How Are You Dealing with Economic Fear? We’re Making a List…
Jim over at my favorite personal finance blog wrote an article at the end of September about combatting economic fear with frugality. The reality is that most of don’t have the foresight to adjust our retirement accounts in advance of a recession. It would have been nice to move all of our money into to cash in late July, and then, whenever the market hits bottom, move everything back into small cap growth stocks. Of course, if we knew when to do that, we’d all be billionaires. What we do have the foresight for is how we spend the next dollar. This quote from Jim’s article sums it up…
Being frugal is something that anyone can do and it can help you manage your fear of the economic unknown. No one can say where the stock market will go tomorrow, but you have all the say in where your next dollar will go. Will it go to your bank account where you can earn interest or will it go to your favorite store in the mall?
The Refrigerator List
Kim and I are in the beginning stages of adopting two more children from El Salvador. It’s exciting.. it’s terrifying.. and it’s expensive. After writing the first check to the adoption agency in late September, we realized our savings account balance had dwindled further than we’d like. Moreover, with mortgage companies freezing credit lines, we’re concerned that we might not be able to easily tap the equity in our home to complete the adoption. So we’re combatting our economic uncertainty with frugality.
The pictureto the right shows a list that sits on the side of our refrigerator. Throughout the month, if we want something above and beyond necessities, we add it to the list. For us, necessities are groceries, gas, and about $10/week we spend out on an inexpensive date. There are also emergency necessities, for instance, if one of the kids shoes breaks and they need a new pair… That kind of thing gets to skip the list. Of course, our new found frugality is having a profound affect on our ability to work home improvement projects. The next step in our basement project requires more primer for the floor. It’s on the list. Here’s what’s on our list after this month. Tomorrow, we’re going to sit down with our list and finances, pick the most important things, and start over again next month.
- Base 10 Blocks ($45) – A Tool Kim would Use to Help with Homeschooling the Kids.
- Garden Mulch ($100) – To protect our plants’ roots through the Winter.
- LevelQuik Floor Primer ($25) – To allow us to finish the next section of the basement floor.
- Insulation for Basement ($1000) – After we finish the electric, we’ll need to buy insulation.
- Stamps & Photos for Christmas Cards ($120) – If we send to our usual huge list.
- Playing Card Cup Replacement ($10) – To replace one of my tumblers the boys broke.
- Diffusers (?) – A fun item for my work desk to make the office smell nice.
- Chimney Sweep ($150) – We should really get this since we’ve never had it.
- New Grates for the Grill ($40) – To replace worn out grates on our Charbroil Gas Grill.
Our list has helped us avoid purchases that we might not really need. By looking at everything together at the end of the month, there’s a “cooling off” period from when we first wanted to buy the item. A lot of times, we forget what we wanted to impulse buy and it doesn’t even make it to the list.
In the past, we easily parted with $20. Now, we’re thinking about where every $20 goes. And its working… This month’s finances are already looking better.
What do you think? Have you made any changes to your lifestyle? How are you combatting economic fear?
Correction: BGE Gives Customers Credits Every Year for PeakRewards
Last week I wrote about BGE’s new Peak Rewards program. One criticism I made in that article was that BGE did not offer their customers incentive to be in the program every year. Instead, I said they limited the payment to a one-time credit of up to $200 in the first year you sign up.
A friend and reader here in Maryland informed me that I had made an error in that assertion. In fact, BGE offers customers a yearly incentive (up to $100), and a bonus incentive in the sign up year (also up to $100). So, the first year’s payments are limited to $200 and subsequent years are limited to $100.
My apologies to BGE and all of you!
Milwaukee 1/2-inch Electric Drill – Free Shipping & Great Price
October 30, 2008 by Fred
Filed under Quick Tips, Tools
Milwaukee has a long history of manufacturing fantastic power tools, and this drill is no exception. We’ve used an older model of this drill for years for a variety of projects including drilling through studs & joists for electric, mixing self-leveling mortar and drywall compound, screwing down decking boards, and everyday household use. With its keyed chuck, variable speed (0-850RMP) 8AMP motor, and its 360 degree side handle, this drill is great for all of your DIY projects where a reliable drill is needed.
Amazon sells this Milwaukee drill for a significant discount off Big Box stores, and, it ships for free to your front door. Plus, in most places you DON’T pay sales tax, and this item ships for FREE to just about everywhere. That makes it a huge savings off retail. Here’s the link:
Milwaukee 1/2-inch Electric Drill Specifications
Here’s additional specs on the Milwaukee:
What do you think? Do you own this drill? Leave a comment below and let us know.
Connect with Neighbors at a Pumpkin Carving Party
Recently, our good friends and neighbors, Patrick and Becky, hosted a pumpkin carving party for friends and neighbors. What a great idea! I was thrilled, especially since I had never carved a pumpkin before. But if I was thrilled, Ethan took it to a whole new level. He spent the days and weeks prior secretly planning the perfect pumpkin, although he was careful to not share any ideas with me for fear that I would not be on his team and steal his ideas.
Plan a Pumpkin Carving Party
With the invitation, Becky sent an outline for how the event would progress:
Step One: RSVP by _______ so that teams can be made.
Step Two: Coordinate with your team on a design you would like to carve into the pumpkin(s).
Step Three: Show up and carve (Please note that the Official Rules state that stencils are NOT allowed. You can free-hand a drawing, but no tracing! Violators will be subject to having a beer and thinking about what they have done.) Each team will have one hour to complete their design.
Step Four: Everyone will judge the contest for First, Second and Third place. The team with the most total votes wins the contest and will be forever immortalized in photos
Step Five: Enjoy yourself…it should be a fun way to spend a Saturday afternoon!
Carving Tools
Patrick and Becky provided basic pumpkin carving tools that can be purchased at any local grocery store or dollar store. Here is a great set of pumpkin carving tools from Amazon. Ethan, of course, brought along a power drill, knives, and a wealth of enthusiasm. Other teams brought Christmas lights, gourds, and other inferior items (wink, wink).
The Pumpkin
On our team, Ethan and Becky really drove the creative process, while me and another team member executed their vision. As you will see below, our pumpkin was masterful, although we did not win first place. Here is our pumpkin.
Tips for Carving Your Pumpkin
1. Bigger is not always better. While big pumpkins provide a larger creative slab, they take longer to scoop out and carve.
2. Buy the pumpkin carving tools! It is way easier than using a big kitchen knife. The power drill also really helped to make large holes, such as in the back for the candle.
3. Get creative and think outside the box. We used flour, lipstick, and shoe-polish to accent the design.
4. Preserve your pumpkin. After scooping it out, wipe down the pumpkin with a 10% bleach solution (cut with water) to help your pumpkin live longer. I also think the local vermin stay away from the bleach.
5. Have FUN! This is a great way to get to know your neighbors. Also, once you have carved it and put it on your porch, it creates a homey, welcoming feel in the neighborhood.
What do you think? Any carving tips or secrets? Ever hosted a carving party?
Resurfacing a Deck: New Wood on Existing Joist Structure
The picture to the right shows an existing 20′ x 5.5′ deck structure that serves as the porch entrance to a storage shed. The surface of the deck is pressure treated 2×8s sawn to fit between the front railing and a ledger just below the siding on the shed. As you can see in the picture, the 15-year old surface wasn’t subject to a lot of TLC and started to rot. It’s too hard to tell now whether it was ever sealed after first being laid.
Underneath the surface wood is a support structure built of 4×4s. We expected to find these support joists rotted out as well. Fortunately, after removing the wood we found that the majority of the structural wood was in good shape. Where there was minor issues it did not appear to be active rotting. We elected not to replace the existing structure due to time and cost constraints. Instead, we sistered up one new pressure treated 2×4 to the 4×4 closest to the shed to give us a wider area to fasten the new decking surface. Then, we laid new pressure treated wood on top of all the old joists.
All in all, we completed this job in about 6 hours on a Saturday. Below are the relatively simple steps we followed to resurface the deck that will work for most decking surfaces. Of course, each job is unique. On some decks, it is easier to lay all the wood and then mark and cut the edge with a circular saw. In our case, a raised railing required the wood to be cut before it was laid.
Steps to Resurface a Deck
If the wood was nailed down, use a pry bar and hammer to pull up the existing wood. If the wood was screwed down, use a drill driver instead to unfasten the wood from the substructure.- Purchase dimensional lumber in lengths that minimize waste. In our case, each board needed to be 5′8, so 2×12s made the most sense, yielding only 8 inches of waste on each board.
- Cut and lay the new boards over the existing structure. Fasten the boards down with nails or screws. We chose Phillips 3″ exterior grade decking screws (available at Home Depot). If you’re doing a deck larger than about 200 square feet, you should consider a collated screwgun as an alternative to a traditional drill-driver.
- To get the last board to fit, we had to rip-cut the 2×8 down to 6.26″ To do this, we measured and drew a line on the board from end to end, then used the laser-sighted circular saw to carefully rip the board. The result was a perfect fit.
Tools / Materials We Used to Resurface the Deck
Each of the tools we used can be purchased on Amazon with free shipping over $25 total purchase (and no sales tax in most places). The tools required are:
- Standard Claw Hammer
- 15″ Pry Bar
- Drill Driver (We used a 1/2 milwaukee electric drill)
- 7.25″ Laser-sighted Circular Saw
- 35′ Stanley Tape Measure
Materials:
- 16 pieces 2×8x12 pressure treated lumber
- 1 Box 500 Phillips 3″ Exterior Screws
Dimensional Lumber vs. Decking Boards
For this resurfacing job we elected to use traditional 2-by dimensional lumber (2×8s to be specific). An alternative to laying dimensional lumber would have been to use thinner decking boards available at lumber yards everywhere. Traditional dimensional lumber is 1.5 inches thick (despite the 2-by designation). Decking boards are 1.06 inches thick. The substructure of this deck had a 33″ span between two of the 4×4s. Even traditional 2×8s had more spring than we would have preferred, but laying decking boards would have been a non-starter. They would have bowed too much under these conditions.
What do you think? Have you resurfaced your deck? Is your deck in need of measures beyond simple stain and seal?
How to Recycle Rechargeable Batteries
How do you dispose of old rechargeable batteries? The Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation (RBRC) hopes you recycle it.
Call2Recycle
The RBRC is a non-profit organization committed to recycling rechargeable batteries and protecting the environment. They have created the Call2Recycle program for just that purpose. This program has helped recycle more than 42 million pounds of rechargeable batteries and cell phone batteries. RBRC has joined with retailers, businesses, and public agencies to provide over 50,000 convenient drop off locations.
How it Works
1. Go to the Call2Recycle site
2. Plug in your ZIP / Postal code at the top to find a recycle center
3. Drop off your batteries.
There are plenty of drop-off locations like Home Depot, Verizon, and RadioShack, so you won’t have to go far.
What do you think? Have any old batteries to get rid of?
Craftsman Compound Miter Saw with Laser Trac Review
These are my words of wisdom: purchase a good miter saw. Miter saws are used in lots of projects, like building shelves, cutting metal studs, and tons more. I’ve been installing a lot of baseboard and quarter round recently, and a good miter saw saves you time and frustration. I didn’t realize this profound truth until a friend let me borrow his miter saw. It was amazing and now I need to buy one.
Craftsman Compound Miter Saw
Sears sells the Craftsman Compound Miter Saw with Laser Trac (Sears item# 00921252000). It’s a great saw packed with features. I’ve used it and highly recommend it for every do-it-yourselfer.
Important Miter Saw Features
These are the features I like most about this saw:
- Miter Stops: This saw has 9 positive miter stops at 0, 15, 22.5, 31.6 and 45° (left and right). These are your most common angles and the positive stops make it a so easy to get the right angle and keep working.
- Laser Guide: No more guess work. The laser guide lets you know exactly where the blade will cut. This is so much better than making a series of cuts to get the right length. Plus, the laser is accurate for both miter and bevel angle cuts.
- Bevel Cuts: This saw can perform miter cuts AND bevel angle cuts. There is an upfront bevel lock handle that lets you adjust the angle from the front of the saw.
- Telescoping Extension Wings: This saw has extension wings that slide out to help support longer boards. And, when you’re not using them, the tuck neatly underneath out of the way.
- Motor Brake: The motor brake stops the saw blade from spinning after the cut is finished. This is a great safety feature. A spinning blade is dangerous, especially when I want to reach my hand in and retrieve a freshly cut piece. This brake helps me keep my fingers and reduces noise.
Other Great Features
What else does this saw have?
- This saw includes a steel stand. It makes operating the saw quicker, more comfortable, and helps save your back (not pictured).
- The 15 amp motor is strong enough to tackle even heavy duty projects.
- The Quick-cam miter lock eliminates needing to tighten and untighten the position of the saw. Just press the tab and go.
- 1 year warranty
- 15 amp, 4800rpm motor
Complaints?
This saw is only a single bevel. More expensive versions include the double bevel but I don’t mind rotating a piece around to get the bevel angle I want. Also, a 12″ blade would be nicer but that really only comes into play with large pieces and I haven’t bumped into that problem yet.
What do you think? Ever use this saw?
Soffits (Bulkheads) Contain Pipes, Electric Wiring, Duct Work, and more…
A bulkhead is a blocked area of a ceiling that is lower than the rest of the ceiling, usually by about 4-12 inches. Bulkheads can be decorative (for instance, when used over kitchen cabinets), or functional (when used to cover structural elements, electric, plumbing, or HVAC components). In some cases, bulkheads are both decorative and functional. For instance, a bulkhead over kitchen cabinets may be hiding drain plumbing from the bathrooms above, or romex wiring running to an over-range microwave. Bulkheads are usually made of the same material as the ceiling or wall (most commonly drywall). Below is a list of the most popular items bulkheads are covering in today’s homes.
Common Items in Soffits
- Structural elements, like steel I-beams or wood headers.
- Plumbing, including pressurized (copper pipes), and sewer (PVC).
- Natural Gas / Propane Plumbing.
- Electric wiring (Romex).
- HVAC Duct Work.
- Central Vacuum Plumbing.
Identifying Soffit Contents
As modern design has moved toward open floor plans and taller cabinets, bulkheads have become less desirable, and many owners want to remove them from existing homes. The first step in removing an unwanted bulkhead is to determine if it is hiding any of the items from the list above. Here’s a few practical steps you can take to determine if the bulkhead is hiding something.
- Look at the location of the bulkhead and consider what it might contain. For instance, if you know that the joists run from the front of your house to the back, and there’s a bulkhead in the middle of the home, chances are it contains a steel I-beam or wooden header.
- Think about where your plumbing enters the house, where your sewer leaves. Each bathroom and the kitchen are connected to both of these. Remember that large pipes usually do not run through joists (cutting a 3″ hole would weaken the joist). So, if a bulkhead is nearby, the plumbing is likely running inside.
- Consider the same for your HVAC and electric. For HVAC, fairly large ducts must be hidden somewhere in the floor, walls, or bulkheads. A large bulkhead may be used to get around joists or other obstacles to get ventilation to an upper floor.
- Use a special stud finder that checks for studs, pipes and electrical current (available from Amazon at that link). Run that stud finder over the bulkhead to get a better idea of what’s inside. Beware that the metal detector can return a false positive, most notably when the drywall contains metal reinforcements on the corners.
- Cut a hole in the bulkhead large enough to fit a digital camera inside, then take pictures facing both ends. While it will require you to do a drywall patch to fix it, its better than beginning a removal only to find that a large pipe is in the way.
Removing a Bulkhead
Once you’ve determined that a bulkhead is not functional (or you’ve mitigated the issue by moving the hidden obstacle), removing a bulkhead is easy, just tear off the drywall, remove the studs (usually easy because they are often nailed into joists above), drywall over the gap, and patch the drywall. Sound too simple? It actually is simple, particularly if you have some experience in drywall repair.
What do you think? Have you removed any bulkheads from your own home? What did you find inside?
How to Remove Squirrels from your Home
The squirrel saga continues. Some time ago we had some serious squirrels problems. We could hear them crawling and scratching around between the vaulted ceiling and the roof. I regret to inform you, the squirrels are back. To be completely honest, they’ve been back for a little while. But now I’ve called a professional.
Where the Squirrels are Getting In
I’ve been watching the squirrels, and I’ve located their entrance. There is a board on the side of my house where the roof meets the siding called the rake board. They slip under this rake board and get into my house. Another popular entrance for squirrels is through the soffit. Check the underside of your eaves and look for loose pieces.
Mid-Atlantic Wildlife Control LLC
MAWC came out and installed aluminum flashing to the underside of my rake board. At the apex of my roof, they installed a one way squirrel exit (see picture). Any squirrels in the house will eventually leave to do whatever evil things squirrels do during the day and won’t be able to get back in. After about a week, MWAC will take the exit down and secure the opening, leaving me squirrel free.
I found MAWC online, and I choose them for several reasons.
- No squirrels are actually harmed. As much as I don’t like squirrels, I don’t want to kill them. MAWC offers a humane way to deal with them. Plus, even if these squirrels died, other squirrels would move right in.
- MAWC seemed really knowledgeable. In addition to the trap, they let me know that trimming back the trees can also be a good deterrent. Even though the squirrels can still get to my roof, eliminating the easy access encourages them to live elsewhere.
- MAWC is licensed and insured – always a good thing!
- The right price. This service costs $245. Another company I called wanted $475 and I’ve heard that other companies even charge by the squirrel.
The Squirrels are Watching
It’s only been a few days but I know this is working. How? For one thing, I don’t hear them in my house anymore. But even more obvious, there is a handful of squirrels lurking around my house. It’s eerie seeing a squirrel or two staring down at me every time I go outside.
Squirrel Prevention
Amy @ Green Gardenista has a great post about DIY squirrel repellent. I think that may be the next step to keep these animals out of my house.
What do you think? Ever battle squirrels before?
Bed and Breakfast at Deep Creek Lake: Bear Creek Crossing B&B Review
October 11 marked Kim’s and my fifth wedding anniversary. Tradition told us we were supposed to exchange gifts of wood this year. We decided to honor that in our own way: by taking a trip to the woods in western Maryland. I searched around for Bed and Breakfasts near Deep Creek Lake, MD, a rural resort area about 3 hours west of our Baltimore County home. We love B&Bs. They’re cozy, charming, and more personal than hotels.
After searching for a few hours on the internet one day and getting nowhere–seemed like all the B&Bs were either booked solid or unappealing–I finally found a cute place in Accident, MD, just 5 miles east of Deep Creek (yeah, no kidding, the town is named Accident). The B&B we found is named Bear Creek Crossing Bed and Breakfast, and not surprisingly sits right next to Bear Creek. Bear Creek B&B didn’t offer online reservations, which for us was fortunate. Every place that looked good and offerred online reservations was booked solid. Two weeks after getting back, we’re still telling friends about our experience. It was great vacation getaway.
Bear Creek Bed and Breakfast Reviewed
So what made our vacation so great? It started with booking the trip. I called and was greeted on the phone by the owner, Peggy. She let me know they had just remodeled their rooms (they have three, but one doesn’t have its own bathroom and thus is only suitable for kids). She had one rentable room left. Peggy let me know on the phone that she was extremely flexible. We could have privacy if we wanted it, or we could talk the night away with her, her husband, and other guests. She asked a couple questions about preferences (I honestly can’t remember them) and then whether we were celebrating any special occasion. After learning it was our 5th anniversary, she offerred to get us a cake (no charge) with Kim’s favorite color (green). I was already feeling pretty good about my decision. A few days after we booked, Peggy mailed us all sorts of information about local attractions, directions on how to get to the B&B, and some nice pamphlets to hand out to friends (which we will).
We planned to arrive around 7:00pm but got a late start from Baltimore and then hit westbound traffic near Frederick, MD. Our three hour trip turned into five after stopping at the Hagerstown Crackerbarrel for dinner. I called Peggy, and of course she was accommodating again, letting us know we could show up whenever. We arrived just after 10:00pm, got situated in our room, and came downstairs to talk. We immediatley hit it off with Peggy, discussing everything from our kids (we both have twins) to the economy, to running a B&B, to blogging. Before we knew it, it was 1:00am. Peggy’s husband Buz came home the next evening and chatted it up with us again. Turns out Buz knows a LOT about everything, and he’s got some great stories, having been a private commercial pilot for 30 years.
I could go on and on about how great our trip was. Peggy and Buz took care of everything. Breakfast was fantastic; our king size bed was exceptionally comfortable; our room was inviting and relaxing, and all the attractions we visited were superb. I struggle to find anything about this trip we didn’t like. We’ll definitely go back. If you’re considering a Bed and Breakfast near Deep Creek Lake, MD, Bear Creek Crossing is your place. Follow that link to get contact information. Remember to tell them Kim and Fred sent you!
Bear Creek B&B Highlights
Room Related:
- Comfortable king size beds (the most important factor in a B&B).
- Private bathroom (shower only, no tub – a minor drawback).
- LCD Cable TV / WiFi in Room.
- Door locks (with unique keys for each room).
- Menus for local restaurants, extra blankets, and more…
House Related:
- Main-level sitting area with TV & a ample comfortable furniture.
- Large kitchen with everything you need to cook for yourself.
- 8 acres of woods, creek, all around beautiful surroundings.
- Front porch with swings, eating area, socializing area.
Breakfast:
- Home cooked and delicious.
- You pick the time for breakfast (big plus for us, we’re late risers on vacation).
- You pick the food (we had omelettes one day, french toast the next).
- Coffee, juice, water, fruit, biscuits…. all included, all fantastic.
Location:
- Five minutes away from Deep Creek Lake, Ski Wisp, and ACSI Whitewater Rafting.
- Fifteen minutes away from Swallow Falls State Park, Herrington Manor State Park, and more.
- Fifteen minutes from Oakland, MD (Garrett County Seat and home of the Autumn Glory Festival).
Price:
- Comparably priced (if not cheaper) than other B&Bs nearby. We paid $200/weekend night.
What do you think? What’s your best experience with a B&B? Do you prefer B&Bs, or traditional hotels?
