By no means am I an interior decorator nor do I have much interest in that subject. But, I am a homeowner who understands that people need space to live and, in some cases, they need more of it. For millions of Americans making a move to larger quarters or expanding the current home may be something they’d like to do, but given the current economic climate, beyond their ability to carry out.

So, how do people make do under such circumstances? They go minimal, of course.

As I mentioned, home décor isn’t my forte but I have friends who recently made some small but significant changes to their home, steps which have made all of the difference for them. You may still need more space, but sometimes small changes can yield big results and delay the inevitable move or upgrade. Let’s take a look at what my friends did and did not do:

Remove Furniture – The family room was getting crowded with one sofa, two love seats and a pair of recliners. Although quite a large room to start with, the extra seating capacity, coffee table and floor lamps were getting in the way. One love seat and one of the recliners was removed as were the coffee table and all three floor lamps. Track lighting now supplies the bulk of the lighting — getting around a once crowded room can now be done with ease.

Toss Drapes – Both the family room and the living room had the biggest, darkest drapes you’ve ever seen. I like heavy drapes in the bedroom which is perfect for privacy and conducive to a good night’s sleep, but cotton curtains look better elsewhere in the house, allowing the light to flow in and giving the impression that the room is larger than what it really is.

Lose Doors – Open floor plans create a more seamless living environment while helping homeowners maximize their space. Short of removing entire walls, taking down a door between rooms can make a big difference. Also, widening the entrance way to a room where a door once stood can give the appearance of a home being larger than it is.

Choose Built-ins – If you have a large amount of wall space, why not consider getting rid of the bulky bookcase and create built in shelving instead? One of the easiest ways to do that is to remove an extra window, enclose it and replace it with shelving. The cut out is already there and you’ve just freed up a significant amount of needed floor space by transferring your books from the floor to the wall.

Some of the changes mentioned only give the illusion of more space including using lighter colors on the wall and ceiling or buying smaller furniture, steps which cost you extra money. You may not be able to upgrade your living quarters right now, but making interim changes now can allow you to get even more out of your dwindling living space.

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• Find discounts on clothes and other fashions
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Tags: doors, furniture, home décor, Home Improvement, home renovation, interior decoration, lighting

How to Get the Job Done Without Going Broke

My apologies to the “For Dummies” franchise if I stole your title, but I couldn’t think of a better way to express what I wanted to say. Like many homeowners, I’m not the best person to get a job done around the house. Sure, I can hang a picture, change a light bulb, paint a wall, clean out gutters, and do other simple tasks, but when it comes to more challenging jobs I let my fingers do the walking (through the Yellow Pages, that is!)

But, as we all know, using a professional to get the job done can get expensive. These days you not only have to pay a high hourly charge, but you may have to pay a fuel surcharge on top of that. Suddenly, that simple electrical job became a real budget buster!

There are a number of different ways to get work done, so let’s explore what cost saving options are available to you:

Barter — You’re good at keeping the books and your friend is an excellent plumber. Why not help each other out? He’ll replace the pipes in your bathroom (you pay for the materials) while you can do his taxes (he can pay for the tax software). Bartering websites have sprung up to help connect people, but you’ll probably do better exchanging services with someone you know and trust.

Friends and Family — Somewhat like bartering, but not for exchanging services, is there a family member or close friend who wouldn’t mind giving you a hand? Always, offer to pay for their service and cover the cost of materials used, but their price could be quite a bit lower than the person who charges the going rate.

Church Outreach — As a way to share the gospel and/or to show love in action, some churches provide teams of congregants who use their special skills to bless others. In this case you may have to be a person of limited means to qualify, but you can always round up a bunch of guys from your men’s group and ask them to lend a hand — just have plenty of coffee, soda, and pizza on hand!

Love Thy Neighbor — If you live in a neighborhood where people are truly neighborly, your best chance for help could be the guy next door. Maybe he can’t do the job without your help, so be prepared to pitch in. And, as far as pay goes, didn’t his kids use your pool all summer long? Time for some pay back!

Most definitely, any home improvement project can cost you big bucks, but don’t go cheap and settle for someone who doesn’t know what they’re doing. Cost of materials, licensing, and permits may need to be factored in; for big jobs hire a contractor and opt for a home equity loan to cover your costs.

Tags: barter, bartering, Home Financing, Home Improvement

They say that membership has its privileges and, in the case of auto club society AAA, it has certainly proven that way for me. Several times over the many years I’ve been a member, I’ve had to call AAA for help and they’ve always responded rapidly with the assistance I needed whether it was a tow, help with a dead battery, or access to a car with keys locked inside.

I also receive a copy of AAA’s regional magazine, a publication that is sent out on a bi-monthly basis. Big on providing vacation information, AAA also keeps its readers informed about their cars, providing tips on how to conserve gas, save money on repairs, and other timely advice.

What I recently have discovered about AAA is that some of their advice can be found right online and you don’t have to be a member to access that information. Perhaps the most helpful advice for travelers today is finding information about gas prices, particularly where the cheapest fuel can be found. Thanks to AAA’s Fuel Finder tool at aaa.com/fuelfinder, that information is readily available.

I like Fuel Finder because I find the information to be accurate and up to date. What it provides is the price of gasoline in any given area, typically three, five or ten miles of a ZIP code. AAA compiles this information based on credit card transactions, providing prices on regular, plus and premium gasoline as well as diesel right online.

Of course, traveling out of your way to get cheaper gas means that you’re expending more fuel, so you want to find stations nearest the roads you are traveling. This can be especially helpful if you are taking a trip, have internet access in your car, and can pull up that information as you drive. I’ve found gas price differences of twenty-five cents or more a gallon, which translates into five dollar per fill up savings for a vehicle with a twenty gallon fuel tank.

I’ve also used GasBuddy.com to find lower prices, but that information is provided by drivers and isn’t always accurate or up to date. Still, having free online tools to help you save money on fill ups is great, savings every consumer can use during these tough economic times.

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Tags: AAA, car tips, entertainment, GasBuddy.com, health costs, Home Improvement, shopping, travel