Like most moms, I have made way too many cupcakes over the years.
I like making and eating cupcakes anyway. So when potluck appeals get sent out, about half of the time I report back to the planning committee “Paula will bring cupcakes.”
I have discovered that my co-workers would rather have oatmeal cookies than cupcakes, so [...]

Energy-saving home improvements can be aggravating for the newly frugal or those new to do-it-yourself projects. Reason: sometimes you end up with the same electric, water or gas bill anyway because the rates went up despite whatever you are doing to keep the usage down.
Unfortunately, those rates are going to go up anyway. Do you [...]

Parade magazine Aug. 17 edition has two pieces to read from the magazine’s recurring How America Saves series:

Do it yourself.
How to bounce back from bankruptcy.

If you’re new to this “frugal living stuff” or are suddenly in a situation where you have to cut expenses fast, it can be really frustrating to realize that you usually have to invest time, money or both up front to find savings later.
I have a post that details how fast you can expect results [...]

A feature story that I have for today’s edition of The Monroe Evening News is Doing it himself, one project at a time.
Scott is a do-it-yourself guy. You would be amazed on the projects he’s taken on by himself – and the money he has saved along the way.
But Scott also knows when to back [...]

The IKEA furniture and housewares store in Canton, Mich., is close enough to Monroe, Mich., that the store’s sales fliers are occasionally in The Monroe Evening News.
If you’ve never been there, then be prepared for a very unique shopping experience when you do go! I’ve wandered through the store a few times since it opened, [...]

My mom knows how to freeze and can foods, and she has been showing my sisters and I how those techniques are done. I do remember her making homemade jelly and jam when I was growing up, but I was never involved with those projects as a youth.
Last summer, I learned how to make freezer [...]

Sara Noel’s Frugal Village column on Sunday included tips from both a reader and Sara on making homemade baby food. Here is the tip from the reader:
I pureed a bag of peas, green beans, potatoes and chicken. All of these were separate. I took my muffin tins and covered them with piece of plastic wrap [...]

I have a new sidebar on the do-it-yourself / community education classes that area available in southeast Michigan and northwest Ohio.

This post is for my readers in Monroe County, Mich.:
If you live in Monroe County, Mich., or in the Downriver area in Wayne County, and are willing to be interviewed / photographed by The Monroe Evening News for a story … here’s the pitch:
I am working on a feature story on people who are “doing [...]