All Blog Posts Archives - Page 10 of 17

All blog posts on Frugal Thumb

Safely remove black mold from your subfloor

February 14, 2018

I recently replaced the flooring in my parent’s master bathroom without any prior experience. If you’d like to read how that went, you can find the details here: Installing peel-and-stick vinyl tile in bathroom Since the first bathroom went so well, my parents wanted me to replace the flooring in their guest bathroom too. Of course, every project is a little different and this was no exception. I used a utility knife and flat head screw driver to remove the wood…

Restore a Rusty Metal Bathroom Shelf for $5

February 10, 2018

Joni Smith

Home Projects

This project idea was hatched when we had to remove the metal bathroom shelf above the toilet to prepare for installing new flooring in my parents’ bathroom. By doing so, it became clear that the silver metal had seen better days. The bathroom shelf was really rusted in places, especially along the shelf poles. In all honesty, it looked like it needed to be thrown away and replaced. However, it’s not unusual for an over-the-toilet metal shelf unit to cost…

6 Easy Steps to Install Peel-and-Stick Vinyl Tile

February 9, 2018

Joni Smith

Home Projects

You can install peel-and-stick vinyl tile yourself by following these 6 easy steps.

5 Steps to Remove Old Linoleum from Your Bathroom Floor

February 7, 2018

Joni Smith

Home Projects

Is the flooring in your bathroom old, outdated, and showing wear and tear? Is it peeling up from the floor, bubbling from water moisture, or stained? Do you dream of getting new flooring but can’t justify paying thousands to get it done professionally? Then I have good news for you. Because this is another project that you can totally do yourself, and while sticking to a small budget. We’re talking less than $100/bathroom, depending on the size. From start to…

Free Cash for Pedometer Owners – Sign Up on Achievement Website

February 5, 2018

Joni Smith

Health & Fitness, Money Saving Apps

How do you like the sound of a little extra cash just for wearing your pedometer? Seriously, you can get cash just for doing things you’re already doing! I’m all for any free and automated ways to get a little extra cash, and myachievement.com is one of those deals! I’ve cashed in for $50 with this site so I can personally tell you it’s legit. Here’s how it works If you wear a Fitbit or Garmin pedometer (or even just…

Fly or Drive? Determine the Most Cost-Effective Choice

February 4, 2018

Joni Smith

Family, Finances, Life, Money Saving Apps

It’s vacation time! And you’re going out of town. But should you fly or drive to reach your destination of choice? What’s the most cost-effective option? My immediate family is spread out across the United States, so there is no dropping by on a whim, and every visit requires a planned trip. As a frugal thumb, I try to figure out the most cost-effective vacations. Should we fly or drive? What are the pros and cons of each choice? I…

Patio table bird feeder update

January 30, 2018

Joni Smith

Outdoor DIY

I’m really enjoying the new life this bird food is giving our backyard. We’ve had deer, squirrels, and a variety of birds come visiting. Winter patio idea

Transform metal coasters into Usable coasters

January 29, 2018

Joni Smith

Home Projects

Whoever thought it was a good idea to give coasters a metal lining did not test their product before marketing it. I must be one of the few fools to buy them without realizing how awful these coasters would actually work. I just thought they looked nice. However, if there is any condensation that drips down onto these metal-lined coasters, the coaster will get stuck to the cup, and will rise with the cup when it is picked up. But…

Fixing the chirping smoke detector

January 29, 2018

Joni Smith

Home Projects

I’ve been learning a lot of new things since I took the leap and quit my job – how to cook fish, how to change the air filter, make curtain rods, refinish wood furniture, spray paint things, make necklaces, etc, etc. So when the smoke detector in our master bedroom started chirping in the middle of the night last night, I looked at it as another opportunity to learn something new! This time the lesson would be in replacing smoke…

Make Affordable Homemade Gluten-Free Bread

January 24, 2018

Joni Smith

Food, Health & Fitness

My daughter and I both discovered that we have some level of gluten intolerance in 2017, so my family is always looking for gluten-free alternatives to the wheat-y things we used to love. Bread is a big one! But it’s so expensive at the store. Even the cheapest loaves I could find run about $5 for a small loaf! It’s much more cost effective (and environmentally friendly) to bake your own. How it’s thrifty: According to my math, you’ll spend…