The ideal building material would be ‘borrowed’ from the environment and replaced after use. There would be little or no …
VIDEO: Best penetrating fluids and how to make your own
Learn how to make your own homemade penetrating fluid that works better than WD40, Liquid Wrench, PB Blaster, Kroil, and …
Battling mosquitoes? Eliminate standing water to deprive bugs of breeding spots
Malaria, West Nile virus and heartworms — as if you didn’t already have enough reasons to fear and loathe mosquitoes …
DIY Drain Tips and Hacks
When it comes to fixing household clogs, don’t be afraid to do it yourself. With proper maintenance and the right …
More handy household tips from 1900’s cigarette cards
These cards are super cool. They come from the New York Library Digital Collection and are British cigarette cards from …
Don’t you love these? Handy tips from the 1900s
This is fabulous! I guess as a self-reliant person you have alternate light sources around the house. I do. I …
101 Uses for Duct Tape
Is there a man in the country who doesn’t believe that duct tape is the answer to every problem? And …
All fixed up: A guide to common household problems that need fixing
While love craftsmen and women, we don’t always love paying them for simple household problems, and we’re willing to bet …
Outage? Charge your phone with body electricity (or do it an old fashioned way!)
Watch the video and you’ll see how you can charge your phone using your body electricity by making a capacitor …
How replacing your water heater can help curb energy consumption
Family Features: Water heaters are energy intensive appliances. In fact, they are the second largest energy user in the home, and …
Readers share resourceful saving tips
Letters to Jill Cataldo My frugal readers often share some of their favorite moneysaving and couponing tips with me, and I …
Basics: How To Reset a Circuit Breaker or Fuse Box
Located inside or outside of your home is a circuit breaker box (sometimes called a fuse box) that contains circuit …
Do you qualify? Will the government help to repair or improve your home?
Want to add an addition onto your home? Renovate your bathroom or basement? Learn about programs to help pay for …
The government is not there to help
California cuts off only water source for town of 15,000 A planned community in California’s Central Valley is just days away …
You spilled coffee on your laptop. A step-by-step fix.
One of our guys just dumped a cup of coffee over his laptop. Huge panic. But our tech guy sent him a list …
DIY ceiling updates
If you find your ceiling unseemly, fix it! While painting the ceiling can be fun, these ceiling tiles, panels, and …
Five ways to choose upholstery that will stand up to anything
…even your kids! Is your family room a place where everyone can be comfortable? Or are you constantly worrying about …
Time to check the air conditioner
We just fired up the A/C in the office and four hours later we’re still melting. It made us think …
Slay your energy vampires!
Your phone charger, toaster and TV look innocent enough, but do you realize they’re robbing you blind? In fact, all …
Why you really shouldn’t use that gasoline generator to power your computer
Bob Bly sent me a letter after Super Storm Sandy. Here it is. This may be the most important tip …
DIY: Checking and fixing your circuit breakers
After a power outage or any kind of damage to your fuse box, (especially if it’s outdoors), you’ll want to …