Ten or so years ago it wasn’t common to have home or apartment security cameras.

They were either cost prohibitive, overly complex, or both.

Ring is one of the companies that changed that.

Most people are familiar with Ring because of the Ring Video Doorbell, but they also offer a wide range of other products including home security cameras.

If you are considering adding Ring Cameras, this post will help you decide whether to get POE Ring cameras or WiFi Ring cameras.

What are the Different Ring Camera Options?

 
As you can tell from the title, one regret I have is setting up a bunch of WiFi Ring cameras instead of POE Ring cameras.

The problem is that most people don’t know what “POE” means. It wasn’t until after I set up many cameras that I learned more about POE, or power over ethernet, and why POE Ring camears are better than WiFi Ring cameras.

To be clear, I think that WiFi Ring cameras are better than no cameras at all. It was a game-changer the first time I traveled to be able to log in and check my cameras, and even get alerts of motion. Since then I can’t imagine not having some sort of camera system and broader home security system in place.

When it comes to power source, there are three major types of Ring Cameras:

• Wired

• Battery

• POE

The Ring Stick up cam is an example of a wired Ring camera. This camera can also be powered by solar, which is actually quite affordable for Ring cameras.

Regardless of the power source, these Ring cameras are going to need to connect to your home network, and that’s accomplished by connecting to WiFi.

The same can be said about battery-powered Ring camera options. It still needs to connect via WiFi.

This brings us to POE Ring cameras, or power over ethernet. The unique thing about POE is that it provides both power and network via one cord. An example of a Ring POE camera is the Ring Stick Up Cam Elite.

Why POE Ring Cameras are Better than WiFi Ring Cameras

 
As I already mentioned, there is nothing inherently wrong with a WiFi security camera. In fact, the nice thing about them is how easy it is to connect to your network.

But WiFi Ring cameras come with their disadvantages.

In general, WiFi is less reliable than wired devices. This is true not just for Ring cameras but any device you are connecting to your network. WiFi signals can get jammed up or face interference, which is an issue for something meant to provide security.

Another thing to think about is placement of cameras. A lot of times you’ll want to place cameras around the exterior of your house, with soffit being the most likely thing you mount your cameras to. With wired Ring cameras you are going to need to have an outlet nearby, or you’ll have to run extension wires such as these to the closest outlet.

This may not seem like a problem at first, but when you really think about how many outlets you have in places like your garage and how accessible they are, you can run into issues once you start adding multiple cameras to your house.

Since you are already running wires, why not run POE wires (which are essentially cat6 ethernet cable and connect to a POE camera? From a wiring perspective it’s the same or less work, and you end up with a more secure and stable network connection.

How Does POE – Power Over Ethernet – Work?

 
Most people aren’t familiar with POE. And even when you first hear about it, it can be difficult to wrap your head around it.

If you can get past the initial “new-ness” of the concept, you can get comfortable with using it as your power and network source for your cameras. Perhaps more importantly, you can avoid the mistake I made of going with WiFi cameras. Because like me, you can avoid first buying WiFi cameras and then later swapping everything out to POE.

A graph can be helpful. Below is how POE works for Ring cameras.

Most home networks consist of a cable modem, a router, and that’s it. Using POE just takes one extra step: a POE switch.

The way a POE switch works is you run ethernet cable from the router to the switch, and then you run ethernet cord from the switch to the cameras.

And that’s it – you’ll have a wired network connection and power to your cameras.

Below is an example of a POE switch:

Once you start comparing the process of running wire for wired Ring cameras to running cat6 ethernet wire for POE ring cameras, running ethernet is more flexible. You only need an outlet for the switch, not for each camera.

There is one advantage wired Ring cameras have over POE Ring cameras: price.

If you compare the Ring Stick Up Cam, which is the wired option, to the Ring Stick Up Cam Elite, which is the POE option, the Stick Up Cam is about $100 while the Stick Up Cam Elite is about $200. So essentially with each camera you purchase you are paying double for POE.

With all that being said…POE is the future for security cameras. You are better off setting up POE cameras now instead of WiFi cameras which you likely will eventually upgrade to POE.

If you are ready to set up your Ring home security network, here’s a list of supplies:

• POE+ Switch (we didn’t get into POE vs. POE+ vs. POE++ in this post, but I recommend getting at minimum a POE+ Switch)

• Cat6 Ethernet cable

• POE Ring cameras

I did not include a modem or router since most people have it, but you can of course shop for these on Amazon as well.

Unexpected home expenses is one reason why many in the personal finance space recommend homeowners have an extra-healthy emergency fund. “Small” unexpected expenses of $100-$300 can add up quick, and big expenses of $1,000+ can be tough to manage if they come out of nowhere.

Home expenses wouldn’t be terrible if there wasn’t a hundred other demands on our money. The cost of healthcare keeps rising, and with HSAs becoming commonplace consumers are on the hook for potentially thousands of dollars before their health insurance kicks in. Pets can get sick and result in a big vet bill. And for those with kids I don’t even need to mention how much of a bite kids can take out of your finances.

The purpose of this post is to list out potential unexpected home expenses to make them a bit more real. It’s easy for people to say homes are expensive without giving examples, but when you can picture what these costs actually are it can become more real.

I’m not trying to convince people to not buy a house. If anything I hope to motivate people to save a bigger emergency fund so they can deal with unexpected home expenses rationally. There is a clear difference between facing an unexpected $2,000 house repair with money in an emergency fund versus having no cash reserve to cover it.

I bought a fixer-upper seven years ago and I’ve learned a lot from the experience. My biggest regret was not having more cash in the bank when my wife and I bought our house. Not only did we face a number of unexpected expenses that I will mention throughout this list, but we also had a lot of renovations we wanted to do. Having cash in the bank would have taken away some of our stress in those first few years, and helped us stay calm as we faced never-ending home expenses.

Let’s dive into examples of unexpected home expenses to plan for. Some will argue that not all of these are “unexpected” because they are routine maintenance. While that may be true, people aren’t thinking about their homes 24/7 so even routine maintenance can come out of nowhere, especially if something is broken and you have no choice but to fix or replace immediately.

Roof

 
Roofs can last a long time, but they don’t last forever. Replacing even a small roof will run in the thousands. Another thing to think about is potential damage from snow and ice. Ice dams can cause serious issues.

Garage Door

 
The first year in our home the coils on our garage door snapped. Replacing them was a few hundred dollars, partially because we have a heavy garage door and partially because it was on the weekend. Garage doors can work for decades without issues, but there are a lot of components that can break and stop working.

Water Damage

 
Another fun story from my first year of home-ownership. We had a heavy rainstorm and the city’s storm drain was overwhelmed, pushing the water out to smaller drains throughout the city. Our basement had a foot of water outside the basement walkout, and water slowly was pouring into our basement. Thankfully we were home for this and could address it right away, but this happens to many people each year when they are away from their home, leaving serious damage. Even worse is water damage that happens behind the walls, sight unseen, since you don’t even realize it’s happening.

Water damage can be a minor inconvenience or cost you thousands of dollars in repairs, especially if mold is part of the issue. Sometimes there isn’t much you can do, but proactive things include installing drain tile and a sump pump in your basement, not putting carpet in your basement (tile and rugs are the way to go), and making sure your landscaping pushes water away from your home.

Structural Issues

 
A coworker of mine bought a house and started working on renovating the basement. When he pulled panels off one of the walls a gigantic crack became visible. Usually cracks aren’t a big issue, but this was a massive one. After consulting an engineer the solution was using a massive and expensive brace system to stabilize the house.

Thankfully he and his wife were able to recover the $15k-$20k bill from the previous owners for not disclosing the issue. This is an extreme example, but smaller structural issues can come up from things like termite damage and rotting wood.

Washer & Dryer

 
Pretty simple example – washer and dryers break! We had an older washer and dryer that I have done a couple minor repairs on, but eventually we had a problem that would have cost a couple hundred minimum to diagnose and repair so we opted for buying new ones. If you have a gas dryer you will need a professional to do the installation, which will run you at least a hundred dollars. You’ll have to decide whether you want to foot a couple grand for fancy new models (we did and don’t regret it) or get cheaper alternatives.

Sewer Drain-Out

 
Every house has a drain that goes from their house to the main sewer line. Some of these lines are made of clay. These lines can collapse. As you can imagine, it can be expensive to replace a collapsed sewer line because it oftentimes requires digging up a yard, street, and/or sidewalk.

This happened to us, again in our first year of home-ownership (we have good luck). Our first quote was over $7,000, and came from Roto Rooter. The repair person was high pressure and told me not to contact the city about it since there was almost zero chance it was their fault. I hired another plumber through Angie’s List who not only would have done the repair for $3,000 or less, he also consulted with the city and found one of their contractors made an illegal repair four years ago when a water main broke. This story is why I swear by Angie’s List and why I always advocate for getting multiple quotes on home repairs.

HVAC

 
HVAC stands for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning. Heating units break. Air conditioners break. Water heaters break. All these things cost money to repair and replace.

I have two friends with homes in the same cities as me who bought houses with improper ventilation in their basements. This is an issue because if the basements are finished or semi-finished, as they are in these houses, the only way to fix the issue is to rip out the ceiling and install the appropriate ducts. This typically is not something at the top of a new homeowners mind, but is just another example of an unexpected expense.

Work that involves hiring people in the trades such as HVAC specialists, electricians, and plumbers, isn’t cheap. There is a labor shortage and despite the potential for high pay, most young people would prefer a desk job. My point here is you should plan on spending at least a couple hundred dollars just to have someone in the trades come out to your house, and then expect potentially more costs for supplies and additional labor needed to fix your issue.

Driveway

 
The actual cost for installing a new driveway or replacing an old one is usually in the thousands of dollars. Our driveway is in rough shape and I didn’t take action as early as I should have. One way to delay the installation of a new driveway is to use cold patch to fill in potholes and then seal coat the driveway each year. I didn’t seal coat the first five years we had our house and I wish I had. It adds thickness to the driveway and will help prolong having to install an expensive new driveway, which I’m convinced would add little to no value to a house when you sell it.

I recommend going the DIY route for seal coating. It’s a messy job but it’s cheaper and it seems like more and more seal coating companies are pushing people to install brand new driveways. While that advice technically isn’t always “wrong,” from a personal finance standpoint I just don’t see the value.

Cement Work

 
You may have a cement slab in the back of your house, or even a cement driveway. Most people have some cement work around their house, and it can be expensive to replace for obvious reasons: it’s difficult to remove without machinery and it typically takes a cement truck and skilled labor to install.

Wasps, Rodents, and other Pests

 
We’ve had some wasps nests in our yard, and like most issues that require a professional to come out it has always been a couple hundred dollars for treatment and removal. Mice are an issue for many homes and the best way to fix the problem long-term is to find where they are coming in, which is easier said than done.

Kitchen Appliances

 
Similar to a washer and dryer, kitchen appliances can break and need repairing or replacing. High-end appliances are great, but this is where cheaper appliances win out. When your stove only costs $400 it’s easier to foot the bill versus needing a $1,000 replacement. Appliances can last a long time, but they eventually do break.

Plumbing and Electrical

 
Plumbing issues are more commonplace than electrical, but both can come up unexpectedly. One example of ours was replacing an old bathroom drain. To remove a bathroom drain you sometimes have to get a “key” that goes into the drain and unscrew it that way. Well…after multiple people tried to crank the drain loose we unfortunately had to call a plumber who torched it out. As expected, having a plumber come out can cost you a couple hundred dollars even for a simple issue.

The nice thing about plumbing and electrical is some things can be done yourself. You may not be able to install new shut-off valves yourself, but you likely can replace a toilet or sink yourself. Electrical work you obviously have to be very careful with, but with the proper precautions and training it’s not unreasonable for a homeowner to replace light switches and outlets. For anything even moderately complex, though, you will need an electrician. The reason why is because you want the work up-to-code and you want to protect yourself from dangerous situations.

Tree Trimming

 
I grew up in a newer development, so when I bought my first house in a neighborhood with mature trees I wasn’t quite ready for the thousands of dollars that tree trimming could run. The good thing about tree trimming is it isn’t typically absolutely necessary, and is more personal preference of whether the cost is worth it. With that being said there will be some situations where a tree or trees will become so overgrown you have no choice but to pay a professional.

 
This is not an exhaustive list (unfortunately!), but you get the point: as a homeowner the sooner you build an emergency fund, and the bigger you can build an emergency fund, the better.

Related: How Switching Banks Made Us an Extra $500+ a Year

Looking back I think it’s safe to say I jumped into home ownership instead of carefully weighing the pros and cons. I didn’t think through all the things that could make home ownership – especially a fixer-upper – difficult. Whether that was time constraints that prevented me from going the DIY route as much as I would like, financial constraints such as not having thousands of dollars to outsource expensive repairs and renovations, or life changes such as job offers and opportunities in different states.

Thankfully in my case it has worked out so far. Fast-forward seven years later and I’ve learned a lot through owning a fixer-upper. We’ve had ridiculous things happen, such as our basement flooding and our sewer drain-out collapsing leaving us unable to flush **** down the toilet. But I’ve also learned new skills such as how to lay flooring, install trim, and replace outlets and switches.

I also quickly learned there are things you have to hire out. I simply was unable to make time to renovate our bathroom and kitchen, and I ended up hiring out the work. I also clearly could not go the DIY route in repairing a buried sewer drain and had to contract it out.

These two projects highlight exactly why you need to get multiple quotes for home projects and should never settle for one. The first example is my favorite because I saved over seven grand by talking to more than one contractor.

Different Contractors, Vastly Different Amounts for the Same Job

 
The second Winter in our home we had a big problem: s*** wasn’t going down the drain. A literal s****y situation!

The first time this happened the problem appeared to just be tree roots. It’s a very common problem for people who have any clay for any section of their sewer drain-out (which is essentially the drain that connects from your house to the main sewer line).

But then the problem happened again. This time a camera was ran down the drain and the true problem was discovered: there was a PVC pipe at one section of our drain that had shifted an inch or two, making the opening much smaller than it should be. This inevitably caused clogs.

The first company I had come out was Roto Rooter. Why? They were the first that came up when I did a Google Search.

The contractor came out and ran their camera, telling me I needed to have the road dug up and the section of PVC pipe replaced. It was Winter so it would be more expensive than usual. He said it would be at least $7,000, possibly more.

I asked if I should reach out to the city and see if there is any chance they would pay for it. He said I could but it would be a waste of time because they are not responsible for the drain-out.

Technically nothing he said was wrong. The city is only responsible for the sewer main, not your line to the sewer. But little did I know that Roto Rooter was pushing these repairs and would be part of class action lawsuit in the Twin Cities from homeowners who allege Roto Rooter pushed for these types of repairs even when they were unnecessary, costing homeowners between $3,000 and $17,000 per repair.

This is when I purchased Angie’s List, which I swear by. Here’s why.

I found another contractor who does this type of work on Angie’s List. They were highly rated, and after working with them I knew why. They confirmed the same issue, but said if they had to do the repair they would do it for between $2,000 and $3,000. But what did they do? They went to city hall and talked to the city engineer. The engineer confirmed there was a water main break on my street three years ago (which was before I moved in), and the repair that was made – by the city’s contractor – had no permit pulled.

It was an illegal and more importantly, incorrect repair, and the city was going to make the contractor fix it.

Not only did I not have to pay for the repair, the contractor I found on Angie’s List also got the city to agree to cover all my bills up to this point.

$0 instead of $7,000+.

As a new homeowner with a massive problem I was in a vulnerable spot. One contractor took advantage of the situation with a high pressure pitch. The other went out of their way to make this as affordable as possible.

Always get multiple quotes!

High Pressured Sales Techniques = Hard Pass

 
We somehow made a bathroom that was in rough shape last about five years. And I’m glad we did. As other homeowners can attest, every year you can delay a major renovation or project is another year where you can sock away money.

I still think one of the best decisions I made with this house was paying someone else to do our bathroom. We have had people refer to it as a “spa” and “an HGTV bathroom.” If you had seen it before you may not believe the change. And I am 100% confident if I had taken the repair on myself it would not have come close to the quality of seasoned contractors. That’s not a bad thing because I think there is a ton of value in learning the skills necessary to renovate a bathroom, but I’m glad I didn’t do it.

But I digress…we obviously were happy with our contractor. Like most of the other great contractors we’ve found, they were on Angie’s List.

The three contractors we got quotes from came from three separate sources:

• Angie’s List

• Personal Referral

• Minnesota State Fair exhibit

We initially weren’t impressed with the contractor we went with. He showed up 45 minutes late and was younger. But after getting the quote and getting to know him and his background, it was obvious he had built a relatively large home renovation company and they prided themselves on their work. Their quote was also the lowest, but not by much.

The Personal Referral gave a quote that was $3k to $5k higher, and we didn’t feel confident he was going to put in the best cabinets and was definitely not worth the premium.

The State Fair Exhibitor is what I want to highlight. This was a big company, and they used extremely outdated sales tactics.

It was almost shocking to hear the pitch. It included:

• Telling us they do not install bathroom fans and that we do not need one (crack the window open, even in the Winter! In Minnesota…?)

• You have one style of floor tile to choose from. That’s it.

• You can pick out a sink and vanity at Home Depot and they’ll install it for you.

• They only do bathrooms, no kitchens, so we’d need to hire a second contractor for that.

Like I said, this is a very big company that does tons of volume, meaning…people are actually saying yes to this.

This wasn’t even the worst part. We had to decide whether we would hire their company at that moment. Once he left the quote was gone and they would not come back out.

Are. You. Kidding. Me.

I would really love to see this business have a huge drop-off in business. It has to be people in their 50s and beyond saying yes to this because I know few, if any, 20- or 30-somethings who would feel compelled to say yes to someone using such a ridiculous high pressured sales tactic. Felt like a freaking timeshare presentation. Total waste of time.

I have more examples, and I’m sure if you talked to other homeowners they would have their own stories where getting multiple quotes paid off. It may take more time, but if you are paying potentially thousands of dollars for a home project, repair, or renovation, you owe it to yourself to talk to at least three contractors before deciding. You’ll save money – sometimes LOTS of money – and ultimately are more likely to be happy with the decision.

One option I considered doing was painting my apartment. Not every apartment allows you to paint the walls, but my first apartment did. However, this came with quite a few stipulations. Ultimately, after talking with people who have painted their apartment before, I ultimately decided against it, and I’m glad I did. Here’s why you shouldn’t paint your apartment.

You Have to Paint it Back

 
Painting your apartment isn’t a bad idea – but many people forget you typically have to paint it back to its original color.

If you’re only in an apartment for a year, this is a lot of extra work and money. Since I’ve moved around quite a bit, it wasn’t ever worth it for me to paint an apartment.

It’s Expensive

 
While you can usually purchase paint for cheap at a hardware store, you might not get so lucky when it comes to painting your apartment back to its original color. Most times, apartment complexes contract out the painting, so you may be suckered into buying paint through them at a much higher cost.

Since purchasing the original paint may be more expensive, you will probably want to take the time to prime your apartment before you paint it back. While primer will help to save you money, it adds an extra step and can take more time.

It Slows your Move-Out Process

 
Finally, one of the biggest drawbacks of painting your apartment is how it will slow down your move-in process.

Moving is incredibly stressful in itself. Whether you’re moving into another new apartment or into a house, you will have a short period of time where you are essentially paying two rents. Because having two rents is expensive, you ultimately want to have as little overlap time as possible.

So when it comes to moving out, you want to pack up and move in as soon as you can. Packing can take weeks of preparation alone. And then you have to deep clean your apartment before you move out, all while trying to get situation in your new apartment. Trying to squeeze in time to paint your old apartment would just add to that stress. Not only does it create more emotional stress for you, but it also requires money to paint your apartment. When you’re moving and paying two rents (plus the cost of moving supplies or help), painting your apartment just adds to the cost.

Alternatives to painting your apartment

• Use colorful curtains. If you want to add a pop of color to a wall or two, hanging fabric is a great alternative to paint. Curtains are affordable, and are easy to hang. Once you move out of the apartment, you can bring them with you without having to worry about the damage left behind.

• Go for a minimalist style. Since our apartments have always been white, we decided to just go with it instead of fighting it. We opted for more modern furniture and took advantage of the clean, minimalist look.

• Hang canvas paintings. As long-term apartment dwellers, we have purchased a ton of affordable canvas paintings to put on our walls. We prefer them to picture frames because they are light enough that you can hang them with Command strips instead of having to put nails in the wall. Plus, canvases are cheap to purchase. Stores like Hobby Lobby often have them on sale, or you can check out icanvas.com for a huge selection at an affordable price.

• Use wall decals. Wall decals are a great alternative to paint. Essentially, they are just peel-and-stick designs you can put on your walls. They can be removed without causing damage to your walls. While you probably can’t put decals on every wall, they are a great way to create an accent wall.

 
Related:

• Is Renting Really Cheaper Than Buying?

• 15 Household Items You Could Sell Today for Extra Money

• House Hacks to Save Money on Heating Costs

 
 
Have you ever painted an apartment? Why or why not? What tips do you have to decorating a home or an apartment on a budget?
 
 

Except I don’t hate winter for all the reasons you think I do. It’s not because of the black ice, or the snow emergency parking rules, or the fact that it takes 10 minutes to “layer-up” before taking the trash out … no, it’s because my utility bill triples. Ouch.

You see, I live in a very old apartment. Like, I have a wood-burning stove in my kitchen kind of old apartment. Or, my unit was probably the maid’s quarters kind of apartment. It’s also the kind of apartment where I can literally feel a breeze when sitting in my living room.

Needless to say, it’s not the greatest on conserving energy and keeping in heat. Hence, a fat bill every month on heating costs alone.

So what’s a thrifty girl to do? Just settle for six more months of layering up like the Michelin Man® and crying into my wallet? I think not. Hack her way to higher energy savings, that’s what!

This year I plan to put into action a few household hacks to lower my heating bill and put that money to better use. (Like funding my next tropical getaway when the Seasonal Affective Disorder really kicks in.)

So, whether you live in a 100-year old apartment, or own a brand new home, there are ways to save on energy costs during winter months. Below are some awesome tips, starting in your basement and working all the way up to your roof!

Basement Heating Hacks

 
For those of you lucky enough to have this area I like to call “ the dank storage room,” you know that this can be one drafty place. Unfortunately, this is also the place where key appliances usually live. So, grab your overcoat and let’s see what we can save money on down here!

Zone Heating – If you live in a large house and you don’t utilize all the spaces, consider zone heating, which means you only heat the rooms you use. If your basement or upstairs aren’t a hub of daily activity, just heat them enough to keep pipes from freezing, and focus on your key living spaces.

Hot Water Temperature – Water heating accounts for 15 to 25 percent of energy consumption in the average home, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Most people don’t take this opportunity to save a few bucks, but it’s pretty easy to do! The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reports that turning the temperature on your hot water heater down to 120 degrees saves 6 to 10 percent each year on your hot water heating costs.

Water Heater Jacket – To achieve even greater savings, consider buying a water heater jacket. If you have an old water heater with little insulation, adding an insulation jacket can save you $30 per year, according to Energy Star. You can tell if your water heater isn’t converting energy effectively by touching the outside of it. If it’s warm, then it’s doing its job. If it’s very hot, then you may benefit from a water heater jacket.

Main Floor Heating Hacks

 
Ah, the heart of our homes. The place where you snuggle up on your couch and binge watch Stranger Things until it’s way too late to get up for your morning yoga class. Just me? Okay. While loading up on blankets helps keep the chill away, there are some other helpful hacks to keep your main floor toasty.

Windows – Windows can be major heat loss culprits. Seal air leaks by caulking and weather stripping around frames. Just be sure that you’re not caulking a moving part and a stationary part together! You can also consider using plastic window film to help insulate – just use a blow dryer to smooth out any wrinkles. Try making your own window sock to block air leaks. For a cheap version, fill a giant tube sock with rice and place it on your windowsill between the frame and the glass. Close any heavy drapes you have for further insulation!

Doors – Just like windows, doors can have the same leaky problems. Try weather stripping around doors or make your own door sock (see tip above for directions). Or, try adding a sweep to the bottom of exterior doors, which is a small metal or bristle-like strip that helps keep cold air out.

Floors – Floors account for as much as 10% of heat loss if they’re not insulated, according to the National Energy Foundation (NEF). Help insulate your home and keep your tootsies happy by utilizing area rugs. The fluffier the better!

Oven – There’s a reason why my dad was adamant against using the oven in the summer – it has a tendency to heat up the whole house. Which, has its advantages in the winter! I love roasting vegetables and baking quick bread to check off dinner and warm up the kitchen at the same time.

Don’t Use Exhaust Fans – Those noisy little fans in your bathroom actually suck out hot air and churn in cold air. Instead of turning on the exhaust fan when you shower, try cracking your door, or using an indoor fan to blow air out.

Use a Chimney Balloon – Whenever I hear ‘chimney balloon,’ I envision a fantastic dance number with Bert from Mary Poppins. Unfortunately, it’s not quite that fun. A chimney balloon is basically an inflatable plastic air bubble that helps seal your chimney flue from cold air.

Ceiling and Roofing Heating Hacks

 
According to Architecture Now, it’s estimated that without adequate ceiling insulation, 42 percent of household heat is lost through the roof. Even with proper insulation, heat can rise and fail to circulate efficiently. Below are some ways to make sure that you’re doing what you can to keep that air moving.

Ceiling Fans – Did you know that there is a “summer” setting and “winter” setting on most ceiling fans? In the summer, your blades should move counter-clockwise, which helps draw cold air upwards. In the winter, try making your fan go clockwise, which through some sort of ceiling fan magic, helps “throw” hot air congregating by your ceiling, back down to the floor.

Proper Insulation – For roofs, poor insulation can be the major culprit of heat loss. If you want to check to see if your insulation is doing its job, there’s a simple trick. After a fresh snowfall, before the sun has a chance to burn away the snow, go outside and take a peek at your roof. If you have large patches of snow that has melted from your roof, that means heat is escaping. Another cause of snow-melt is improper ventilation of the attic space. Keeping all the heat out of the attic space is impossible, so allowing that heat to leave the attic through vents is important.

So, there you have it!  All of my winter savings hacks to have a toasty home on a budget. I know I’m going to be putting a few of these into action.

 
 
Which ones will you try? Do you have other winter savings hacks that you love? Leave a comment!
 
 

-DC

There comes a time for most people when their living space just feels…stale.

Things have been the same for years, and you no longer enjoy your home like you used to.

Or maybe you’ve outgrown the decor that you started with.

Or maybe that wallpaper isn’t as charming as you originally thought it was.

Whatever the reason, you’re presumably going to be living in your home for quite some time. You want to be happy when you’re in it!

There’s just one problem: you don’t have a huge budget to work with.

That’s okay. You don’t need $50,000 to redecorate or transform your home into something you like. You don’t even need $1,000 for most of these upgrades.

So if you want to spruce up your home and give it a little TLC, here are 20 ways to upgrade it on a budget.

1) Fresh Coat of Paint

 
Yeah, I know, plenty of people throw this tip out there, so it sounds old and boring.

But let me tell you from personal experience, as “old” as this trick may sound, it’s completely true.

When my parents were selling their house, we gave all of the rooms a new coat of paint, and it made a tremendous difference in the way we even saw the house.

Everything just looked more put together.

We did the same thing when they bought their new house. It came with white walls. Boring.

My mom and I got a few swatch books together and started picking out colors according to a theme. They live in the south, near the beach, so we went with some neutral colors, along with sea blues and sunny yellows.

When we were all done, their house had SO much more personality. Heck, I even suggested they paint their shutters because the exterior of their house is also a boring white. We chose a cute teal color, and they get compliments on it all the time.

The key with paint is to go with a theme. Don’t pick any old colors and try and throw them together. Figure out what makes home feel like home to you, and go off of that. It will greatly help you implement the following tips and just makes designing the interior of your house easier.

2) Outlets and Light Switches

 
This is another thing I helped my parents with before they sold their house. Unfortunately, my parents are smokers, and almost everything that was once white in the house was now a gross yellow color. Including all of the outlets and light switches.

As I began looking for replacements, I discovered a whole new world out there when it comes to specially designed plates. You definitely don’t have to go with plain white ones or wooden ones – there are plenty to choose from.

Hopefully you have a theme you want to go with for design, because that makes choosing plates easier. For example, maybe you want a beach-themed house. Pick plates that have seashells and sea creatures on them!

3) Cabinet Hardware

 
Are you tired of your cabinets? Give them a new look by getting some hardware, or replacing old hardware.

My boyfriend and I recently did this, and as weird as it sounds, it has made a big difference in the kitchen.

I’ve always loved our kitchen because we have mahogany colored cabinets with a pretty backsplash, but something was missing. And some of the drawers were hard to pull out.

New hardware is functional as well as beautiful. We chose oil rubbed bronze hardware and it looks awesome. We have about 20 cabinets and we got all of the hardware at Walmart (of all places – we stumbled on it!) for close to $50.

4) Light Fixtures

 
Light fixtures aren’t something you normally pay a lot of attention to, but you will notice the difference from a boring, generic fixture to one that really shines.

For example, I remember this chandelier we had in our old house that was in a hallway on a vaulted ceiling. It was barely noticeable because it was hung so high, and honestly, it just looked old. It didn’t add anything to the house – we barely even used it to light the hallway.

However, when my parents went house hunting, I remember seeing a few really pretty chandeliers in dining rooms that you could easily design your furniture around. More recently, one of my friends crafted a really cool chandelier out of a ship wheel.

Light fixtures can also add some oomph to otherwise boring or small bathrooms. Modern fixtures look way better than those old dressing room style lights – you know, a bunch of bulbs everywhere.

5) Lamps and Shades

 
Again, I feel like lamps are something that most people tend to ignore unless they really add something to a space.

Most lamps and lampshades I see are the same. White or off-white shade on top of a chrome, bronze, or black rod. Woo, right?

Why not go for something more decorative that stands out? Get a fun shade with color and design, one that’s a funky shape, or one that adds some ambiance. Example: I recently got a salt lamp. A what? Yes, a salt lamp – straight from the Himalayan mountains. Apparently they help with allergies by cleaning the air, and they emit a warm glow. Plus it looks interesting. Win on all fronts, and they range from $20-$50.

If you’re not a huge fan of table lamps (I’m not), then see if you can find any nice standing lamps. I prefer these – especially ones with 3 or more bulbs – because they light a room better and they’re flexible.

6) Actual Lighting

 
With all this talk about lights, we need to talk about actual lighting – as in, the type of bulbs you use.

So many people have made the switch to more energy efficient bulbs, such as CFL and LED (LED being more efficient). Doing so can save you money on your electric bill. It’s an easy upgrade, and prices have been steadily decreasing on these bulbs.

Furthermore, did you know there’s an art to choosing the color your lights emit? Since I’ve only been co-owning a home for the last few months, I had no idea how extensive the light aisle in Target is…until we needed to replace a bulb. There were more choices than I thought!

Depending on the type of space the bulb is for, you might want a warmer or cooler tone. So if you are replacing bulbs, make sure you go with the right color – it could help with your productivity, especially if you work from home.

7) Fix Up Doors

 
I’ve been browsing the housing listings in our area as I’m itching to get started with real estate investing, and I’ve discovered that I’m fairly put-off by plain wooden doors.

That’s not something I’d normally think about, but I’ve had white doors my entire life, with white trim, and that’s just what I’m used to. Wooden doors that haven’t been painted or stained just look unfinished.

Here’s where paint comes in handy again! If your doors are older, or the paint has been coming off, give your doors some paint love.

If that’s not enough, consider getting new door knobs that match the plates you went with for outlets and switches. My parents had old gold knobs, and we made it a point to replace them when we put the house up for sale. They screamed “antiquated.” (Which is fine if that’s the look you’re going for, but we weren’t.)

Do you have a larger budget? You could also think about replacing the doors completely. There are other options besides the “regular” doors we’re all used to, like barn doors, french doors, and sliding doors – as long as they fit the frame. You could also consider updating your closet doors with one of these styles!

Of course, you can do the same for your exterior doors: new coats of paint can make your home “pop” before people even come in. Or you can get a nice new screen door.

8) Paint or Upgrade the Trim

 
Most trim is white. There’s nothing wrong with that, but over time, trim can get scuffed up, or maybe it just looks worn because there’s nothing special about it.

Yet again, trim isn’t something we pay a whole lot of attention to, but now that I’m thinking about it, I looked at the current trim in our house and realized it’s a step above what I’m used to. The trim around the doors has indented lines going around it, whereas the trim at our old house was just flat. It complements the doors nicely because they’re the ones with the rectangles in it. (Is there a technical term for that? Probably.) And at our old house, we just had plain, flat doors.

While these sound like small upgrades, they can make a difference when you’ve been used to something less-nice.

You don’t have to replace the trim if that’s outside of your budget. Give it a new coat of paint, or paint it a different color.

If you’re up for adding something, one thing I always notice in houses is crown molding. My old apartment had it and I always thought it was a cute touch. It’s a great way to add character to your home.

9) Seal Your Windows

 
Especially if you live somewhere with cold winters. Drafts are no fun! They’re also not great for your energy usage.

Replacing windows can be costly, but in the meantime, you can seal them by caulking them. There are plenty of videos on how to do it, so venture into the DIY land for this one.

Also – if you don’t have pets that will break the seal – consider putting a plastic seal over your windows. There are inexpensive window sealing kits that are easy to use.

10) Get New Blinds

 
One thing I really miss about my old apartment is the awesome blinds it had. That might sound weird, but they were the heavy wooden blinds (that coincidentally make it harder for pets to destroy) that just felt nicely made.

Cheap blinds can get ruined easy, and they just look generic. My old blinds happened to be painted white, but my parents have similar blinds in their kitchen that are more of a chestnut color.

Some houses don’t even have blinds, but have shades instead. Our old house was like that, and I hated them. Hated them. The ones in my bedroom had this old school pink floral pattern on them, and the ones in my parents room were forest green. It was like the wallpaper equivalent for windows. They also got ripped easily.

Upgrading blinds can be slightly expensive, but it’s an interesting way to change up the look of your home, considering windows are usually in every room!

11) Frame Your Windows Differently

 
Okay, if you can’t afford new blinds or shades, then focus on covering your existing ones. Get new curtains, new curtain rods, or style your curtains differently.

That sounds weird to say, but if you run a search on it, you’ll find quite a few ideas on how to shape your curtains, and there is no shortage of patterns, designs, and materials to choose from.

Plus, some curtains are heavy, and they might reduce drafts. Blackout curtains could be a good idea for your bedroom if there are any bright lights that shine in.

12) Insulate

 
This is a more boring way to upgrade your house, but an upgrade is an upgrade, right?

When most people think of insulation, they think of insulating an attic. While that’s true, there are a lot of different places you might want to insulate your home. Energy.gov has a useful diagram you can refer to.

Again, this is a simple DIY fix you can do over a weekend.

13) Add an Appliance

 
The price of some appliances is enough to make my eyes widen and jaw drop. I don’t know how people can spend $3,000 on a fridge, but then again, newer appliances are doing more and more crazy stuff that I had no idea they were capable of.

But if your budget is over $500 and your appliances are getting old or giving you grief, then think about upgrading – one at a time. Your kitchen may look a little mismatched temporarily, but who cares.

We actually did this recently, but we got an appliance for free. A friend of a friend was giving away a dishwasher, and we wanted one because we didn’t have one. So we snagged it, paid for some parts (like the hook-up), and installed it. Now we have a dishwasher, and it cost less than $100.

If you live in a decent area, look on Cragislist for deals. Some people may be trashing their appliances for the simple fact they’re upgrading to all stainless steel.

14) Create More Space and Get Organized

 
So many people feel the need to move into a large home because they lack space. If you’ve felt a little cramped, why not look for ways to create more space?

This has been a big one for our house because it’s 400 sq. ft. We also have one small closet. Not a lot of room to work with, but we make it work anyway.

First, we have a lot of stuff in the attic. Go through your rooms and pick up anything that hasn’t been used in the last six months. Store it in the attic or garage, if you have the room.

If you find things that haven’t been used or seen the light of day in over a year, consider if you even need it. If not, get on the decluttering bandwagon and donate it, sell it, or trash it.

Next, figure out how to create more space, and where you need it. We implemented the following storage solutions:

• A shoe rack for our closet
• A DVD case for movies and video games
• A smaller entertainment system (giving us more room in the living room)
• A shelf for the laundry room to hold miscellaneous items like paper goods
• Another 4-tier shelf for the laundry room that holds towels
• A shelf in the bathroom
• A long ottoman for the living room that holds spare blankets and pillows
• We’ve been thinking about adding shelves to the bedroom, living room, and kitchen as well, along with some containers to go under our bed.

Functional furniture, decluttering, and organizing can help create more space in your house, allowing you to breathe easier. Clutter creates stress.

15) Upgrade Your Furniture

 
Furniture sets can be had for less than $5,000, but assuming you’re working with a more limited budget, there are a few solutions.

First, you can reupholster furniture if you’re crafty. Get different fabric that goes along with your decor and go to town on chairs and couches.

Next, look to Craigslist for used furniture like tables, chairs, desks, and dressers. You can always refinish older furniture and give it new life.

You can also go cheap and buy “starter home” furniture from Ikea, Walmart, or Target. However, I’d think twice about going this route because you don’t want to spend $500-$1,000 and have to replace it all again in a few years.

Another option might be to put out the word that you’re looking for a new ____. Especially if you have friends that are moving into houses and selling their old furniture.

16) Focus on Your Yard

 
A home’s curb appeal can matter a lot – even to you! Who wants to come home to a yard that looks like an overgrown mess? Not you, and your neighbors probably don’t appreciate it, either.

After cleaning up anything that shouldn’t be out there (don’t use your yard as storage), think about getting rid of unsightly or out-of-control plants and shrubs in your yard. Trim back bushes and branches. Pull out weeds. Plant a garden or some flowers instead. Get your grass green again with fertilizer.

If you have the budget and an expansive yard, consider hiring a landscaper to do the initial work for you, and maintain it afterward. Or, think about getting some nice pavers, create a patio, or steps if you have a hilly yard. Put in a fire pit.

There are so many things you can do with the exterior of a house. You can even get stones and get rid of your grass, or add some gravel for more driveway space.

17) Add a Backsplash

 
Nice backsplashes can make a big difference in kitchens. It was one of the first things I noticed when my boyfriend sent me the listing to the house he bought.

There are so many different types of backsplashes to choose from, too. You can use fabric covered by glass, subway tile, tiles with a unique cut, wood paneling, or even paint your own. The color and character added might just convince you to spend a little more time in your kitchen.

18) Add a Butcher Block or Get an Island

 
This is another upgrade we made recently. My boyfriend loves to cook – the kitchen is almost like his man cave. (I hate cooking so I gladly stay away unless there are brownies.)

When we added the dishwasher, we moved a cabinet out, and thus needed more countertop. Since we had no idea what was used previously, we decided to get a butcher block.

It looks unique and it’s definitely a little bonus for any chef. It cost us around $300 for an 8 foot piece of wood.

Alternatively, if you need more meal prep space, you can get a rolling island – as long as your kitchen is big enough. This also serves as a good storage solution.

19) Re-do Your Floors

 
Flooring can really make-or-break the entire decor of your home. I absolutely love wood floors, and I detest green carpet (why is that still a thing?).

Laminate flooring is a much cheaper alternative to real wood floors, and it’s not that hard to install. Prices can be as low as 50 cents a square foot. If you want something a bit sturdier for a little more money, look at ceramic tile with a wood “look.”

Don’t have the money to upgrade, or you’re stuck with carpet? Try having your carpets professionally cleaned. If you have pets or a high-traffic area in your home, this can help make your carpet look less worn.

20) Upgrade Your Bathroom

 
Bathrooms tend to be on the smaller side, and therefore easier and cheaper to upgrade.

As I mentioned, I got to help my parents upgrade their house before it was sold, and I had free reign on how to re-do my bathroom.

Believe it or not, I was still budget-conscious about it, so I did my research and picked the nicest, cheapest tile I could. My dad renovated the bathroom from the sheet rock up. New bathtub with new tile surround, new paint, new floors, new towel holder.

When it was done it looked like a spa getaway. I was jealous I wouldn’t be able to use it much longer!

I’m fairly certain we did all of this for under $1,000, but the bathroom was also smaller.

However, you don’t have to go crazy. Maybe you just want a new vanity ($100-$500). Maybe you want a new mirror, or want to add shelves, or want to replace the hardware and faucets with something other than chrome. Each individual piece shouldn’t be that much money.
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I hope you realize there are numerous ways to upgrade your home on a small budget. You don’t need to tear out a bunch of stuff and hire a contractor to add personality to your home. One simple “fix” you could do right now is rearrange furniture! It can literally be that simple.

 
What are some small upgrades you’ve made to your home? Is there anything on this list you want to do?
 

While child care rates vary from state to state and depending on how many children you have and how old they are, research from the National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies indicates that the average cost of center-based full-time daycare in the U.S. for babies and toddlers exceeds $11,000 annually.

For some parents, it may not make sense to have a dual income household and pay these fees especially if it takes up a large chunk of one person’s income after taxes and other deductions.

Plus, you may want to stay at home with your child so you can bond with them, take care of any special needs that may have, and have a front row seat to witnessing their exciting new stages of growth.

When my husband and I both worked full-time jobs outside of the home, we also found it harder to be involved with what our son was doing in kindergarten. Some days we were too tired to clean properly and eat healthy too so I definitely see the clear benefits of being a stay-at-home parent and being able to help with some of these things.

However, some stay-at-home parents might not feel like they are doing their part to contribute financially to the family. On the bright side, there are quite a few things stay-at-home parents can do to contribute whether it be helping with saving money or earning money.

Coupon

Before you decide whether you like or dislike couponing, I’d encourage you to try it. You don’t have to be an extreme couponer and search for deals 40 hours per week, but you can save quite a bit of money on food and household items simply by clipping coupons and applying the discounts to your purchases.

I remember saving a few dollars on lots of medicine I purchased for my household once all because I opened the weekly paper and cut out two coupons I could use.

I recently met Jordon Cox at a conference last month who is a very inspiring couponer from England. At the age of 15, he started couponing to help his family out financially and during one shopping trip, he purchased $1,000 worth of groceries for only 10 cents.

The key with couponing is only purchasing items that you truly need and not just because you have a coupon for it. You can try a combination of clipping coupons from newspapers, printing manufacturer coupons, and using mobile apps to clip coupons digitally.

DC has created an extremely popular coupon database in excel that has helped many people who want to get serious about saving money through couponing. If you are new to coupons you will also want to read our post 12 Tips for Beginner Couponers.

Meal Plan and Prep

Planning meals is a great way to stretch your food budget and prepping meals can help you save lots of time. Sometimes, we resort to ordering takeout and dining out because the food at home is not prepped and ready to go.

This temporary convenience can add up over time so planning and prepping meals can even help your partner save money by not having to order food for lunch all the time.

Also, preparing fresh and nutritious meals is so much better for your body as opposed to eating pizza and McDonalds every day just because it’s quick food. Quick food can deteriorate your health over time and when you’re not at your healthiest, that’s when the doctor’s visits and medical bills start rolling in.

Provide After-School Care

If you have a school-aged child and a lot of kids in the neighborhood with working parents, you may be able to offer to carpool sometimes or provide after school care for a few hours to earn some extra cash.

I know elementary school hours are weird in terms of the traditional 9-5 job. Now that I work from home, I have more flexibility to drop my son off and pick him up at school. When I was working however, I could only drop him off sometimes because school got out at 2:30pm and I usually didn’t get home until 5pm.

If you have the availability and don’t mind helping out with other kids, this can be a great way to bring some extra money into the household while helping other families as well.

Complete DIY Projects

If new projects around the house are always popping up, you can try to take some on if you have any special skills instead of hiring someone else to do them. I know that in the past, sometimes I got so tired of looking at something and not having time to do it that I just hired someone out of convenience.

If you have the time and ability to complete a DIY project, it’s worth a try if it can save the family money. Even if you only have summers off work, you can still tackle large and small projects like that fixing that creaky bathroom door or painting the garage.

Sell Items From Your Home

This probably won’t create a consistent stream of income unless you decide to set up an online shop to sell items you want to sell like an Etsy shop for example, but you can make some extra money every now and then by de-cluttering your home.

If you have old furniture, books, clothes, etc. you can create listings on sites like Amazon, EBay, or Craigslist to sell the items for a profit. You can also flip things on Craigslist by buying things and selling them for more (you can even get free stuff on Craigslist that you can sell immediately for a profit).

Back when my son was a toddler and constantly growing, I often donated or sold his old clothes to consignment shops and stores like Once Upon a Child along with all his other baby gear. If you don’t have anyone to hand down your child’s items too, you might be able to make some money by getting rid of it.

If you do end up using Craigslist be sure to use best practices to stay safe.

Maintain the House

If you do simple everyday tasks like maintaining the house, walking the dog, organizing, etc., you’re probably saving your family more money than you realize. People who work long hours and don’t have time to keep their homes clean have to outsource it for a fee.

People who have dogs but don’t have time to walk them usually pay dog walkers $15 per walk or even more but as a stay at home parent, you can take care of tasks like these and help your family save money in the process.

Make Money through a Side Hustle

For stay-at-home parents, raising your children will always be your main job, but it doesn’t mean you can’t start a side hustle that creates extra income streams for your family.

There are literally hundreds of thousands of people – perhaps millions – making side income or full-time income through blogging or some other online or at-home side hustle.

Here are some helpful posts on making extra money:

• 50+ Legitimate Ways to Make Extra Money At Home

• How to Start a Blog that Makes Money

• 5 Side Hustles that Make at Least $500 a Month

• 7 Websites & Apps for Making Easy Extra Side Cash

• 6 Skills That Can Be Turned Into a Side Hustle

I always encourage stay-at-home parents to consider looking into ways to make money from home. Technology has drastically changed things today and there are more opportunities than ever before for stay-at-home parents to create income streams without leaving their home.

If you are serious about wanting to bring in an extra income stream, consider checking out DC’s book Hustle Away Debt.

Families Work Together

One of the best things about being in a family is that everyone plays a part so one person is not stuck with the burden of managing it all. Families who work together get more done and tend to have less stress.

As you can see, there are many ways to contribute as a stay-at-home parent and they are all very valuable. Understand that not having to pay for childcare is a huge benefit and being able to spend time with your child at home is a priceless experience.

You also may be interested in 40+ Ways to Improve Your Finances This Month.
Can you think of any additional ways stay-at-home parents can contribute financially? Have you tried any of these ideas yourself?