Cheap Americans?  Try sensible.  Why pay twice as much for a foreign made product that isn't any better than a comparable American made product at half the cost.  I have many Tupperware products bought about thirty or so years ago, before they went crazy with their pricing.  I still use only a couple of them and that...more

Since my husband passed the budget is beyond squeaky tight, so I have not purchased ANY clothes for almost two years now.  I also lost over 30 lbs. so I had to take everything in to fit me again.  I no longer have tennis shoes, and my socks and unmentionables are getting  pretty thin, but I manage to get dressed ever...more

As a recent widow on a fixed income, to me, home ownership is a big plus.  No raises in rent, no having to move if the rent goes too high.  Once the home is paid for, monthly expenses drop considerably.  It may not make as much profit, but it also has a lot less risk.

I'm a 50 year old lefty.  Being left handed is not a disorder, but it can be a challenge.  It can also be a great advantage.  I think that most left handed people can adapt more easily and think more creatively than most right handed people.  This has nothing to do with genetics.  It's because the world is set up for r...more

The key is to live within your means.  Don't spend it if you don't have it.  Now if we could get our government to do the same!

My husband and I have always done it ourselves (including the plumbing and electric).  Every home we've bought has been to remodel, and has made a great profit when we decided to move.  To us this is the only way to go.  Have you ever seen a house that was EXACTLY the way you wanted it?  And at a price you thought was ...more

I just joined in today, but plan to come back often.  Welcome!  It's good to have a fresh outlook, not someone just touting the lastest "in" thing.  Congratulations on finding who you needed to be for yourself.  So many people seem to forget that if we aren't true to ourselves, we can't really be true to anyone else ei...more

Kelley, I love the trellis'!  I can see why you went for them.  You have me thinking of how I can make some for one side of my stone patio (it's not in my budget to buy).  I think your porch looks very inviting, but a bit dark.  Maybe instead of painting all of the wicker black, you might think about doing a piece or t...more

I lean a mirror against the back to reflect light, then fill the fireplace (and just in front of it) with potted herbs.  For a finishing touch I put a home made "green house" shaped window in front.  It arches around and over the plants to the fireplace itself, and looks  as if a small, real green house was built there...more