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11 Ways to Keep Your Garbage Down

If you pay for garbage service, getting that monthly bill can sting, especially with prices rising across the US in response to rising costs for handling fees and programs intended to encourage people to cut down on their waste production. The agony is even worse when you don't just pay for it: you're also the one who takes your trash to the dump. Even if yo ... Read More »

Is Your House Attracting Pests?

While your home should be a warm and inviting place, you don't want to welcome pests into your abode. If you're not planning to open up a roach motel, then the first step toward avoiding pests is prevention. Pests Love Dirt When it comes to pests, the old adage "cleanliness is next to godliness" is entirely true. Keeping your home (indoors and out) clean is ... Read More »

13 Uses for Wine Crates

Wine boxes are pretty easy to come by and are quite useful around the home. Used to ship higher-end wines, you can get your hands on these pine boxes for a bargain price once the wine merchants are done with them. They come in a variety of sizes — from boxes for a single bottle, to cases capable of carrying a dozen, so there’s a crate for nearly any task or ... Read More »

How to Get Rid of Stuff

The other day a friend texted me as she was packing up to move across the country: “HELP! I am overwhelmed because I have so much STUFF. I am feeling buried alive. I know you have figured out how not to hold on to things. Can you give me some perspective? I need some tough love.” When I got her text I was standing in front of my bookshelf, hyperventilating. ... Read More »

Eight Tips for Scaling Down to a Smaller Home

Downsizing, whether you're doing it voluntarily to simplify your life or if you are doing it out of economic necessity, can be like a giant game of Tetris. There are so many pieces, each with its own shape and dimensions, and they must somehow fit into a limited space, just so. If you are downsizing to a smaller home, this guide should help you to get starte ... Read More »

How to Dispose of Paint

So you just finished your latest DIY project, repainting the dining room. The work went well, but now what do you do with the extra paint? One option is to keep it around in case you'll need it again for touch-ups, but you might also just want to get rid of it... How do you proceed? Contrary to what I've seen done by some people, you do not pour extra paint ... Read More »

Considerations When Choosing a Water Heater

When choosing a water heater for your home, you may want to consider the number of appliances you have, size of the household, environmental concerns, and economic factors before making a decision. The best choice can depend on a number of different factors, and with a range of products on the market, you should be able to find the perfect water heater for y ... Read More »

Countertop Washing Machines

For apartment dwellers, the long hike to the laundromat with a heavy sack of dirty clothes or a cumbersome cart is one of the most dreaded parts of the week. While it would be great to add a washing machine and dryer, many urban inhabitants simply don't have the space or the money. However, several companies are marketing countertop laundry solutions that pr ... Read More »

Meat Freezers for Manly, Meaty People

The local food movement is all the rage, but you will need an extra freezer to be a true “locavore” and enjoy a good steak. You can grow your own vegetables and even chickens in some cities, but your neighbors might not appreciate you raising cattle in your backyard. Local-food advocates say the next best thing is buying meat from your local pasture-based f ... Read More »

Induction Cooking Systems

Energy savings don’t always translate into cost savings. Case in point: Induction ranges — the hottest thing (pun intended) in kitchen appliances — are green but not cheap. Induction cooking has many advantages, including unmatched energy efficiency. However, there also are numerous cost-related drawbacks. Induction ranges have an electro-magnetic coil unde ... Read More »