View your shopping cart.

Reader Tips — Housing

If you’re looking for lots of great tips to help you in your frugal journey, you’ve come to the right place! Our list of reader tips has been growing since we started in 2004, and there’s something for everybody. Browse from oldest to newest by type of tip.

Click a reader tip title below to view the full details.

Show tips about:

Relocated Equity

We are in the process of moving from Massachusetts to Rhode Island — why — because Massachusetts housing prices were too expensive.

Tip type: Housing
Fragile: Handle With Blankets

During our last move, we used all of our towels, blankets, sheets, etc. to pack our fragile items in boxes.

Tip type: Housing
5 Ways I've Saved

Here are just five of hundreds of ways that I’ve saved money while living in Southern California:

Tip type: Housing
Rags to Increase Riches

Here is a way we save money around the house. We consider paper towels a luxury, so to save money and clean up spills, I use lots of rags and just rewash them.

Tip type: Clothes, Cooking, Housing, Kitchen Ideas, Paper Savings
Scratch Pads From Junk Ads

I use the backs of all the blank advertising mailings for my scratch paper and grocery lists.

Tip type: Housing, Kitchen Ideas, Paper Savings
Furniture and Rock Bottom Prices

I have purchased almost all of my furniture in Hickory N.C. (High Point, N.C. is another good place) from furniture stores selling either samples used in photo shoots or factory damaged, high-end pieces.

Tip type: Housing
Two Door File?

We needed to set up a work / school area in one of our older girl's rooms.

Tip type: Education, Housing, Kids, Office / Computer, Shopping
Don't Cross That Line!

I recently had a property dispute with a new neighbor who claimed her survey (which was 10 years old and from the previous owner) said that I was encroaching on her property by two-and-one-half feet!

Tip type: Housing
Put Plastic in the Can

I've found a couple of great uses for all of those plastic grocery bags that I've accumulated.

Tip type: Cooking, Groceries, Housing, Kitchen Ideas
Foil Cold Weather

Bitter cold weather last year had people scurrying about to make their homes airtight.

Tip type: Housing, Utilities & Banking
Paint from "OOPS" Mountain

If you know you have a painting job coming up, start scouting out the “oops” shelf at Home Depot. This is where unused, returned paint is sold at a steep discount. The paint is usually returned because the tint didn’t work for the person who purchased it. You can often find a suitable color for just $5 per gallon!!! Many times matching quart cans of trim paint can be had for only $3.

Tip type: Crafts / Decor, Housing, Workshop Ideas
Recycled Handles

Twice I have visited an appliance recycling center and obtained excellent material to replace refrigerator door handles.

Tip type: Housing, Kitchen Ideas, Shopping
Lighten Down

Our bathroom has two light bars that

Tip type: Housing, Shopping, Utilities & Banking
Keep Yout Septic System Smiling

For people who receive their water through

Tip type: Cooking, Housing, Utilities & Banking
Declutter And De Tax

When you donate to the Salvation Army or Goodwill they will give you a blank receipt.

Tip type: Gifts, Housing