Savvy home improvement

The standard advice used to be that whatever you spent on home improvement was an investment, and could be recouped in the sale of the house. That advice is no longer true today, but some home improvements still make good investment sense.

Among the best places to invest in your home:

• Kitchen updates. Ironically, as fewer and fewer people are cooking, the kitchen has become more important as a selling point in homes today. Buyers want lots of space, and updated high-end appliances. Designer touches like a mosaic tile backsplash or quarry tile floors add function and beauty, and are durable. Refacing cabinets can offer kitchens a lift without the expense of replacing the units. And something as simple as a high-end faucet can add value for a nominal cost. 

• Decks, attic conversions, and other "found space." Anything that increases the living area of a home is usually a good investment. Decks should be sized to complement the home, and not be too large (more than 1/3 of the area of the home) or too small to be functional. Attics, basements, and other unused areas in a home that can be converted into living space can dramatically increase value compared to their cost. Just make sure the space is not too specialized but can serve a variety of functions if you are concerned about resale value. 

• Bathroom updates. Like kitchens, buyers look for modernized baths. Luxury touches such as deep tubs or jetted tubs are a good bet. Modernized shower units are a good selling point. If your color scheme is dated, consider updating to glass tile and a neutral palette. While you want to have enough bathrooms as a convenience factor, large master baths are a good selling point. Which brings us to the next item ... 

• Master suites. Most buyers are looking for a large master bedroom with a large bath attached that they can turn into a relaxing and secluded getaway. Small bedrooms don't sell well, and it might even be worth knocking out a wall or two if your house is old enough to have tiny bedrooms. A home with a large master suite and only one extra bedroom will usually sell faster than one with three smaller bedrooms. 

• Energy efficiency.  Insulation, new windows, new seals, and anything else that makes your home run more efficiently will make it more attractive to buyers, and save you money in the meantime. You may also be eligible for tax credits when you increase your home energy efficiency, so these can be especially smart ways to spend your home improvement dollars. 

And the most important update everyone should consider -- paint. Painting is one of the least expensive updates to a home, but can have some of the most dramatic effects. Neutral colors are best, but that doesn't mean you can't have drama. Dining rooms, for example, if they are large enough, can handle darker shades and dramatic hues, and these are appropriate for rooms where people will be eating. Take special note of the color of the front door and any paintable trim. This can be one of the best and most inexpensive ways to give your home curb appeal. 


On the other hand, there are those updates that, while you might like to add them, are not going to come anywhere near repaying you when you sell the house. Chief among these are swimming pools, which might be a drawing point for some buyers. Just as easily though, buyers can see a pool as a liability in terms of having to maintain it and being responsible for keeping children safe.  Even a beautifully landscaped pool featuring glass mosaic tile murals, while beautiful and certainly enjoyable, might actually decrease your chances of selling your home someday.


So whether you are planning to put your home on the market in the near future, or just want to invest your home improvement dollars where they are most likely to pay you back someday, spend wisely. But most of all, choose improvements that will let you better enjoy your home and make you love it all the more. That's money well spent.

How can I save money on pet supplies?

We love our pets, and know that you do too. After going out today to buy some supplies, we realized others might benefit from our sources.

Prices can vary wildly on pet supplies. Sometimes sources you may not have thought of can be your best places to shop. Check out these for great deals ...

• Feed stores (farm stores). This is actually the first place we check for certain supplies. You can often find high quality feeds here. If you buy animal bedding, aspen shavings can be bought in huge bales meant for horse stalls for just a few dollars more than a small brick at a pet shop. If you have small animals, water bottles of higher quality and lower price are usually available here. Also often a good source for toys, collars, and leashes for large dogs, as well as no-nonsense rubber or galvanized feeding pans. 

• Chain pet stores. Many things here are overpriced, in our opinion, but there are some exceptions. Because they have such a huge variety of toys for cats, birds, and other small animals, they often put many of them on clearance on a regular basis, and we just go through and check the cheap prices. 

• Discount stores. Many of the products here may be cheap, but they are often of inferior quality as well. This can be a good source for books (sometimes, check online as well), or for name brand products that may be overstocks elsewhere, such as Nylabones. 

• Grocery stores. Usually not a good source. The exceptions can be if they decide to size down their pet supplies or if they get holiday products for pets, and they may discount them deeply. Larger items such as cat litter boxes may fall under this category. Pet foods, pet treats, and kitty litter seldom do. 

• Big box stores. These can be great for pet foods, treats, and kitty litter. I especially like Costco, for their Kirkland's brand, which is close to premium quality food for about the same price as a commercial brand elsewhere. 

• Overstock stores. Merchandise varies, and you need to know the price you expect to pay before you go in. They tend to carry higher-end products, at something of a discount. Near Christmastime is the best time to shop there for pets, and pet beds are one of the better buys there. (I got a really cool camo-print bed for one of my cats at a great price at Ross.) Fancy designer dishes, etc. are also often good buys and frequently available. 

• Online. We actually don't buy many pet supplies online, but it pays to check out before investing in a major purchase. If the seller offers free or discounted shipping, this can be your best bet.  

I hope this helps you be kind to your furry friends, AND your pocketbook at the same time. Happy shopping!

Great gifts for outdoor living

Still deliberating over the perfect gift for this holiday season? Most of us have our thoughts focused indoors this time of year, but if your gift recipient loves the outdoors like I do, they might appreciate a gift that reminds them of balmy breezes and helps them look forward to getting back to their outdoor activities.

Patio furnishings make great gifts. A unique planter can show off a favorite plant. Adirondack chairs offer style and bring to mind relaxing in the shade with a good book. A potting table is a very practical gift for a gardener and makes working with plants even more enjoyable. A porch swing or glider is a welcome retreat from summer chores. If your recipient's patio is already fully furnished, new cushions in an outdoor fabric can brighten things up. Accessories such as fountains, wind chimes, rain chains, bird feeders, and birdhouses all make wonderful gifts.


Yard furnishings and decorations are good choices as well. Consider park benches to place in the shade along a garden path inviting the gardener to rest and enjoy the scenery. Garden statuary or a gazing ball placed in just the right spot can surprise or invite contemplation. Birdbaths and fountains add enchantment and interest to a garden. Stone or wood planters can help set the mood and emphasize special landscaping plants. Kits to make personalized stepping stones are available and the finished stones can be nice gifts for grandparents when they feature children's artwork, hand prints, or footprints.

Don't forget children, but in this case you might want to limit it to gifts they can get some use from right away, like child-sized picnic tables that may be set up in a sun-room. Gifts such as playground equipment are a lot of fun, but are best for children who live in places that will allow them to use the equipment right away. A swing-set can be a disappointment for children when they are told they must wait several months before they can play on it. If the child does live in a snowy climate, a sled, snow tube, snowboard, ice skates, a snow tunnel, or a mold for making snow forts would be much more appreciated.


Just because winter has you chased inside the house, doesn't mean you can't look forward to getting back outside in warmer weather, and you can help your loved ones dream of sunnier times too. And next year while they enjoy your gifts, they will be reminded of you and appreciate your thoughtfulness.

How the new advertising works for YOU (the Savvy Shopper)

You're a savvy shopper. You want to find great deals, discounts, and coupons on the things you are shopping for. You’re also interested in clever products being developed with new features to answer your changing needs. When it’s time to shop for gifts, you want unique and exciting items to make your gift stand out from the crowd. The job of the advertising agency is to put these kinds of information out there and draw you to their clients’ products.

In the digital age, advertising has undergone a subtle shift -- one that can be a great advantage to the shopper, as well as to makers and sellers of outstanding products. Social media plays a key role here. If your friend on Facebook finds a company that offers a low price on the hottest new item, they can “share” that with you (and all their other friends!). In return, you may tweet about it on Twitter to let other people know about it. Someone sees that post, and adds their own favorite sale or coupon link.


Now it’s not only your own eyes looking for the latest and greatest, but your friends as well. If those in your groups share the same interests and values, their suggestions are likely to be even more relevant to you. Trading information with your friends can benefit all of you, and certainly help the advertiser of the product get the word out there when he has something to promote.

This phenomenon will certainly be growing. You might take a moment to visit your favorite retailers’ Facebook sites (if they have one) and “like” them, which usually gives you access to their ongoing sales. Your friends can also see what sites you like, helping them find useful sellers as well.  Pass it on!!!

Best value for flower arrangements and floral gifts

We’re all about getting the most for your money. When it comes to flower delivery uk one of the things to consider is how long flowers can be enjoyed for the cost you invest to send them.

Some may consider fresh flowers to be frivolous things, but there is nothing like the lift they provide, especially to someone who is ill and cannot get outside, or during the long months of winter when flowers are nowhere to be found. If you give (or receive) flowers, you want them to last as long as possible.

Start with a very clean vase, and provide lukewarm water (except in the case of bulb flowers, which do better with cold water). Cut the stems of the flowers in the diagonal under running water and place them into the vase containing warm water and the flower additive of your choice.

There are many cut flower additives meant to prolong freshness, some better than others. Suggestions include aspirin, sugar, pennies, and often the florist provides a packet of flower additive. Aspirin is probably only helpful for the small amount of food it offers the flowers, but this is much less than sugar would provide. Pennies were once meant to adjust the pH in the water, but since pennies are no longer made of copper, that advice is outdated. Your best bet is really the commercial flower additives, or as a second choice, sugar.

Another option to increase the value from florist’s offerings is to buy live plants instead. Sometimes flowering plants are offered, offering the best of both worlds. At this time of year, poinsettias, Christmas rose,  cyclamen, and Christmas cactus are especially popular. Many florists also offer long-lasting holiday wreaths.

For the ultimate in flower longevity, some florists even deliver silk flowers, or plants with silk flowers tucked in among the leaves. One of my favorite arrangements was a small green ivy plant I used to keep on my desk at work. The ivy was growing on a tiny trellis and had miniature silk flowers woven among the stems. It delighted everyone who came into my office, and they all tried to figure out what sort of plant it was, since that plant didn’t normally bear flowers, ruffled pink or otherwise. 

Whichever you choose, make sure to get the most for your money. Help your flowers last as long as possible (or even forever!).

More Options for Holiday Cash

Try earning extra cash for the holidays and clearing out unneeded items at the same time. There are a number of good options for putting your old stuff to work for you.

eBay - usually offers specials around the holidays, allowing you to list at no cost. Fees can be higher, but you have a very wide exposure. Accepting Paypal is the easiest way to be paid, but not yet required through eBay.

etsy.com - similar to eBay and growing in popularity, etsy is a good place to list handcrafted items (according to the rules, they are supposed to be something you yourself made) and vintage/collectible items. Fees are lower than eBay.

Craigslist - a local option, best for large items that would not ship well. Since it usually involves meeting face to face, you should take precautions, perhaps meeting your buyer in a public place, and accepting only cash.

Have a garage sale if the weather isn't too bad. Better yet, organize with your neighbors and have a neighborhood sale. Advertise in advance and you could pull in a lot of shoppers.

Not usually good for cash, but if you are shopping for your children, say, you might be able to take their outgrown clothing and toys to a consignment or resale shop and swap their items for new things. Resale shops might give you a better price for your items if you are willing to take it in store credit instead of cash, but make sure there are things you'd like to have from that store first.

The last option won't get you cash, but it's worth mentioning.

Hold a swap - this takes some organization, but can be a lot of fun. If you are part of a local group of some kind (gym, church, school, club, etc.) have everyone bring extra items they would be willing to sell at a garage sale, have everything given a "credit" value, and basically "shop" from each other's surplus. Because there will likely be un-claimed items, it's best to consider items you brought as something you'd be willing to donate. Let people take home their un-traded items if they like, but everything else can go to charity and get a tax deduction for your organization.

Doorbusters – are they worth it?

You know the scene. So many people anxious to be first in line to assure they snag one of the coveted (but limited items) that crowd control techniques are needed. The merchandise has to be contained behind barricades in order to keep shoppers from grabbing them before the appointed time. Lines so long at checkout that stanchions have to be set up to weave people toward the registers – probably not with the luxury of velvet rope, but more likely with something resembling police tape for the sake of its psychological impact to keep the crowds orderly.

Is it really worth it? Well, it depends. Partially on the constitution of the shopper. Some enjoy getting out there and elbowing their way through crowds. However, when I hear about people actually getting hurt in circumstances like this, I have to wonder if any deal is worth it. Especially when you consider that very often, you can get the same deal throughout the Black Friday weekend, or perhaps get it even cheaper on Cyber Monday. If sales are not particularly brisk, the same deals or better are often offered throughout the shopping season leading up to Christmas. (And for that matter, they are sometimes discounted even MORE deeply after Christmas.

You do have choices. Some stores have much less competitive crowds than others. A good hint is that if they are lining up on the front walk the day before the sale, you might want to reconsider. Sometimes the item is not so severely limited that only the first few shoppers get one. It might be worth contacting the store to ask. You can always go online before hitting the stores and see how much you can save that way. Or you might visit the store once the rush has died down and get the recipient a gift card which can be used at the store AFTER the holiday to buy at comparable prices (this is especially good for many seasonal clothing items and “gift” items, such as robes, slippers, boxed sets, etc. which are often marked 75% off the day after Christmas).

So be savvy in your shopping. Sometimes there may be that one special thing that you just can’t get any other way, and you may decide to go for it. If you do, then be safe. But there just might be a better way.

Happy Shopping!

Another unique gift idea

Finding a unique item often inspires ideas for creative ways to give it as a gift. A good example are the cotton scrub sets we found in baby (and children's) sizes.

Do you know a doctor with a new baby? A set of medical scrubs for the baby would make a cute gift. The same could be true of new parents who are ambitious about their infant's future. Or if you want to make a special gift for to the new baby, how about a savings bond to start the child's college fund, presented with an adorable set of baby scrubs?

Or maybe you know a child who is determined to be a doctor. My daughter went through that stage, and for quite a while she enjoyed playing with a real stethoscope given her by her uncle (who was a pediatrician) as she played doctor to all her stuffed animals. Since she still says she's going to vet school, it seems the dream stayed with her. She would have LOVED a set of scrubs to go with her medical kit and stethoscope.

They say it's the thought that counts ... any time you find a unique item like this that fits the situation so perfectly, you have a chance to give a gift that will stand out and be remembered for years.

Image courtesy of  http://www.blueskyscrubs.com/

The Move From Hell

Guest written by our friend Jan Petersen

My last move was really the move from hell. I have moved several times in the last few years due to circumstances beyond my own control, which has been terrible. So, I’ve had my fair share of tough moves. Due to these circumstances, I consider myself an experienced mover, and pride myself on staying organized and calm when everything seems to be out of control. This last move was so bad, that I almost thought I’d lose it. First, the movers showed up three hours late, and made up a bogus story about how they were stuck on the highway behind a serious, unmovable accident. Due to their tardiness, we weren’t able to get everything out of my apartment on time, and my complex charged me a $100 fine. Right when I thought the worst of it was over, we got to my new apartment and it hadn’t been cleaned yet. It was really a dirty! I felt like this move would never be over, and that everything was just getting harder. Luckily, a few days later when I was searching for a satellite TV provider I found CannonSatellite.com. They had some really great offers that I couldn’t resist. I was grateful that at least one aspect of the move was easy!

Carpet Cleaning? Be Savvy!

Company is coming for the holidays, and you want to have your house in perfect shape to welcome them. One task many homeowners are going to be tackling is cleaning their carpets.

I've gone back and forth on this one, but I want to share my experiences and maybe save you some headaches (and backaches!). I saw the machines in the store and thought, “I can do this myself, and save some money!” So, I went to the store and rented the machine. The typical cost is usually around $25-35 these days, with the attachment needed usually running another few dollars. Then there is the cleaning solution, which (depending on brand) is typically another $8-20. Sometimes you then find out that you have to buy extra solutions, like a de-foamer. Tack on a few more dollars. By the time it’s all totaled up, I think I usually spent about $65-75. Well … I’m still saving a few dollars? Right?

Lug the machine home, fill it with hot water and chemicals. Move furniture, go over the carpet, dump the machine and clean it. Move furniture some more, fill machine again, go over the carpet, dump the machine and clean it again. Usually I had to repeat a few times. And in the end, clean the machine one last time. Drive back to the rental place to return it (usually in a hurry and afraid I’m going to go over because everything took longer than I expected!). In the end, I did save a few dollars. Although I doubt that’s still true when you add in gas for picking up and returning the machine, and also the fast food I picked up for the family because I was too busy to cook. In the end, for my trouble I got a carpet that was cleaned with do-it-yourself equipment and chemicals. For almost the same price as a professional cleaning. That's when I made a mental note … next time, consider the alternatives carefully!

So the next time, that’s what I did. I checked with local carpet cleaning companies, and found one that offered coupons and seemed reputable. I called them and made an appointment. They showed up, THEY moved the furniture, THEY cleaned the carpet (much faster than I had done!), and THEY put the furniture back. Then they were finished, and I couldn't believe how much faster they accomplished the task.

The carpet was also much drier than it had been when I had used the rental machine. It had taken almost 24 hours to dry when I did it myself. The carpet company promised it would be dry in a few hours, and it was! So thanks to my coupons, I had a professionally cleaned carpet for about the same price I had paid, all things considered, to do it myself. And without all the hassle – the only thing I had to do was be there for the short time it took for the cleaning.

So, if you are planning on cleaning your carpet for holiday guests, do yourself a favor. Check the DIY prices, and make sure you count ALL the products you will need (they don’t always tell you about all of it until after you begin the rental process and they figure they’ve got you!). Then search the web for carpet cleaning coupons. Austin-based The Steam Team (http://www.thesteamteam.com)offers a $99 special, for example, that would rival DIY prices. You just might decide it’s a savvy-shopping move to hire a professional in this case!

My own Christmas wish list

Well … it’s official. My old stereo is broken. It makes CDs sound like the vocalists are caught in slow motion. Underwater. And horses are stomping on them. That's not how I like my music to sound, so it’s time to start looking at new stereo receivers.

I have to say I’m a bit disappointed. I LIKED my old stereo. It was the newest thing when I first got it. It played MP3s that I had recorded on CD, and I could put hundreds of songs on a single disc. I always thought that was pretty cool, and with a 5 disc changer, I could load enough music to play for over a week without hearing the same song twice, if I wanted. I’m going to miss that stereo.

But I hadn’t looked recently at what is now available, and now that I am looking, I’m getting excited! There are streaming media receivers that have ports for my iPhone and iPod, so I can still play my MP3s, but I won't need to copy them to disc first now. Not only that, but I would have access to almost twenty thousand internet radio stations (and I thought a couple hundred television channels were overwhelming! But fortunately, the radio stations are listed by genre online). And all of my favorite podcasts would be at my fingertips as well. This is going to be just too cool.

Oh, and I almost forgot -- it plays local AM and FM too.

Oh, Santa ..... Now where did he go?

Choosing gifts for hard-to-buy-for people

I was trying to think of a gift for my brother who seems to have everything. Usually for people like that I seek out something unique that hopefully they have never seen, and that reflects their personality, which often ends up being some decorative thing. But my brother is very practically minded, and probably wouldn’t appreciate something like that. He’s also something of a gadget junkie, so I tried to think of the most practical accessory that he might not already have for one of his prized electronic toys.

I ended up looking at iPad and iPhone accessories, especially covers. I know he has one for his iPhone, and we’ve discussed the merits of one type vs. another in depth, so I already had an idea of what features were important to him. So I looked at covers for ipad since he didn’t have one of those yet. I know he loves to cook (he could be a gourmet if he wasn’t going to medical school instead!), and the cover that fits the iPad is perfect to keep spills and splashes off the screen while reading recipes.

(I’m thinking I could use one of those myself. I usually get recipes from my iPhone, and copy them on paper since I don’t want my iPhone in the kitchen while I’m cooking – I tend to splatter or end up with flour dusting everywhere!)

So there you have it … a practical gift that will be used and appreciated. Now, I might have to get him one of those funny little figurines with a med student to go along with it.

Savvy shopping for domains and web hosts

Recently we posed about earning extra cash for the holidays from your website or blog. If you’re interested in getting started earning money online, the first things you need to consider are your domain name, and your website hosting service.

A good domain name will help people remember you, and make it easier to find you online. That translates into a site that is worth more money online, so try to choose one that represents the theme of your website. Whatever people will type in the search bar when they want to read what you are writing is a good choice for your domain name.

The next consideration is your webhost, which is a service you pay to put your site on the computer so it can be found. There are many providers to choose from, each one charging different fees and offering different features. From among a number of sites compared side by side, we found one as inexpensive as $1.99 per month. And cheap web hosting doesn’t have to mean a lack of service … this one (Webhostingpad.com) offers a number of helpful features, and you can read almost 1,000 customer reviews for an insight into the experiences other customers have had with them.

I’m impressed by this webhost ranking service and the information it provides. My webhost is on the list (I won’t tell you which one it is, LOL) but I will say that when my renewal comes up, I may be moving to a better and cheaper provider. So check out your options, and choose the best one for you. After all, isn’t that what Savvy Shopping is all about?

Fun Gift Idea for iPhone Users

Are you having trouble deciding on a gift for someone who “has it all”? If they are an iPhone user, we have a great idea for you! This is something I’ve looked for since the first month I started using an iPhone myself, and I was really excited to see it.

ImToo iPhone Transfer Platinum lets you transfer media files between your computer and iPhone (it also supports other devices like iPods). Now you can load music from your favorite CD, or transfer DVD movies to your iPhone and take them with you. (It also works with iPads.) The transfer goes both ways – you can transfer media file from your iPhone to your computer and enjoy them there, or as a way to backup your iPhone. It works with a wide range of formats, making it easy to move videos, movies, music, photos, books – a full range of media options.

And as a fun bonus, you can make your own custom ringtones from any audio or video file and load them on your iPhone. I’ve always wanted to have a Tarzan yell ringtone for my rambunctious nephew, and wouldn’t it be cool to have a heartbeat tone when the love of your life calls? Someone from work who only calls to complain could be a crying baby sound, and maybe you know someone who would be great with a quote from “The Godfather”. All in all, you can have a LOT of fun with this, and for that reason, it makes a perfect gift. Enjoy!