leave damaging salt crystals in the workings of your phone, and a dunk in freshwater will help get them out. Make sure to take the battery out before wetting the phone. Then go ahead and use one of the other methods for drying the phone.

Leave it to the pros

If you’ve tried everything and your phone is still unresponsive, it can’t hurt to bring it to a Verizon or Apple store and see if the tech experts are able to fix it. Make sure they know that it suffered water damage, and about how long it was in the water. Also, let them know what you’ve already done to try to fix it.