In This Issue


· Choose the Correct Products When Remodeling

· Places to Retire that Give You More Bang for Your Buck

· New Year's Resolution: Keep New Year's Resolutions!

· Fixing Bad Credit

· When to Do It Yourself and When to Hire It Done

· Seasonal Suggestion

·Past Issues: December, November, October, September,
Monthly Quote

“Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.”

-Alfred, Lord Tennyson, “Ring Out, Wild Bells,” 1809-1892, English Poet
Tip Of The Month
We are now well into winter, and many people have begun to feel the agony of high heating bills. If you are looking for a way to save money without instituting a “sweater rule” in your house, think about installing a programmable thermostat. You can save up to 15% by programming the temperature to be lower at night or when no one is home. Although each degree you lower the heat saves more money, do not swing the temperature more than 6 to 8 degrees, or your furnace will have to work overtime to bring the temperature up again.


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When to Do It Yourself and
When to Hire It Done

Whatever the task, you want it done right and economically, and this can mean doing it yourself, but it can also mean knowing when to put down the spatula, and call in a licensed, experienced professional. A recent HomeStore.com article discussed the beauty of saving money and doing it yourself, as well as the dangers of going too far, and ending up spending a small fortune.

The key for most do-it-yourselfers is to know your limits. Generally, people are safe with small, easy-to-manage projects. The following are tasks are ones that most people are comfortable tackling:

  • Scraping paint, painting and wallpapering
  • Removing and replacing old floors
  • Landscaping and gardening
  • Room accents, such as towel rails
  • Refinishing furniture

In essence, these are jobs that require more time than talent. However, the following are common tasks that are best left to the professionals:

  • Bearing walls or foundations
  • Complex plumping work
  • Tasks that are either electrical or mechanical in nature

If you have decided that doing it yourself is the appropriate approach, then following these two key steps can pay dividends:

Step One

Make sure you have set aside enough time to get the job done. One way to avoid this is not to set unrealistic deadlines for yourself. Make sure you have enough slack in your schedule for accidental damage you cause, for additional work you discover after starting and for general unexpected delays that always seem to come up.

Step Two

Get educated. There are plenty of books and websites out there that you can use to properly prepare yourself for the task ahead. You can even get plenty of good tips from your local hardware store. Home Improvement for Dummies is a book that is always good to have on hand, since it can offer advice for moments when you really don’t want to spend the time surfing the Internet. However, if you do have the time, some good Internet websites you can use to beef up on your home improvement knowledge are http://doityourself.com and www.hometips.com.

Whether you have taken things into your own hands or hired in a professional, understanding your limits and getting it right the first time are keys to being satisfied with the results and amount you spend.

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