snow falling in tahoe

welcome to the December 29, 2008 edition of do it yourself jubilee!

it’s been a chilly winter season for us here in the sf bay area of california.  and that’s only at the lowest maybe 30 degrees fahrenheit!  i know that others experience cold much lower than that elsewhere, so i won’t even start with the complaining here.  onwards!

what is the DIY jubilee ?!

especially during these times of recession, many of us are finding ways to cut back on our expenses. this might include taking action ourselves for tasks that we normally might have done by someone else, or creating something with our own hands (or machines, etc.) rather than buying it from someone else.

how have you been DIY-ing?

the idea is that the project or task was done with the primary motivation being to save money.  my hope is that the editions will be accessible and appealing to money-conscious readers first.  enjoying the DIY task (while allowed of course!) is secondary.

there were a number of submissions that fell in the ‘financial matters’ related category.  admittedly, i am still working on determining if these would truly fit with the DIY goals i had envisioned for this carnival’s accepted posts.  they are a bit different from the other categories.  on the other hand, there would be no doubt that stories such as ‘how to sell your house yourself without a real estate agency’ or ‘how to count a million unrolled coins for cheap quickly’ qualify to be included in an edition.  for now, i have included the submissions below.  this approach may change in future issues.

check out these accepted submissions from november covering areas of home improvement, food, and more !

please visit the writers’ sites and offer feedback and support.  and while you’re at it, why not promote this carnival by sharing this edition on the web, with friends, and family?

home improvement

• JCL flips houses, makes profit doing most of his own work in Rehab Your Own Houses or Write a Check? posted at The Real Estate Investing Journey, saying, “For people who invest in real estate and love to DIY, a fresh perspective on how to avoid burnout.”
• Mike Sowden presents ecosalon :: the green gathering :: 12 Fun DIY Projects for the Chic Green Geek posted at Ecosalon, saying, “From the oldest paint in the world to the newest (it’s alive!), from lining radiators to turfind roofs, there are plenty of DIY improvements around the homethat make a good green difference. Here are a few!” here are some alternative reuse uses of every day items from milk to pillow cases.
• Don recommends 5 things to consider in Choosing Replacement Basement Windows posted at Replacement Basement Windows, saying, “Selecting and choosing the right replacement windows can save you money in the long run”.
• Margaret Garcia outlines a handful of things one can do to Spruce it Up – 25 DIY Tips to Improve your Home’s Exterior posted at Top Online Engineering Degree.

snow in truck refrigerating milk!

in the kitchen

• Heather Levin tells us how handy hydrogen peroxide can be as a cleaner in Green Cleaning: How To Use Hydrogen Peroxide To Clean Your Home | The Greenest Dollar posted at The Greenest Dollar.
• vh suggests reusing those nylon mesh bags with a sponge to make a scrubber, in Two DIY mesh bag hacks posted at Funny about Money
• Buck Weber offers a recipe for making Friendship Soup Mix posted at THE BUCK LIST, saying, “A frugal gift idea!”