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Entry bubble Remodeling: Do It Yourself or Contract It Out

By: Ginger | February 27, 2009 | Category: Home and Family

Before I get into my topic, I want to thank the folks who read my blog about the “shower/toilet brush incident” and expressed their concerns by sending 57 toilet brushes, 92 bottles of shower gel, and 131 shower brushes.  Kidding! Instead, I got a bunch of bad puns and some razzing from my co-workers.   I did get a bottle of shower gel and a new shower brush from a concerned co-worker which will come in handy when our bathroom renovation is completed.

Person about to hammer a nailWe are giving our 70’s bathroom a facelift.  Normally, my husband and I are “do-it-yourselfers.”  Over the years we have done quite a few renovation projects.  Because we are already working on a kitchen project for my husband’s mother, we decided to contract out the work this time for our bathroom.

When considering doing-it-yourself home improvements versus contracting out there is a lot to think about.  The labor portion of any project is the most costly aspect. By doing home renovations yourself, you can potentially save a lot of money, but don’t forget to figure in the cost of tools and other supplies you may need to purchase.  If you make mistakes during the project, they are on you to fix and it may cost you more than you planned.

The outcome of a project depends a lot on the amount of skill that went into the work.  If you don’t have the correct skills or tools, you may end up with work that is less than satisfactory.  My tip for building your renovation skills: find people with professional-level skills (friends of friends willing to barter or work small projects for extra cash) who are willing to let you work along side them as they teach you.  You can use those skills in future projects.  

Working with a contractor may require a lot of schedule juggling, and nothing is more frustrating than taking time off from work only to have the scheduled contractor not show up.  The down side to doing the work yourself is that it may take you a lot longer to finish than a professional.

If, after considering all of these factors, you think it would be best to find a contractor, here are some helpful links that can guide you:

The contractor just finished the bathroom and while I am pleased with the result, my final word on the subject is that I think we will go back to doing-it-ourselves.   What can I say?  I have a sledge hammer and I like to use it!   So, how about you?  Are you a do-it-yourselfer?  How do you feel about home contractors?  Have you had good experiences or bad?

| Post a Comment | View Comments [5] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: do it yourself   ginger   home   home_improvement   remodeling   renovation  

 

Entry bubble An Unhealthy Need to be Skinny

By: Jess | February 26, 2009 | Category: Health

Scale in trash

(Writer's note: What follows is a short excerpt from an article I wrote for my college paper about a young woman who suffered from an eating disorder. I'm posting part of it here in honor of National Eating Disorder Awareness Week. If you're interested in reading the entire story, you can find it here.)

As the petite young woman knelt on the bathroom floor for more than three hours, holding her shoulder-length blond hair away from the toilet bowl and retching up the remains of a night at Cornerstone Grill and Loft, she had only one thought in her mind: "At least I'm getting my dinner up."

For the sophomore business major, who shared her story on the condition of anonymity, this was as low as it got. Sitting there in a drunken haze, she reached for her cell phone and, without thinking, speed-dialed her boyfriend. She told him everything - how she lamented every calorie, how she could go for days on end without eating and how she hid it from everyone.

While that night may have been an all-time low, it proved to be a turning point by bringing her anorexia, a disease suffered in secret, out into the open.

The young woman I interviewed was brave enough to share some of the thoughts that swirled around in the mind of a person suffering from a terrible eating disorder. She felt comfortable telling me how there were days she ate nothing, but how on days when she ate only a single cracker and a diet soda, she felt fat and ugly. Unlike this young woman, many people who suffer from similar disordered eating patterns will never share their thoughts with anyone and may never reach out for help.

National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, which runs February 22 to 28, exists to encourage people to embrace their body no matter what its shape or size. It exists to raise awareness of eating disorders and bring light to resources available both for those who suffer and for their friends and family.

It never hurts to familiarize yourself with the warning signs of an eating disorder. The National Eating Disorders Awareness organization provides additional information for teachers and coaches as well as information on counseling and other help options.

It's been a few years since I wrote that story, but in the time that's passed, I'm happy to say the young woman found a counselor, put on much of the weight she had lost and seems to be more comfortable in her own skin. She's also happily engaged. She was one of the lucky ones, who had supportive friends urging her to get help and was brave enough to admit she needed it.

| Post a Comment | View Comments [1] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: anorexia   bulemia   eating_disorders   food   health   jess   national_eating_disorders_awareness_week   risks  

 

Entry bubble National Consumer Protection Week (March 1-7)

By: Colleen | February 25, 2009 | Category: Money

CAHNext week is National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW). This year's theme, "Nuts and Bolts: Tools for Today's Economy," was chosen to help people get the most for their money—whether you are trying to improve your credit history, tell the difference between a real deal or a rip-off, or protect your mortgage from foreclosure or foreclosure rescue scams.

The NCPW website includes pages on a range of consumer topics like banking, credit, consumer rights, identity theft & fraud, investments, money, and mortgages.

For a consumer reference guide, pre-order the 2009 Consumer Action Handbook. This free publication, available in April, includes tips on how to handle consumer issues, as well as a sample complaint letter to help you express consumer problems via mail, fax, or e-mail.

Check out all the sponsors of NCPW to learn how to protect yourself and your money!

| Post a Comment | View Comments [1] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: colleen   consumer_action_handbook   money   national_consumer_protection_week  

 

Entry bubble Children's Dental Health Month

By: Joanne | February 24, 2009 | Category: Health

young boy brushing his teethAt my daughter’s first dentist visit, the hygienist remarked, “She doesn’t drink much soda, does she?” My first reaction was shock, and I wondered if the average 3 year old drinks so much soda that the dental hygienist can see it on their teeth? For the record: they can.

February is National Children’s Dental Health Month, a friendly reminder to help your kids learn the importance of taking care of their teeth. The American Dental Association sponsors National Children’s Dental Health Month to promote the importance of good oral health beginning at a young age.

As a parent, it’s my job to make sure my kids are brushing, flossing, have regular checkups and are eating healthy snacks. Regular visits with the dentist can help you prevent problems in the future. Treatments like fluoride, sealants or even braces can help keep your kid’s teeth healthy and strong. Would you believe that my daughter got braces on when she was 7? I was so surprised I almost fell out of my chair when the dentist told me it was time.

My kids are comfortable at the dentist. A lot of credit goes to our dentist and his staff, who are always gentle and concerned about our comfort, but I do what I can to put them at ease too. The equipment and bright lights and strangers with face masks can be frightening. I schedule our appointments together and then I go first so they can see exactly what happens and how comfortable I am. I think it also helps that there’s a basket of little toys for the kids when we finish the appointment. What are your good ideas to help kids love taking care of their teeth?

| Post a Comment | View Comments [4] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: brush   child   children   dental   dentist   floss   joanne   kids   teeth  

 

Entry bubble The American Recovery and Investment Act and You

By: Jake | February 23, 2009 | Category: Money

MoneyPresident Barack Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act into law last Tuesday and shortly after he signed it the National Contact Center had people calling and emailing about getting a check because of the new law.

The law the President signed last week doesn't give anyone a stimulus payment or tax rebate check and it probably won't affect your 2008 income tax return. Even before the law was passed some people were already eligible for more 2008 stimulus payment money, specifically those who made less income in 2008 than in 2007. If this is your circumstance, you should check to see if you are eligible for the Recovery Rebate Credit.

About $288 billion of the $787 billion from the new law will be for tax relief. According to the Internal Revenue Service, there are two tax provisions in the law that could bring you some extra cash this year.

The "Making Work Pay" tax credit will give a refundable tax credit to individuals with an adjusted gross income up to $75,000 or $150,000 for married couples filing jointly. The credit will be applied to paychecks with tax withholdings, and you can calculate the amount for you here. Some people who receive benefits from the Social Security Administration, Veteran's Affairs and Railroad Retirement Board will receive an Economic Recovery Payment from the agency that grants their benefits.

Recovery.gov is where you can find out about where the other $499 billion will go. The White House has created a website to get your feedback on the law. What do you think of it? 

| Post a Comment | View Comments [4] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: economic_stimulus_payments   jake   rebate_check  

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